You may be wondering what activities you should sign up your camper for during the summer. A sports or fine arts camp? A local day camp? Maybe even some swim lessons prior to all that time spent in the pool. Either way, school is out and your new parental role features 24/7 supervision! According to the Kaiser Family Foundation study, kids ages 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen every day. So here are our top ten reasons why sending your child to an overnight camp for two weeks or more is the most beneficial thing you can do for them this summer.

They’re ACTIVE. With no technology and 40-plus activities to choose from, kids are nonstop playing. They eat three well-rounded meals a day (plus snacks) that give them the energy to run in a kickball game, swim in the Guadalupe River, or play a couple of matches of tennis.

They can try new things like fencing or ga-ga ball. Camp gives kids the opportunity to do things they’ve never done before–in an environment that’s beginner-tolerant and physically and emotionally safe.

They’re engaged. When kids are active, they’re learning. At Heart O’ the Hills our girls have the ability to advance through levels in riflery, archery, tennis, canoeing, and the American Red Cross swim levels.

They form new lifelong friendships. Who else will understand your love for games like Mission Impossible, the silly lyrics and motions of a camp song, or the solemnity of camp traditions?

The blob. Need we say more?

Teamwork is taught and practiced. More and more employers have stopped looking for the smartest kid in the room and started looking for 21^st Century Skills. They have realized it’s not so much about what you know as how well you adjust to changing circumstances, work through challenges, and get along with others.

They’re in a healthy atmosphere where giggles are uncontrollable and a painted face is not unusual.

Self-reliance is enhanced. All too often, a child’s first venture away from home is their first year in college. Away from parents but still in a secure and supportive environment, a girl figures out for herself what to do if she forgets to take a towel to swimming.

It’s FUN! Sneaking around camp during a treasure hunt, leaving secret notes for little sisters, and playing under the sun makes for just old-fashioned good times.

Nature surrounds them. You are giving your camper memories under the stars, around a campfire, or soaking wet playing in the rain.