Screen-Free Week is right around the corner. It’s timing, toward the end of the school year, can’t help but get us at Camp JCC a little bit passionate. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that the average American child spends seven hours in front of screens every 
day. For many kids, that number increases dramatically during summer vacation. We say, back away from the screens, we’re here to help!
You may say it’s not that big a deal and that we’re over-reacting, but research shows the time away from school and peers takes its toll. Officially, it’s called “Summer Learning Loss.” The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) reports that most students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency during their summer vacation. Summer vacation can also be hard on a kid’s health. The NSLA also reports that kids gain weight more rapidly during summer vacation than during the rest of the year.
For working parents, summer camp has long been a childcare solution when school is out. But summer camp is so much more than babysitting! It is the antidote to summer learning loss and to the potential for summer weight gain.
At Camp JCC, we provide a traditional summer camp experience for kids from as young as 16 months old all the way through 10th grade. Our campers are engaged—they’re learning new skills and maintaining what they learned in school—but if you ask them, they’re just having fun!
With time for nature, cooking, gardening, art, music and drama, in addition to daily swim instruction, campers at Camp JCC make the most of their summer. Whether for a week or two or the whole summer, we think every kid deserves a camping experience (we will work to accommodate children with special needs, and even have limited financial assistance available. See the FAQs for more on both.).
This summer, help your kids fight summer learning loss, stay healthy, and have fun! Camp JCC does all three. We’re now accepting registrations. Visit the center or CampJCC.org for more information.