Sure, new shoes or the latest gadget might light up a kid’s face for a minute. But you know what lights them up for a lifetime? Camp.
At Summer 365, we’ve seen it over and over again – camp isn’t just an activity or a place. It’s a life-changing experience filled with confidence, connection, growth, and memories that outlast those friendship bracelets.
So this holiday season, we’re making the case for giving a different kind of gift – one wrapped not in paper, but in purpose.
🌟 The Gift That Keeps on Growing
Camp gives kids the chance to spread their wings. Whether it’s trying the high ropes course for the first time, standing up to speak in front of the bunk, or simply choosing what outfit to wear each day (even if it’s tie-dye on tie-dye or socks-with-slides), camp encourages kids to make decisions, take risks, and grow.
Confidence. Independence. Resilience. These aren’t things you can buy in a store. But at camp? They’re part of the daily schedule.
🏕️ The Gift of Community
Let’s be real – there’s just nothing like camp friends. The kind of friends who know your go-to canteen order, who cheered the loudest when your team finally won Gaga, and who stuck by you when you felt homesick on Day Two. Camp friendships are deep, silly, messy, and real – and they last far beyond summer.
Giving the gift of camp is giving your child the chance to belong. To be themselves. To find their people.
😂 The Gift of the “Good Stuff” (and the Weird Stuff Too)
We’re thankful for campfires and s’mores, rainy day bunk games, and songs sung at full volume before 8 a.m. We’re even thankful for the weird food traditions and that one counselor who swears by mismatched socks as a lifestyle choice.
The little things become the big things – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
💌 The Gift of Stories They’ll Tell Forever
You know what’s better than a new toy? A memory.
Like the time they nailed the talent show with a dance they learned five minutes before. Or the prank war that went down in Bunk 12. Or the moment they conquered their fear and jumped into the lake.
Giving the gift of camp is giving the stories that come home in letters, on long car rides, and in bunk reunions for years to come.
🎄 Wrap It All Up with a Bow (Or a Duffel)
Whether you’re a first-timer thinking about Summer 2026, or a seasoned camper already counting down the days, investing in camp is a present that comes with a seriously meaningful return.
So this season, skip the wrapping paper and give the gift that will last long after the lights are down, the tree is put away, and the menorah candles are done burning bright. Give camp.
We’ll help you every step of the way – from questions to campfires.
Let’s talk.
About the contributor:
Summer 365 is the leading consulting service created by and for parents, driven by a customized, holistic approach to finding the best summer experience for each child and family. Through in-person visits and meetings with camps and programs, our momboss team of experts have insider knowledge on more than 500 top sleepaway camps and summer programs for children and teens ages 7–18. Our service makes it easy for parents to find whatever they’re looking for – whether it’s traditional or specialty sleepaway camp, community service, performing arts, enrichment, wilderness, or language immersion programs.