Raising Parents with Emily Oster Episode Feature: How Camp Teaches Kids to Ditch Their Phones
Aug 6, 2025
Steve Baskin, a seasoned camp director and incoming chair of the American Camp Association, shares insights on the transformative power of summer camp. He discusses how camps give kids a chance to disconnect from phones, fostering growth and new friendships. Baskin highlights how overcoming homesickness builds resilience and how low-risk unsupervised play helps kids learn important social skills. Additionally, he suggests practical strategies for families to recreate phone-free habits at home, making camp a vital space for independence and self-discovery.
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Camp Changed A Kid Who Felt Out Of Place
- Steve Baskin felt unseen as a kid until a 19-year-old counselor made him feel fully seen at camp.
- That experience convinced him camp can transform identity and confidence outside the family shadow.
Finding Your People At Math Camp
- Emily Oster recounts a math camp where she finally found peers who loved math and felt like she belonged.
- That summer gave her confidence that similar people existed and would be found again later in life.
Camp Is Low-Risk Unsupervised Play
- Steve frames camp as 'unsupervised free play' with lower risk because cool counselors supervise many kids.
- That structure lets children negotiate rules, solve conflicts, and grow social skills with bounded safety.
