Are summer camp high ropes courses scary?

Summer camp is a place where every day is guaranteed to involve some kind of adventure and high ropes courses are part of the camping experience. However, it is common for both parents and their children to hesitate a bit when it comes to activities that involve an element of risk, especially if the child has a fear 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.

safety demonstrations

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 kids the confidence that they will be safe on the ropes. During these safety demonstrations, campers are taught how to check their gear and have the opportunity to experience a small fall so they know their harness will support their weight.

Strategic Course Progression

High ropes courses are designed to foster a camper’s ability to trust themselves and others. For this reason, no one ever starts at the highest element. Instead, kids 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 out on a lower ropes course before progressing to the higher ropes. This allows those with a fear of heights to slowly acclimate to the feeling of being off the ground.

Child-led advancement

Since the goal of a high ropes course is to focus on building confidence in one’s abilities, campers are never forced to tackle a seriously scary item. 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 fellow campers never pressure anyone to overcome a scary obstacle. Instead, children tend to go their own way due to their natural sense of adventure when the above elements become too easy.

Rewards for taking risks safely

Camp is the perfect place for children to learn safe risk taking. Developing the ability to assess a situation and decide to get out of your comfort zone pays off when you can walk out of camp with the confidence to raise your hand in class or score that impossible goal on the sports field. On a high ropes course, kids will find fun and rewarding elements like zip lines and giant swings that will literally allow them to fly through the air with exhilaration 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 the children conquer at the camp, they develop a strong sense of self-confidence that inspires them to reach new heights in every area of ​​their life.