The onset of tablets and smart phones coupled with the internet means that we can now hold the sum of human knowledge in the palm of our hands. But the ability to access information without the need to leave our homes has dissuaded a part of the youth today from going out and learning on their own in one of the best classrooms we have ever known: nature.
Why a Nature Camp?
Over the past few decades, progress in the field of science has radically changed how we interact with the world. In the current age, technology has been made readily available for almost anyone to use in whichever way they see fit. The onset of tablets and smart phones coupled with the internet means that we can now hold the sum of human knowledge in the palm of our hands. For the most part, these breakthroughs have made our world smaller, allowing us to extend our reach and make human connections with people and cultures like never before.
However, also in this age, we find that there are those who see these new tools as a substitute for the real thing. The ability to access information without the need to leave our homes has dissuaded a part of the youth today from going out and learning on their own in one of the best classrooms we have ever known: nature.
For kids, nature and the outdoors has always been a combination of a school, a playground, and a land of mystery and adventure. This was the place where great social and scientific minds first experienced wonder in bugs and flowers with more colors than their box of crayons, curiosity in where the sun goes when it sets, and camaraderie as they ran on the soil and grass with their friends.
Research in the field of child development likewise supports the beneficial effects of these experiences and gives even more. These are mentally beneficial such as unique opportunities to develop and exercise their memory, problem solving, creative thinking, and other inter and intrapersonal skills while playing in nature environments (Townsend & Weerasuriya 2010). There are also, of course, physical benefits such as the recommendation of giving children access to safe outdoor play areas to combat the rise of chronic diseases such as asthma and obesity (McCurdy et. al. 2010). Even adolescents, adults, and communities in general can share in the positive effects of the outdoors in the form of psychological well-being and communication skills (Cottrell& Raadik-Cottrell 2010).
Camp Likasan
It is to bring back our children once again to the unique setting of the environment and to reap the mental and physical benefits that we have designed Camp Likasan 2013 for. Through activities specifically aimed for children to go out and explore what nature has to offer, we aim to foster healthy active lifestyles for the youth and plant in them the seed of caring for the environment. It is our mission to show families that even in the current age of technology, outdoor activities and what they can give to us are still very much a relevant aspect that should be encouraged alongside modernity, instead of simply neglected.
To do this, Camp Likasan hopes to bring children and their families to a safe setting where they will get to spend time together in activities highlighting the wonders nature has to offer.
Please contact us at 421-1213 or 911-6089 for more information.
Evolve. Get Involved. Be a Haribon Member NOW!
