Social Skills Development At Summer Camps

Summer Camps and Social-Emotional Learning

Every year, summer camps engage about 14 million young people as intensive out-of-school programs that boost social skills and strengthen confidence, peer ties, leadership, and resilience. Camps that pair clear SEL lessons with trained staff, steady practice, scaffolded challenges, and graduated responsibilities generate the largest and longest-lasting skill gains. Those gains increase with repeat attendance and higher program quality. At the Young Explorers Club, we’re building programs around these practices and measuring outcomes.

Program Design and Implementation

How camps build skills

Camps develop core skills—communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy, leadership, and emotion regulation—through age-appropriate activities and on-site responsibilities. Effective programs make instruction explicit, give immediate feedback from trained staff, and offer scaffolded challenges with opportunities for repeated practice.

Measurement and evaluation

Research shows moderate, meaningful SEL impacts (about 0.3–0.6 SD) when active SEL elements are present. We recommend using pre/post surveys and observational counts to track progress and document both short-term gains and longer-term changes that result from repeated attendance and higher-quality programming.

Key Takeaways

• Camps reach many young people and usually produce short-term boosts in social confidence, peer relationships, and leadership. Those effects deepen with repeat attendance.
• Programs develop core skills: communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy, leadership, and emotion regulation. Staff teach these through age-appropriate activities and on-site responsibilities.
• Design matters. Explicit skill instruction, trained staff who give immediate feedback, scaffolded challenges, and repeated practice drive measurable gains.
• Research shows moderate, meaningful SEL impacts (about 0.3–0.6 SD) when active SEL elements are present. We recommend using pre/post surveys and observational counts to track progress.
• Inclusion, clear safety protocols, suitable counselor-to-camper ratios, and multi-week or residential formats increase gains and help campers transfer skills beyond camp.

https://youtu.be/seKxX3KbGYw

Why Summer Camps Matter for Social Development

Summer camps reach roughly 14 million young people each year, making them a major venue for social learning (American Camp Association). We see camps as proven out-of-school settings that boost social-emotional learning (SEL), peer relationships, independence, and resilience. Short-term gains commonly include higher social confidence, improved peer relationships, and increased leadership behaviors. Repeat attendance — whether multiple sessions in a season or multi-year participation — tends to deepen and extend those benefits.

What we mean by social skills

Social skills are the behaviors that let kids connect and function well in groups. They overlap with emotional skills, but are distinct from internal processes like self-awareness and emotion recognition.

• Communication: clear speaking, active listening, and asking for help.
• Cooperation: sharing tasks, working toward group goals, and turn-taking.
• Conflict resolution: calming disputes, negotiating solutions, and apologizing.
• Empathy: reading others’ cues and responding kindly.
• Leadership: organizing peers, taking initiative, and encouraging others.
• Emotion regulation in social settings: staying calm during games or setbacks.

For practical activity ideas that build these areas, see camp social skills.

Outcomes, evidence, and program levers

Camps produce measurable short-term outcomes when they combine intentional programming with skilled staff. Meta-analyses and single-site evaluations both report positive effects, but the strength and duration of impact vary by study type. We always note that long-term impacts depend on several levers: program quality, staff training, dosage, and participant characteristics. Higher-quality programs with trained counselors and repeated exposure produce the biggest, most durable gains. Lower-dosage or poorly staffed programs can still help, but outcomes are smaller and less consistent.

I recommend these practical priorities for programs and parents who want stronger social returns:

• Prioritize staff training in SEL facilitation and positive behavior guidance.
• Encourage repeat attendance to compound skills over time.
• Use mixed-age groups and cooperative challenges to practice leadership and empathy.
• Measure short-term outcomes (confidence, peer reports, observed leadership) to refine activities.

We, at the young explorers club, structure sessions to emphasize safe risk-taking, clear feedback, and progressive challenges. That combination produces rapid social gains and lays the groundwork for independence and resilience.

Research Evidence and How It Applies to Camps

We view the strongest, most relevant evidence as the Durlak et al. (2011) meta-analysis of school-based social-emotional learning (SEL). Durlak et al. (2011) found an average effect size of roughly 0.57 standard deviations on social-emotional skills and an about 11 percentile-point gain in academic achievement. That translates to roughly a half-standard-deviation improvement — a meaningful, moderate effect that signals SEL instruction can produce noticeable change in behaviour and outcomes.

Direct transfer to camps requires care because context, time-on-task, and measurement methods differ between schools and camps. Still, the active elements that produced effects in schools closely match what strong camps already do. Explicit skill teaching, repeated practice, scaffolded challenges, adult coaching and peer feedback are present in many camp programs, and that overlap justifies cautious optimism about measurable gains in camps.

Core program elements camps should preserve and amplify

Below are the practical components that map the Durlak findings to camp design. I introduce each element with a quick recommendation.

• Explicit instruction of skills — Teach specific social skills (listening, turn-taking, emotion labeling) in short, focused sessions. Use simple language and role-play so kids practice right away.
• Repeated practice opportunities — Build repetition into activities across days: same skill, different contexts. That repetition consolidates learning.
• Feedback and reinforcement from adults — Train staff to give immediate, specific feedback. Praise effort and use corrective prompts; keep feedback brief and actionable.
• Scaffolded challenges — Raise difficulty incrementally so campers experience success and stretch. Structure ensures progress without overwhelm.
• Peer collaboration and reflection — Use small-group tasks and end-of-day debriefs so peers reinforce norms and reflect on choices. Reflection turns activity into internalized skill.
• Measurement and routine tracking — Collect simple pre/post or observational checks (e.g., cooperative play counts) to see if programs move the needle.

Comparative perspective and limits: SEL programs with a 0.57 SD effect are moderate relative to many out-of-school interventions, which often deliver smaller impacts. That gives camps a useful benchmark. Still, expect variation. Differences in dosage (a week versus months), participant selection (voluntary campers), and outcomes measured will change observed effects. We should avoid promising exact school-effect magnitudes for every camp.

Summer learning dynamics also matter. Cooper et al. (1996) reported typical summer learning loss of about one month of academic progress. Camps that combine SEL with academic or enrichment content can flip that trend and produce net developmental gain over the summer. Practical recommendation: blend short, fun literacy or math boosters with SEL activities so campers retain skills and feel confident returning to school.

We at the young explorers club apply these findings by designing sessions that explicitly teach skills, build repeated practice into daily schedules, and train staff on focused feedback. That mix also improves social outcomes like confidence and peer relationships — and it helps children who need support to make friends quickly, as our page on make friends quickly describes. We also emphasize achievement moments that build self-esteem, linking accomplishment to social growth.

Measurement matters. Use brief, consistent tools so you can compare pre/post results and adjust programming. Expect camps that faithfully implement these elements to yield meaningful social-skill gains, while keeping realistic margins because camps differ from classroom trials in setting, length, and participant mix.

Core Social Skills Built at Camp (Age-Appropriate Targets)

Core skills and developmental rationale

We, at the young explorers club, focus on a concise set of social skills every summer: cooperation/teamwork, clear communication, conflict resolution, leadership, perspective-taking and empathy, emotion regulation, independence/self-help, adaptability, and problem-solving. Each maps to predictable developmental milestones: young children learn turn-taking and sharing first; middle childhood brings negotiation and early leadership; adolescence sharpens autonomy and identity exploration. Camps speed those trajectories by giving scaffolded practice, peer role models, and responsibilities that matter to the group. Imitation and repeated, supported attempts turn fragile skills into reliable behaviors.

I track change with simple, observable markers. Examples include a camper who began to volunteer ideas in group tasks — measurable by counting spontaneous contributions during team challenges — and another who resolved a cabin conflict without staff mediation, reflected in fewer staff-mediated disputes and more peer-led resolutions in cabin logs. Those measurable shifts reflect growth in initiative, regulation, and social problem-solving.

For additional context on program design and outcomes, see how we promote healthy social skills across activities.

Age bands, target skills and example activities

• Ages 5–8: Targets — turn-taking, sharing, cooperative play. Typical activities include cooperative circle games and guided play to practice turn-taking and sharing; short cabin chores to introduce responsibility; arts collaborations that encourage shared ownership. Staff set short, clear rules and celebrate small wins to reinforce positive patterns.

• Ages 9–12: Targets — group cooperation, emerging leadership, conflict negotiation. Typical activities include low-ropes and team challenges plus ‘island hop’ problem-solving to build teamwork and communication; cabin meetings used for practicing negotiation and joint decision-making; buddy-system tasks that increase accountability and responsibility.

• Ages 13–17: Targets — peer leadership, mentoring younger campers, identity and role exploration, autonomous decision-making. Typical activities include high-ropes courses and leadership initiatives that teach risk assessment and decision-making; structured mentoring roles for younger campers to develop teaching skills and perspective-taking; independent expedition planning that requires logistics, delegation, and on-the-spot problem-solving.

I recommend setting clear, age-appropriate expectations and counting specific behaviors each week: spontaneous idea contributions, number of peer-led conflict resolutions, or successful completion of a leadership task. Those counts let staff adjust scaffolds and hand off responsibility at the right pace, ensuring skills generalize beyond camp.

Program Elements That Drive Social Skills Growth (Including Inclusion & Safety)

We design camp systems so social learning happens naturally and repeatedly. Small-group structures like cabins or stable cohorts give kids repeated, varied chances to cooperate and resolve conflict. We keep cohorts across days and weeks so bonds deepen and accountability grows. Trained staff then guide social learning with targeted prompts, modeling, and conflict coaching instead of only supervising activities.

We structure cooperative tasks around clear roles and shared goals. Examples include daily cabin chores that build responsibility and cooperation; we track completion logs and gather peer ratings to measure gains. Daily debriefs or reflection circles let campers process friction and practice perspective-taking; we measure progress with brief self-reports and staff observations. Progressive challenge elements—low/high ropes, team tasks—create situations where trust and leadership emerge. We count leadership-role frequency and note observed safety behaviors as outcome measures. Service-learning projects connect social skills to purpose, increasing empathy and civic responsibility.

We layer mentoring systems—peer buddies and staff mentors—to scaffold social risk-taking. Mentors model language for inclusion and step in to reframe mistakes as learning. Staff receive SEL-focused training so they can facilitate reflection, run restorative conversations, and reinforce group norms.

Inclusion and safety drive maximal growth. We implement culturally responsive practices and neurodiversity accommodations so all campers can participate in meaningful ways. Anti-bullying norms and clear safety protocols let campers take social risks without fear. Camps must act as supportive developmental contexts; we avoid presenting them as clinical treatment. When specialized therapy is needed, we refer families to professionals while continuing camp-based support.

We track program design features that predict stronger gains. Multi-week sessions or repeat attendance produce larger improvements than single-day experiences. Residential formats create more intensive immersion than day camps because campers share routines and interactions around the clock. We use those differences to set realistic goals and reportable metrics.

Concrete parameters, metrics, and policy examples

• Recommended counselor-to-camper ratios: 1:6 to 1:12, adjusting down for younger ages and higher-risk activities.
• Staff training: 8–16 hours of SEL-specific pre-season training plus ongoing in-season coaching; include first-aid and mental-health awareness for a high percentage of staff.
• Key metrics to report: counselor-to-camper ratio; session length (days/weeks); number of sustained cohorts; staff training hours (SEL, inclusion, first-aid); % staff trained in inclusion; % with mental-health/first-aid certification.
• Measurement tools: completion logs, peer ratings, short self-report scales, leadership-role tallies, and structured observation checklists.
• Policy examples:
  • Required anti-bias training hours for staff
  • Formal accessibility accommodations (sensory-friendly schedules, adapted activities)
  • Adoption of restorative practices for conflict resolution

We link program design to measurable outcomes and share those results with families so expectations align with impact, and we point caregivers to resources on developing healthy social skills at camp for extra context: healthy social skills

Activities and Exercises That Build Social Skills (Practical, Measurable List)

We, at the young explorers club, design every activity with a clear objective and a measurement plan so staff can track growth and adapt instruction. Below I list each exercise with group size, typical duration, materials, the measurable outcome to expect, and how to record it.

Activity list with measures

• Cooperative problem-solving challenges (e.g., island hop, blindfold maze)

  • Objective: teamwork and communication.
  • Group size: 6–12.
  • Duration: 20–60 minutes.
  • Materials: floor markers, blindfolds, simple props.
  • Measurable outcome: 10–30% increase in collaborative problem-solving statements per child.
  • Measurement method: time-sampled observational coding pre/post or during tasks (count collaborative utterances and solutions suggested).

• Low- and high-ropes courses

  • Objective: trust, leadership, and risk management.
  • Group size: 4–10.
  • Duration: 30–90 minutes.
  • Materials: ropes course, helmets, harnesses.
  • Measurable outcome: higher frequency of peer-led encouragement and more successful leader transitions per session.
  • Measurement method: trained observer checklist and role-count logs (track who leads and encouragement episodes).

• Cabin meetings and restorative circles

  • Objective: conflict resolution and perspective-taking.
  • Group size: 6–12.
  • Duration: 20–45 minutes, regularly scheduled.
  • Materials: talking piece, circle seating.
  • Measurable outcome: larger % of conflicts resolved peer-to-peer; increase in empathy statements.
  • Measurement method: cabin logs, coded transcripts of circles, and brief pre/post self-report scales.

• Role-play / empathy exercises

  • Objective: perspective-taking and communication.
  • Group size: 4–10.
  • Duration: 20–40 minutes.
  • Materials: scenario cards.
  • Measurable outcome: 0.3 SD improvement on a role-play competence rubric (clarity, perspective-taking).
  • Measurement method: facilitator rubric scoring each child during role-plays.

• Service-learning projects

  • Objective: cooperation and civic responsibility.
  • Group size: 6–15.
  • Duration: 1–4 hours or multi-day.
  • Materials: project-specific supplies.
  • Measurable outcome: increase in observed cooperative episodes and higher post-project sense-of-impact ratings.
  • Measurement method: pre/post surveys and observational tallies during the project.

• Cooperative sports/games (non-competitive emphasis)

  • Objective: inclusion and turn-taking.
  • Group size: variable (8–20).
  • Duration: 20–60 minutes.
  • Materials: standard sports gear adapted to cooperation rules.
  • Measurable outcome: more inclusive plays and equitable turn-taking events per game.
  • Measurement method: video coding or live observer tallying of inclusive actions and turns.

• Peer mentoring / buddy systems

  • Objective: leadership and responsibility.
  • Group size: 1 mentor : 1–3 mentees.
  • Duration: ongoing across session.
  • Materials: mentorship tasks or checklists.
  • Measurable outcome: greater mentor-initiated supports per week and mentee-reported comfort increase.
  • Measurement method: mentorship logs combined with pre/post mentee surveys.

• Arts collaborations (group performances or murals)

  • Objective: cooperation and shared ownership.
  • Group size: 6–20.
  • Duration: 60–180 minutes across sessions.
  • Materials: art supplies, stage.
  • Measurable outcome: clear evidence of joint decision-making and shared attribution in reflections.
  • Measurement method: facilitator rubric and participant reflections coded for shared credit.

• Reflection journals and end-of-day debriefs

  • Objective: metacognition and emotional literacy.
  • Group size: individual; small groups for sharing.
  • Duration: 10–20 minutes daily.
  • Materials: journals or digital forms.
  • Measurable outcome: increased use of emotional vocabulary and metacognitive statements.
  • Measurement method: content analysis of journals (coded for emotional language) plus brief daily self-report scales.

Mixed-methods measurement approach: I recommend combining quantitative counts (participation rates, behavioral tallies, pre/post rating scales) with qualitative data (camper quotes, counselor observations). Always set a clear baseline for each metric and an expected change (for example, a 10–30% rise in collaborative statements or a 0.3 SD gain on a rubric). For targeted social-skill tasks stick to typical small groups of 6–12 and session lengths of 20–90 minutes, adjusting intensity by age and prior experience. If you want practical tips on how camps build healthy social skills, see this piece on how camps build healthy social skills.

Tools, Metrics and Practical Measurement Protocols for Camps

We use a mix of standardized instruments and practical observation so our social-skills work is both rigorous and usable. We prioritize the following validated measures for camper-level assessment:

• Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
• Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
• Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3)
• Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA)

We pair those with short, camp-friendly items to keep response burden low.

We collect observational and multi-informant data to triangulate findings. Our approach includes:

• Time-sampled observations and frequency counts of prosocial acts.
• Coding interaction episodes for initiation, turn-taking, and conflict resolution.
• Pre/post camper self-reports, parent surveys, and counselor ratings focused on concrete behaviors (sharing, initiating conversation, cooperating).
• Short counselor narratives and camper quotes to provide qualitative context.

Practical measurement protocol and timeline

Below is the protocol we implement across sessions; we keep it practical so staff can follow it without added stress.

1. Baseline (Day 1–2)
   • Day 2 camper self-report (age-appropriate short form).
   • Counselor baseline ratings using a standard checklist.
   • Initial observational coding sample (30–60 minutes of mixed activities).
2. Mid-session (multi-week programs)
   • Brief check-in survey for campers and a spot observational sample.
   • Quick counselor rating update to flag emerging needs.
3. End-of-session
   • Repeat camper self-report and counselor ratings.
   • Structured observational sampling during cooperative tasks.
   • Short exit interviews or one-line camper quotes for qualitative insight.
4. Follow-up (3–6 months)
   • Online camper self-report and brief parent/caregiver survey to assess retention.

Sample items to track (Likert 1–5)

• “I make new friends easily.” (social initiation)
• “I can calm myself down when upset.” (emotion regulation)
• “I help my team solve problems.” (cooperation/leadership)

Observational coding examples

• Count of collaborative problem-solving statements per hour.
• Number of peer-led conflict resolutions per week.
• Frequency of inclusive behaviors (inviting others) per 30-minute period.

We target a 0.3–0.5 standard-deviation change as a meaningful program impact and use that range as a benchmark when reporting effect sizes. We also report whether estimates come from randomized evaluations, meta-analyses, or single-site pre/post designs so stakeholders can judge generalizability.

We favor a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative scales give comparability across cohorts, while observational counts and counselor narratives explain how change happens. We include short camper quotes to illustrate results and guide program tweaks. We make sure sample sizes match goals: small cohorts (n=20–50) produce reliable within-group pre/post insights, while larger samples increase statistical power.

Ethics and feasibility are core parts of measurement. We obtain parental consent and camper assent before any data collection. We use age-appropriate language and preserve confidentiality in storage and reporting. We document methods, thresholds, and any limitations when we share evaluation results. We also train counselors on consistent rating anchors to reduce rater drift and increase reliability.

We track self-esteem and peer outcomes together, since gains in one often predict gains in the other. We monitor self-worth with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and relate those scores to observed social behaviors; for practical guidance on building those competencies at camp see camp social skills.

Sources

American Camp Association — Trends and Statistics

Child Development — The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta‑Analysis of School‑Based Universal Interventions (Durlak et al., 2011)

Review of Educational Research — The Effects of Summer Vacation on Achievement Test Scores: A Narrative and Meta‑Analytic Review (Cooper et al., 1996)

Pearson — Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales

Princeton University Press — Society and the Adolescent Self-Image (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale)

Devereux Center for Resilient Children — DESSA Toolkit

National Research Council & Institute of Medicine — Community Programs to Promote Youth Development (2002)

Afterschool Alliance — America After 3PM

American Academy of Pediatrics — Summer Safety Tips

CASEL — What is SEL?

Search Institute — Developmental Relationships Framework

UNICEF — Social and Emotional Learning