Electronics
As a dad, I am constantly fighting the battle with my children over the use of electronics. If my kids had their way, they would come home from school and power up before doing homework. They would get lost in cyber-space after dinner and fall asleep to the glow of an electronic screen rather than a nightlight. The thought of coming to camp and giving their “thumbs a rest” for the summer makes my kids twitch.
I love the fact that we do not allow most electronics at Camp Takajo. Each night, I walk into every Warrior bunk (second, third and fourth graders) to wish goodnight to the boys. To my delight, I see boys sitting on the floor playing cards and board games. There are also knock-hockey tournaments taking place. In many bunks, counselors sit in the middle of the floor and read to their campers. No one misses his electronics.
Camp provides the perfect opportunity for children to participate in spontaneous play. Campers are forced to engage with one another, whether it’s striking up a conversation, making up a bunk game, or simply talking about an event that took place during the day. Our camper’s eyes are looking forward, not down at a glowing screen. I can’t help but think that when the summer ends, our boys will all rush home and, perhaps, be frustrated if you weren’t considerate enough to plug in that device prior to when they walk in the door. But, as one parent to another, I am here to tell you they didn’t miss it one bit this summer.
- Juniors are getting back to regular league sports with new teams, preparing for this week’s inter-camp competition and competing in the swim meet today.
