Illustration by Leiana Nitura
Since I was a little girl, I have always loved to hang out with my friends for hours at a time. I have had many sleepovers and have stayed at many overnight camps with my closest friends. Now that I am 15 years old, I still love to hang out with my friends and go to camp.
I have been to overnight church camps, soccer camps, taekwondo camps, and dance camps. Those times were some of the best experiences in my life. I made a lot of memories that I will forever cherish in my heart. Being with old and new friends and in new environments helped me learn a lot of life lessons that are necessary for all children to learn. Things like social skills, being kind, sharing, and respecting others were things I tried to use every day, but at overnight camp you have to practice these in a new environment.
It is not structured like school and there are no parents. I think that it is very important for children to go out of their comfort zone and participate in activities like overnight camps and sleepovers because these kind of activities help build character. The experiences helped me become more mature and more respectful of others because I became more aware of the things around me.
Attending overnight camps also helped me become more independent. I learned how to make my own conversations with strangers that I had nothing in common with except our camp. I learned to problem-solve without my parents, but, at camp, I was still with adults my parents trusted.
Kids can also get introduced to new kinds of foods and games and new cultures. It lets them step out of the box and learn new things about others and themselves. And making new friends is always fun. But at camp I learned that it’s possible to love people that I didn’t think I was going to like at the beginning!
Olivia Ivey is a sophomore at White Station High School and plans to spend another summer at camp.
Leiana Nitura is a storyboard Artist/Revisionist, Character Designer, and Animator, and has freelanced for Marvel Animation Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and Cartoon Network Studios.