Why Kids Need Camp

Do you know that the average middle schooler spends 2121 minutes a week in front of a television? That’s over 35 hours.

Or that the average young person during any given week will:

• Plays 833 minutes or about 14 hours of video games?
  
• Spends another 623 minutes (over 10 hours) on a computer?
  
• Or send over 700 texts
  

That’s a total of more than 59 hours a week inside sitting in front of a screen.

In contrast research tells us that the average young person will spend an average of:

• 30 minutes a week playing outside
  
• 3.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with their parents
  
• And less than an hour in a church, youth group or youth ministry gathering
  

This means kids spend just over an hour a week in meaningful interaction with people and places that can positively shape and influence their lives.

59 hours compared to 1.25 hours.

Think for a moment about the long-term implications of this on our kids, on our future.

Kids need much more than screen time to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually:

• Kids need to interact with God’s creation by being outside
  
• They need to be nurtured within their family – God created the family for just this purpose.
  
• Finally kids need to be a part of a faith community such as a local church or other ministry
  

Yet these vital interactions are being squeezed out by technology. Not by war, famine or economic collapse but by a little screen.

Here’s another reality – all those negative trends about kids can be reversed by a week at a Christian camp (such as SpringHill) where the average camper spends:

• 60 hours outside per week doing incredibly fun, exciting and growing activities
  
• 300 minutes in a meaningful conversation with a staff person (that’s nearly two years’ worth of meaningful conversation with a parent)
  
• 10 to 12 hours a week in individual Bible study and small and large group settings learning about God and His plan for their lives.
  

Now more than ever our Kids Need Camp.

Now that you’re convinced Kids Need Camp, over my next few posts I’ll help you ask the right questions and know the right answers to look for when selecting a summer camp for the kids you love.