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Did you know that in the United States, many children go to camp during the summer months
to learn new skills and make friends? Summer camps are supervised programs for children
and teenagers that are held during the summer when school is not in session. There are many
types of summer camps, ranging from day camps to month-long camps where you live away from
home while attending camp. Some camps focus on the outdoors and actual camping skills,
while other camps, such as language camps, focus on teaching campers academic skills.
U.S. summer camps are sometimes sponsored by schools, nonprofit groups, religious groups
or private organizations, and they can take place in myriad locations. Day camps are often
held in a community center or school. The children go to camp in the morning and return
home in the late afternoon. A sleep-away camp might be held at an actual campground where
the children stay in cabins or tents, or at a university where they stay in the dormitories.
During the day, they learn skills, go on hikes, take classes, and participate in group activities.
Camp counselors who serve as teachers during summer camps are often young adults in their
late teens and early 20s, many of whom attended camp as a child themselves. The job of a camp
counselor is not only to manage the children attending camp but also to teach them, whether
it be lessons in outdoor knowledge and sports or academic skills. An important American
tradition associated with summer camp is the s'more. A s'more is a dessert that is usually
cooked on a campfire. All that is needed to make a s'more is a stick, graham crackers,
a chocolate bar, and marshmallows. You put the marshmallow on the end of the stick and
cook it over the campfire. When the marshmallow is golden brown, you put it in between the
graham crackers and chocolate to create a very delicious treat. The name of this dessert
comes from the English phrase "I want some more!" because most Americans agree that it's
impossible to eat only one s'more. The creation of summer camps for children years ago was
a response to increased urbanization in America. Parents wanted their children to get to know
nature and spend their summers outdoors. While summer camps have evolved over the years to
encompass many types of activities, the purpose remains the same. Summer camps provide children
with an opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills, and build character.