Colony and Camp - What's the Difference?
How did colonies differ from camps in the past?
The term colony referred to a recreational trip for children to a holiday resort, where they stayed under the supervision of caregivers. Sometimes, excursions, games, and activities were organized during the stay, and the organizers were usually workplaces.
In the 1990s, the tourism industry expanded significantly, and private companies began organizing trips for children, introducing themed vacations. Parents started to have the option of sending their children on trips aligned with their interests. Over the years, there was progress in the professionalization of trips and the expansion of themes. The name colony in common parlance stuck to trips for younger children, while teenagers started attending camps. The themes became increasingly broad:
- sailing camps,
- sports,
- hiking,
- language.
What is a camp for children?
Nowadays, there are additional divisions of organized trips for children and adolescents. When preparing children for a sports camp, one can choose a specific field – basketball, tennis, windsurfing, and so on.
Various innovative trips have emerged, such as:
- free-run,
- parkour,
- manga and anime,
- makeup artist,
- yo-yo,
- skate.
We also have artistic camps:
- painting,
- ceramics,
- rock music,
- handmade crafts,
- comedy improvisation,
- comic books.
Currently, you can send children to specialized camps, with a thematic range that is growing to fit the needs and interests of children and teenagers. It's hard to call them colonies anymore. Typical recreational trips with a caregiver have been replaced by trips with appropriate instructors who lead activity sessions with passion transferred to the children. Today, a camp is a challenging trip with a trained staff or a scouting trip. At camps, older, more independent children go where the focus is primarily on the development of the participants and the need for new challenges.
What is a colony for children?
Currently, offers called colonies are general trips for younger children without a distinct thematic program, although this division is only conventional, and a colony today is associated with a more peaceful, non-directed trip.
In summary, the nomenclature is just a conventional issue, and the most important aspect is the program and the nature of the trip.
You'll find a wide range of camps and colonies on our portal www.FajnyCzas.pl
Also read:
- What to do when a child misses home and cries at a colony?
- What to pack for a survival camp?
- Choosing a vacation for a teenager
