We are already familiar with some of the facts… children spend more time in front of screens than ever before. In fact, children spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen. Aside from schoolwork, children are spending more time being active on social media than actually being active! Lack of exercise and poor eating habits have contributed greatly to the increase in childhood obesity over the past three decades.
According to the Center for Disease Control, In 2011-2012, 8.4% of 2- to 5-year-olds had obesity compared with 17.7% of 6- to 11-year-olds and 20.5% of 12- to 19-year-olds. This means as our children get older, they are becoming more and more sedentary. The physical, social and emotional effects that are associated with childhood obesity include pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low self-esteem and behavior and learning problems to name a few. Overweight children not only develop unhealthy habits that are hard to break but they also may be less likely to try a something new, join a team or engage in social activities.
At Camp Robin Hood we take the physical, social and emotional health of our campers very seriously. Not only are we intentional with the food that we serve, we make sure kids are active in ways that don’t feel like “exercise” but are, instead, fun!
Our menu changes daily with a number of healthy options that are always available. We are health conscious and serve your children what we serve our own. There is always a hot breakfast option (think eggs, pancakes, waffles) but we provide a hot and cold cereal bar (no sugar cereals here!), fresh fruit, homemade granola, hard-boiled eggs on our breakfast buffet daily. At lunch and dinner you’ll be impressed by our full salad bar. Our incredible kitchen staff takes pride in providing delicious salads and homemade soups daily. There is no dessert offered at lunch but we everyday we have snack at 4:25pm, which is usually a fruit! You’ll often see DC and Woody at snack checking in with the campers on the Quad. We always have a vegetarian option, are a nut-free facility, and have accommodated a number of food allergies in the past. Please contact us directly to discuss your camper’s dietary needs.
Sure kids might indulge in chicken nuggets and smiley fries (a crowd favorite!), pizza or any of our other camp favorites, but they will quickly be burning those calories off with our activities. A game of Ultimate Frisbee, Mountain Biking to the Maine border, a 3-on-3 tournament basketball tournament, a canoe trip to the Marina or practicing for our Robin Hood’s Got Talent Show, are just some of the ways our campers are getting in shape. Disguising exercise as fun is an easy way to keep children active all day long!
Water is our drink of choice at Camp Robin Hood. With soda being a main culprit in childhood obesity, we have completely eliminated from our camper’s routine and diet. Coolers are located throughout camp so that campers and staff remain hydrated at all times!
While Camp Robin Hood doesn’t specialize in weight loss throughout the summer, it is a benefit that occurs amongst many of our campers. Even if you weight loss is not a priority for you when looking at a camp, the benefits of being active will be great for everyone!
After a summer on Lake Ossipee, campers will leave having been exposed to health conscious foods, fun and exciting activities, a greater self-esteem and independence. We believe that by living a healthy life everyday, leading by example and instilling healthy habits, our children will be on the path to leading a long and healthy life.
