7 Reasons to Send Your Kids to an Arts Summer Camp

If you type “summer camp” into your favorite search engine, you’ll get an astonishing number—and breadth—of results.

Gone are the days when “summer camp” meant crafts, lakes, and archery. Today, your child can spend a week as a trainee astronaut, learn some cool skateboard skills, or program their first robot. With so many options on the market, it’s difficult to decide how your child should spend their summer.

For the aspiring artist, there’s no better place than one of the nation’s many arts camps. Offering an engaging combination of education and recreation, arts camps are becoming an increasingly popular destination for creative children and young adults. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should send your child to an arts summer camp:

1. It’s lots of fun! While painting or playing the clarinet all day might not be your idea of a good time, to your young artist, it’s a dream come true. After the class day ends, there’s also plenty of time for fun activities like sports, crafts, games, and spending time with friends.

2. It shows you support their passion. When you’re a young artist, it’s easy to feel like your parents view your art as just another extracurricular. Sending your child to an arts camp shows that you support their passion and are eager to invest in continued studies.

3. It will help them gain new perspectives. Arts camps attract students and faculty from across the nation and around the world. As such, they’re tremendous opportunities for students to encounter new outlooks on both art and life. Working with new teachers is particularly beneficial, encouraging students to explore concepts, genres, media, and techniques that they might not have access to at home.

4. It fosters lifelong friendships. Gifted students often feel misunderstood by their peers. But at an arts camp, students meet hundreds of young artists just like them. The common interest that drew these artists to camp serves as both an icebreaker and a bond-builder, allowing students to form deep, lasting friendships within a few short weeks.

5. It will push them outside their comfort zone. Many of the students who choose to attend arts camps are the proverbial “big fish in a small pond.” At arts camps, surrounded by equally talented peers, students can explore more difficult material that will challenge and inspire them. For students who have never been away from home before, a session at an arts camp is also an opportunity to gain independence in a safe, nurturing environment.

6. It will give them a glimpse of their prospective career. Skill-focused camps are a terrific way to help your child learn more about the career they’re considering. They’ll spend all day immersed in their craft, giving them a sneak peek of what it’s really like to be a professional. For many students, these camps are watershed moments that serve to clarify whether their craft will be a career or an after-hours passtime.

7. It provides opportunities to share their gifts. Performances and exhibitions are key components of arts camp experiences. Your child can expect to showcase their talents at least once during their session. Many camps offer weekly performance and exhibition opportunities, challenging your student to create prolifically, practice diligently, and share courageously.

Want to discover the perfect place for your young artist? Visit Interlochen Arts Camp to explore a variety of artistic programs for students in grades 3-12.