Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth (2019)
Chapter: Appendix B: Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016
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Appendix B
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Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B: Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/25546.
Appendix B
Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016
| Day camps | Overnight camps | |
|---|---|---|
| Of the 14,000 day and overnight camps in the U.S. . . . | 5,600 operate as day camps. | 8,400 operate as overnight camps. |
| Sessions typically last for . . . | 8 or more weeks for day camp sessions (39% of all day camps). | 1 week or less (29% of all overnight camps) or 7–8 weeks (20% of all overnight camps). |
| The most common programs offered are . . . | recreational and instructional swimming, arts/crafts, basketball, archery, Ga-Ga ball, baseball/softball, theatre/drama, and soccer. | recreational swimming, arts/crafts, archery, canoeing, camping skills, team-building, hiking, fishing, basketball, leadership training, and challenge/ropes course. |
| Time spent outdoors is . . . | 5–6 hours outdoors daily for 32% of day campers. | 5 hours or more outdoors daily for 96% of youth attending overnight camp; and 8 hours daily for 68% of youth attending overnight camp. |
| Time spent in intense physical activity is . . . | an average of at least 3 hours in intense physical activity daily for 47% of children during day camp. | An average of at least 3 hours in intense physical activity daily for 49% of children during overnight camp. |
| Most popular activities are . . . | watersports/waterfront programs, field trips, and arts/crafts. | watersports/waterfront programs, archery, and challenge/ropes course. |
| The program outcomes most likely to be targeted are . . . | development of social and emotional skills, character, and physical activity. | development of social and emotional skills, character, and physical activity. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B: Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/25546.
| Day camps | Overnight camps | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | ||
| 18 or older | 1% | 13% |
| 13–17 | 11% | 34% |
| 10–12 | 31% | 37% |
| 6–9 | 44% | 16% |
| Under 6 | 13% | 1% |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 49% | 53% |
| Male | 51% | 47% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| Caucasian/White | 68% | 72% |
| Black/African American | 12% | 10% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8% | 8% |
| Biracial or multiracial | 6% | 4% |
| Asian | 6% | 3% |
| Other | 1% | 1% |
| Health | ||
| Youth with special health care needs or disabilities (e.g. physical, mental, emotional, cognitive) | 13% | 20% |
| Most Common Disability Designations | ||
| Attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder | 35% | 25% |
| Autism spectrum disorders | 27% | 17% |
| Food allergies/dietary issues | 22% | 25% |
| Asthma/respiratory ailment | 21% | 17% |
| Intellectual disabilities | 14% | 11% |
| Diabetes | 13% | 15% |
| Epilepsy | 12% | |
SOURCE: American Camp Association, 2016 Sites, Facilities, & Programs Study Report: Overnight Camps (Martinsville, IN: 2017); American Camp Association. 2016 Sites, Facilities, & Programs Study Report: Day Camps (Martinsville, IN: 2017).
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B: Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/25546.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B: Characteristics of American Camp Association Accredited Day and Overnight Camps in 2016." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/25546.
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