There is a summer when something changes. It doesn't usually announce itself and it almost never coincides with an exact age. It simply happens: the camp they used to look forward to no longer excites them in the same way. They don't openly reject it, but neither do they choose it. And as a family, a difficult doubt to put into words appears: wanting them to have a good experience without forcing them to repeat something they no longer feel is their own.
It's not a question of attitude or lack of interest. Nor is it about “not wanting anything anymore”. It's about being at a different stage, with different needs, and a very different way of relating to their environment, to adults, and to their group. That’s why choosing an camp designed specifically for teenagers makes such a difference in how they experience the summer.
When this isn't understood, many summer decisions are made out of inertia. And that's where the mistakes begin.
When the format no longer fits, even though the camp is good
The majority of camps work reasonably well for children. They are designed to accompany, organise, propose and guide. The problem arises when that same model is stretched beyond its natural limit and applied to teenagers who no longer see themselves in it.
From a certain age, too much guidance is experienced as control. Overly structured activities stop being stimulating. And the activities, no matter how varied, lose meaning if they don't connect with a minimum sense of autonomy. The result is not usually open conflict, but something quieter: disinterest, apathy or the feeling of simply “passing the time”.
This is where many families go wrong by thinking the problem is in the specific programme or the number of activities. In reality, the mismatch is deeper. It's not about doing more things, but about how and from where they are proposed.
A teenager doesn't stop enjoying themselves because the camp is bad. They stop enjoying it when they feel that space is no longer designed for them.
What changes in adolescence is not the age, but the way of being in the world
Adolescence is not just a transition between childhood and adulthood. It's a moment when the way of perceiving oneself and relating to others changes. A very strong need arises to belong to the group, to be heard as an individual and to start making small decisions of their own, even if they don't always know how to manage them yet.
In this context, excessively directed environments start to create friction. Not because the teenager rejects rules, but because they need to understand them and feel they make sense. Authority imposed without dialogue stops working; authority based on coherence and respect does not.
The relationship with learning also changes. At this age, simply “doing activities in English” as an add-on is no longer enough. The language starts to have value when it becomes a real tool for communicating, integrating into the group or managing in everyday situations. If there is no real need to use it, it's perceived as artificial and they disconnect.
All this happens while the teenager is building their identity. That's why any experience they have in summer has a bigger impact than it seems. It's not just about filling time, but about offering an environment where they can try, make mistakes, connect with others and gain confidence without feeling infantilised.
What a teenager looks for in summer (even if they can't always explain it)
Unlike when they were younger, a teenager rarely expresses clearly what they want from a camp. However, it's usually quite obvious what they don't want: to be treated like a child, to have no space of their own, or to have experiences they perceive as irrelevant.
At this stage, summer works almost like a social laboratory. They need contexts where they can interact more horizontally, build real bonds with other young people and feel part of something without everything being constantly directed from outside. Fun is still important, but it is no longer enough on its own if it's not accompanied by meaning.
A growing need for independence also appears. Small decisions, shared responsibilities or moments of controlled freedom help the teenager to truly get involved in the experience. When everything is overly closed, disconnection is almost immediate.
That's why a good camp for teenagers is not the one that promises the most, but the one that best understands this delicate balance between supporting and giving space.
When English stops being an activity and becomes part of the experience
In adolescence, the language is no longer learned well by repetition or obligation. Learning English starts to make sense when it stops being perceived as something external and becomes a tool for relating, for being part of the group and for managing naturally in real situations.
That's why many teenagers quickly disconnect from camps where English is limited to workshops, disguised classes or occasional activities. It's not that they don't want to learn, it's that they don't find a real reason to do so. If they can communicate in their own language without consequences, English becomes secondary.
On the other hand, when the environment requires using the language every day — to live together, organise, participate or simply fit in — learning happens almost without realising. Not from constant correction, but from the real need to understand and be understood. In that context, the teenager lets their guard down, loses the fear of making mistakes and starts to use the language with more ease.
This approach connects very well with a stage in which embarrassment, comparison with the group and fear of making mistakes are very present. An environment where English is experienced naturally, without judgement and without academic pressure, is often much more effective than any more formal approach.
That's where real English immersion makes the difference. Not as a promise, but as a logical consequence of living in a space where the language is part of daily experience and not a specific slot in the schedule.
It's not about making a “more adult” camp, but a more coherent one
Sometimes people think that adapting a camp for teenagers means making it tougher or more demanding. In reality, it's usually just the opposite. It's about making it more coherent with their stage in life, with their need for recognition and with their way of learning and connecting with others.
A camp designed for teenagers understands that respect is built by giving space, that motivation is born from feeling part of something, and that learning — including English — works better when it is integrated into daily life and not imposed from outside.
That's why not all camps are suitable for all ages. And that's okay. Choosing well is not about finding “the best” in absolute terms, but the one that fits who your son or daughter is today, not who they were a few years ago.
When that fit exists, summer stops being just a break and becomes an experience that adds up, that leaves a mark and that, many times, marks a before and after in the way they relate to the language and to themselves.
