Summer camp is a place where every day is guaranteed to involve some kind of adventure and high ropes courses are part of the camp experience. However, it is common for both parents and their children to be a bit hesitant when it comes to activities that involve an element of risk, especially if the child has a fear of heights. While almost every camper will give a different answer as to whether high ropes courses are scary or not, understanding how they work to develop skills like leadership and confidence will help you encourage your son or daughter to give it a try.
Security demonstrations
No camper reaches the high ropes course without first being informed about the safety rules and the types of equipment used to protect them from injury. Knowing that only state-of-the-art harnesses and other equipment are used gives children the assurance that they will be safe against the ropes. During these safety demonstrations, campers are taught how to check their gear and have the opportunity to experience a short fall so they know their harness will hold their weight.
Strategic course progression
High ropes courses are designed to foster campers’ ability to trust themselves and others. For this reason, no one ever begins with the highest element. Instead, kids start out with small challenges that allow them to test their skills and courage before moving on to the big thrill. Often times a camper will start on a low ropes course before advancing to the higher ropes. This allows those who are afraid of heights to slowly acclimate to the feeling of not being on the ground.
Advance aimed at children
Since the goal of a high ropes course is to focus on building self-confidence, campers are never forced to tackle an item that causes serious fear. Instead, they are encouraged to go at their own pace and try new items as their comfort level increases. While gentle encouragement is provided to help children overcome obstacles, staff members and fellow campers never pressure anyone to overcome an obstacle that they find terrifying. Instead, children tend to move on on their own due to their natural sense of adventure when the above items become too easy.
Rewards for taking risks safely
Camp is the perfect place for children to learn to take safe risks. Developing the ability to assess a situation and decide to step out of your comfort zone pays off when you can leave camp with the confidence of raising your hand in class or scoring that impossible goal on the sports field. On a high ropes tour, kids will find fun and rewarding items like zip lines and giant swings that will allow them to literally fly through the air with joy after overcoming their fear.
So are high ropes courses scary at summer camps? A little … but that’s the point. Children are naturally drawn to the emotions that satisfy their need for adventure, and high ropes courses use that need to teach them how to overcome fear and learn to trust their own abilities. With each element of the field that a boy conquers at camp, he develops a strong sense of self-confidence that inspires him to reach new heights in every area of his life.