Every summer students all over North America close their school books, say goodbye to homework and board the bus out to summer camp. For a few days, or a few weeks, they stay busy doing activities, exploring nature and making new friends. All that anybody hears from them is the occasional cheery postcard dropped in the mail between activities.

Weeks later, they return to their hometowns smiling, suntanned and filled with enthusiasm, leaving everyone that stayed home wondering: what happened out there that was such a blast? Their peers who opt out of summer camp are sure to look up from their phones when everybody gets back to school and ask two questions summer campers know well: “where have you been? And why do you look so happy?”

Challenge by choice helps you believe in yourself

Contrary to popular belief, the real attraction of camp isn’t that it’s easy, or “all fun and games.” The real attraction of summer camp is that it teaches you the rewards that come from meeting challenges head-on. When you realize that challenging things can also be fun, difficulties like homework and making friends at school that used to seem scary and difficult become easy and engaging — because you realize that just like any game, the secret is to enjoy playing, whether or not you win. This is honestly a hugely important life lesson, and one of the main reasons summer campers always seem happy and energetic.

Learning that exercise can be fun

Another reason for all the post-camp smiling that might seem obvious to some: physical activity. Endless scientific studies have shown the negative effects that getting too little physical exercise can have on people, particularly young people who are still growing. So it’s a good thing that summer camp is basically a crash course in exercise, introducing campers to tons of high-energy sports and activities like climbing, canoeing, tennis, and many more.

Plus, campers don’t just do activities at camp — they take skills home and pursue their passions independently, whether they decide to become expert climbers, pro basketball players, or follow up on any other activity that might have captured their imagination.

In short: at camp, the endorphins are flowing!

Digital detox works wonders

Technology isn’t all bad, but most parents agree that spending too much time scanning Instagram and “liking” pictures on Facebook can have a negative social effect on kids and teens. After all, can you imagine how different your childhood would be if you hadn’t spent most of it outside, making your own fun with your siblings or friends?

In our digital age kids feel a lot of pressure to stay “active” with a wide range of social media activities, and that can become incredibly stressful, not to mention invite bullying. Camp is a chance for campers to cut their ties to internet use, if only for a few days, and to concentrate on the things that make childhood fun. Namely, making new friends, discovering new things, and getting back in touch with nature.

What it all means

Summer camp has a lot of fun-looking activities, yet when people reminisce about summer camp they aren’t usually talking specifically about sailing, or basketball, or ceramics, or campfire challenges. No, they always talk about “the summer camp experience” — that unmistakable mix of nature, friendship and campfires that somehow turns a few days of fun and games into a chance for growth and self-discovery.

The thing is, time is fleeting. The stakes only get higher in life, and summer camp is a chance to discover who you are, separate from the day-to-day stresses of school, homework, and whatever else might be keeping a camper busy throughout the year.

When you look through photos from time spent at camp, it’s always bittersweet; these are times that go by quickly, and summer camp is a chance to pack all the best parts of childhood into one amazing, crazy week or two.

No matter their background, campers will all tell you that camp changed their life.  Campers are introduced to life-long friends, given a chance to practice their real-world social skills, and taught the value of unplugging from the digital world and focusing on being present in the moment.

With all that summer camp offers, why wouldn’t you look happy when you come home?