Are summer camp high ropes courses scary?

Summer camp is a place where every day is guaranteed to involve some sort of adventure and high ropes courses are part of the camping experience. However, it is common for both parents and their children to be a little hesitant when it comes to activities that involve an element of risk, especially if the child is afraid of heights. While almost every camper will give a different answer as to whether or not high ropes courses are scary, understanding how they work to build skills like leadership and confidence will help you encourage your son or daughter to give it a try.

security demos

No camper hits the high ropes course without first being briefed on 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 reassurance that they will be safe on the ropes. During these safety demonstrations, campers are taught how to check their gear and have the chance to experience a short drop to know that their harness will support their weight.

Strategic Course Progression

High ropes courses are designed to foster a camper’s ability to trust himself and others. For this reason, no one ever starts at the highest element. Instead, children start with small challenges that allow them to test their skills and courage before moving on to the big excitement. Often a camper will start on a low ropes course before progressing to the higher ropes. This allows those who are afraid of heights to slowly acclimate to the feeling of being off the ground.

Child-led breakthrough

Since the goal of a high ropes course is to focus on building confidence in one’s abilities, campers are never forced to tackle an element that creates serious fear. Instead, they are encouraged to go at their own pace and try new things as their comfort level increases. While gentle encouragement is offered to help children overcome obstacles, staff members and other campers never pressure anyone to overcome a scary obstacle. Instead, children tend to move forward 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 their comfort zone pays off when they can leave camp with the confidence to raise their hand in class or score that impossible goal on the sports field. In a high ropes course, children will find fun and rewarding elements such as zip lines and giant swings that will literally allow them to fly through the air with euphoria after overcoming their fear.

So are summer camp high ropes courses scary? A little… but that’s the point. Children are naturally drawn to 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 course that children are conquered at camp, they develop a strong sense of self-confidence that inspires them to reach new heights in every area of ​​their lives.