This study examined the effectiveness of continual attendance at organized camps for young children(5-8 years of age). Thirty seven children participated in four sessions of camp during a month. Of these, three were day camps and the fourth was a four-day residential camp. Data of the children who participated in these sessions were analyzed as the experimental group. The control group data came from 17 children who did not participate in the camps. An 18-item children`s version of the evaluation scale for organized camps was developed by item and factor analyses. The scale consisted of 4 subscales: “aggressiveness,” “cooperation,” “patience,” and “interest nature. ”The scale was administered to all the children before the first session of camp, after the last session of camp, and one month later.
The following results were obtained: (1) Total scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. (2) The experimental group scores for “aggressiveness,” - “cooperation,” and “interest in nature” were significantly higher than those of the control group. (3) The “patience” scores of the experimental group were not significantly higher than the control group.
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