CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — As mental health and social issues among kids continue to rise post-pandemic, sending your child to summer camp may help.

As a result of the pandemic, students of all ages have reported struggling with mental health, anxiety, loneliness and stress. Camps create community and can create happy campers in ways you may not have considered.

CHKD Parenting expert Michele Tryon said, “The summer time and camps in particular can be a wonderful way for kids to really have optimal development.”

When kids pick up a bow and arrow and put down their phone, Tryon said, they grow.

“The brain is actually being wired in different ways when you’re doing something hands-on, using your senses, than it is if you’re doing something only digitally,” Tryon said.

Freedom from social media and from parents helps build confidence.

“Their emerging independence and ability to do something that’s enjoyable and maybe that they haven’t experienced before is all going to be wonderful for mental well being,” Tryon said.

The Girl Scouts of The Colonial Coast is preparing its staff for summer camp season in a new way post-pandemic.

“GSUSA partnered with the national council for mental well being who offers the mental health first aid course,” Outdoor Adventures Manager Natalie Lane told WAVY.

Lane is now trained and will train others to recognize signs of mental health challenges and has tools to help the campers work through them, just as she guides them through other tough challenges like the ropes course.

Lane said her favorite thing about camp is guiding girls to success in new things. “You can talk to her and be like ‘I just want you to try it and give it your best’ and she does it and she is so proud of herself and she comes back to you and says ‘did you see me do that!'”

It’s those moments of creating healthy, happy campers that keep Lane coming back.

If you or your child is anxious about camp, Tryon offers the three “Ps” that might help.

  • Plan: to send your child to a camp that fits their interests.
  • Prepare: by packing what you need and knowing what to expect.
  • Process: when they get home by asking what they did and didn’t like. If there were challenges help your child figure out how to handle it next time.