As we enter into the month of November it’s important to remember that gratitude is the theme of the season. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to make time and give thanks for what you have been provided with, but the virtue of gratitude is a virtue that can be practiced all year round. Camp is a unique place where children are able to learn about the importance of gratitude because it is part of our core values and daily practices.
Gratitide is an important value to teach children because it directly connected with levels of happiness. University of California, Berkeley has recently been conducting a study on the science and importance of gratitude in a person’s life. Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas says, studies show that people who keep a gratitude journal are 25 percent happier than those who don’t. “The people who did the gratitude [journal] showed increases in happiness, reductions in stress, reductions in vulnerability to physical symptoms, such as headaches,” she says. See more about UC Berkley’s study on the effects of gratitude.
Throughout camp there are many different activities that help demonstrate acts of gratitude. Each day at camp is an opportunity to build relationships by showing and saying what campers and staff are grateful for. At the end of each camp day, many programs bring the camp together for community time for a closing circle or campfire and use this as opportunity to show appreciation for campers. Here counselors give a small annoucements of what a group or camper has what they contributed and why they’re greatful. Campers see appreciation in action and good deeds are recognized in front of the whole camp. In small groups campers experience first hand and practice daily many different ways of appreciating and thanking others through many group building activities. All group members are encourage to recognize acts of kindness, find a ways to appreciate everyone and counselors make time daily to talk campers about these values. This is an important life skill that children can start at camp and carry on through out the year with family members and friends.
Gratitude is just one of the many important values camps are able to teach campers because of the naturally engrained practicies that are part of how camp is run. Many day to day camp practices help teach campers about the importance of gratitude. Camp activities provide a fun easy way to show campers the importance of gratitude. Gratitude does not come naturally to everyone. Providing children with the opportunity to experience acts gratitude during camp is a great way to see the benefits of both giving and reciving acts of appreciation.
Read more about other camp activities that teach gratitude to campers.
