Unlocking the Power of Music in Summer Camps

Camps provide children with a valuable retreat to grow and learn socially and emotionally, helping them discover their individuality in an independent environment.

In the wake of the disruptions caused by COVID-19, summer camps are increasingly needed to assist children in improving their communication skills, developing social abilities, and forming new friendships. The pandemic has significantly impacted children's social and emotional development, leading to feelings of isolation and making it challenging for them to connect with others. As a result, many children may struggle with anxiety, self-confidence, and effective communication. Summer camps can play a crucial role in bridging these gaps by creating a supportive environment where children can reconnect with their peers and regain the social skills that were hindered during this difficult time.

Music and music therapy can be powerful tools in this process. Engaging with music allows children to express themselves creatively, which can facilitate emotional healing and reduce anxiety. Group music activities, such as singing or playing instruments together, can promote teamwork and cooperation while helping children form connections with their peers. Music therapy, guided by a trained professional, can provide a safe space for children to explore their emotions, improve their communication skills, and build self-confidence.

Summer camps also offer kids the opportunity to interact with diverse groups of people from across the country, each with different abilities, cultures, and even languages. This blending of various personalities and backgrounds is what makes camp so special.

When children first arrive at camp, it can be overwhelming for some, often leading to homesickness, anxiety, and loneliness before they make new friends. By incorporating music and music therapy into camp activities, camps can alleviate these feelings and foster a sense of community, making the transition to camp life smoother and more enjoyable for all.

Music has long been used to help people heal, communicate effectively, and bring people together. Music transcends nations and cultures, so music is often referred to as the universal language. Music therapy benefits cognitive, emotional, and social issues as well as the physical needs of people. It has proven to be an effective way to help alleviate symptoms and provide people with a sense of inner calm, especially children. Music is also a really fun activity; few pleasures in this world compare to the high you feel from letting your soul flow through your body and out through improvisation and music-making.

The fact that music has been proven to enhance mood, increase feel-good feelings, and improve emotion regulation are all powerful indicators that music and music therapy may provide one of the best and certainly the most accessible holistic approaches to improving mental health available to us today. As various emerging studies are beginning to show, this positive effect seems to be multiplied when music therapies are engaged within outdoor environments. Therefore, music must be available in all children camps to help kids develop peer relationships, encourage curiosity, communicate their feelings effectively, connect with nature, and learn how to be creative, a valuable transferable skill needed in life.

One way to do this is to combine the benefits of the great outdoors with music by installing outdoor musical instruments on campgrounds. Weather-resistant and long-lasting outdoor musical instruments make the perfect addition to the camp environment. Installed by lakeshores, hidden deep within forests, or within existing playgrounds, these instruments add another way to learn and play in the wild by using sounds and vibrations. Best of all, they are totally inclusive, and camp counselors can lead the activity with no training in music needed.

The instruments can be incorporated into a camp program, teaching children the joys of learning how to play music and be creative in producing unique tunes of their own. In contrast, children can use the instruments in their free time, meaning that they continue to be stimulated and learn even when playing. They are also accessible to everyone and help develop problem-solving.

Outdoor musical instruments also enable "open-ended play." This means that children can go back to an instrument time and time again, gradually enhancing their skills and working on it over time. They also enable children to learn to work with others, perhaps learning a tune as an ensemble to put on a performance to mark the end of camp.

Playing these types of instruments in the great outdoors is an easy and enjoyable way to generate a quick burst of feel-good endorphins, give space for emotions to be understood and processed, and provide a distraction from the everyday stresses of life, both large and small. All of this makes outdoor music the leading therapy for helping children develop socially and emotionally at camp while also having fun!

You can read more research on the benefits of music for children here