A Parental View on Summer Camp

Last updated by

Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 12.51.31 PMAttending one of America’s Finest Summer Camps can be a wonderful experience for a child. Apart from being a fun place, camp teaches some important lessons of life. A child learns to do things on his own without realizing it. However, parents note healthy changes in the child as he/she learns to polish shoes, making their bed, and pack their school bag among others.

Summer Camp: An Experience of a Lifetime

It may sound over the top but children remember their summer camp experience for life. There are camps where senior alumni members come and share their camping experience. These occasions are nostalgic as senior members who attended the camp once or twice remember the virtues of life they learned there.

Children attending America’s Finest Summer Camps enjoy the unique, pleasant environment for multiple reasons. Making new friends is one benefit. It is not an understatement that children make friends at a camp, but since they share similar experiences and activities, they are likely to remain friends. There are cases where children from different schools and locations became friends, joined activities and shared routines throughout the camp. After the camp, they share contacts and remain in touch.

Don’t Over Caution Your Children

Worrying occurs naturally when your child is away for a day, let alone for a few weeks. What parents must not do is to over-caution children. Parents must keep faith in the camp administration that they will take care of their child. Parents must not restrict the child neither must they emphasize them to follow the school schedule. It has been observed some parents also restrict their children to stay within the community or schoolmates. In some cases, acts of racism are also observed. It should be noted a summer camp is run by experienced professionals who know how to deal with children with odd behavior. Set the overcautious attitude aside and let your child enjoy the experience.Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 12.52.02 PM

No Harm in Maintaining a Healthy Routine

It is all right to remind the child of his daily routine, such as brushing their teeth twice, washing hands before eating, and getting proper hydration. To protect skin, use sunscreens or lotions/creams to keep sunburns away. To keep bugs away, use skin lotion or spray insecticides, particularly when outside the camp at nighttime. Being away from home doesn’t mean children are free to do as they please. Ask them to sleep early as they do at home during school days. Maintaining a healthy routine is never a bad thing,

A summer camp can be a lasting experience for children and parents alike. Children overcome shyness and gain a great deal of self-confidence when they are away at a summer camp. Not to forget the happiness and the pleasant memories they are likely to cherish for life.

Access all of our blog archives here

Unplugging at Summer Camp

Last updated by

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.14.22 AMIf your child is like most, they “tweet” their way through breakfast, text at lunch, “like” and “comment” all day long, Snap Chat through dinner, post selfies to Instagram around bedtime and wake up and do it all again the next day. No wonder they stay up to late and want to sleep until noon, they’re busy!

Research has shown kids spend up to 7.5 hours A DAY with their eyes glued to a screen and their fingers frantically pecking away at keyboards. Kids growing up in an age of such accessible and socially acceptable technology can sometimes get lost in the sea of text messages and status updates. Social media can be a hunting ground for bullies, as it is easy to become detached from empathy and consequences when you’re behind a screen. Kids do and say things they would not normally do or say when they’re plugged in, and that can be detrimental to their actual social development. When kids only speak their mind when they are anonymous, or when they try to be someone they aren’t to impress others, they are lacking opportunities to develop self-confidence and character. They may have 1000 “friends” on social media, but are slowly loosing the ability to walk up to someone and shake their hand, introduce themselves, or settle conflict in a responsible and socially acceptable way. Social media isn’t bad in itself, but when we let it take the place of our child’s actual social development, we are doing them a huge disservice.

Which is why, at America’s Finest Summer Camps, we’re unplugged. Campers leave their cellphones at home, and enjoy a summer without texting, emailing or using social media. At first, potential campers many find this kind of “torture” unbearable, but as they dive deep into the activities that the camp has to offer, they will reevaluate their role online. They will interact with others in a meaningful, personal and relational way. They will improve their written communication skills by writing letters back home to loved ones, and feel the excitement of receiving a handwritten note from people back home, a feeling you just don’t get when you check your inbox. Without a phone in their back pocket to tempt them, they will be able to really focus and listen to what other campers are saying. In turn, when they are sharing a story or experience, they will not be looking out into a crowd of people staring down onto a screen.

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.27.25 AMCampers who arrive shy and a little reserved will leave with a newfound confidence, based on the things accomplished during their stay. They will be able to look back on the summer when they learned to swim, conquered their stage fright, made new friends or discovered their love of magic and apply that self-confidence into their life back home. They will no longer need to hide behind a screen in order to communicate with their peers or feel heard.

As a parent, you can find comfort in the fact that while your child is away, they will be learning valuable life skills that don’t involve how many words they can text a minute, or how many “likes” they can get on their Instagram picture. The skills they learned while they are unplugged will stay with them for a lifetime, and that is better than being retweeted by a celebrity.

Leap of Faith

Last updated by

She wasn’t sure what was going to happen first: either her heart was going to beat itself right out of her chest, or the butterflies, no, eagles that were soaring around in her stomach were going to somehow find their way out.

10259963_10152452477091419_8354753469986799683_nNervous didn’t even begin to explain how she was feeling as she looked up the gigantic rock wall. She knew all she had to do was put her feet, which were now firmly planted on the ground, on one of those colorful rocks, reach up with one hand and grab another one, and she would be officially off the ground. As her sweaty palms met the first rock, her counselor spoke quietly right behind her, whispering words of encouragement and support. As she took the next step and inched her way up the rock wall, she had to remind herself to breathe. Then she heard her friends, encouraging her and cheering her on. Left foot, right hand, right foot, left hand, she said to herself. The further she got from the ground, the louder the cheers became. She was actually doing it! She was climbing the rock wall that she said from the moment she stepped foot onto camp that she would never do. She wanted to look down to see the crowd of people cheering her on, but she decided she’d just focus on getting to the top.

As she stopped to take a breath, she looked around and marveled at the sheer beauty the camp was enclosed in. The tall trees, the blue waters, the sprawling green lawns; she had never seen camp from this viewpoint before. She knew she was halfway there because her friends’ chants told her so, and she suddenly got a boost of energy and continued her trek up the rock wall. Just a few more rocks to climb and she will be at the top. She wasn’t sure when her nervousness turned to excitement, but as she reached for the top of the wall, she felt a power and a confidence she had never felt before. The entire camp erupted in applause and she screamed “I DID IT!” at the top. As she propelled down to the crowd of supporters, she walked away with a new sense of self-confidence and accomplishment.

The rock wall symbolized everything she was afraid of, and she had conquered it. She grew closer to her friends and counselors because of their unwavering support, and she went home with a fresh perspective on obstacles and challenges. “Now, when something is hard or scary, I say to myself ‘I climbed the rock wall at camp. I got this.”

The rock wall, ropes courses, rope swing and zip line are all vital parts of the Adventures Program at America’s Finest Summer Camps. These thrilling activities push campers out of their comfort zone, and they emerge a little different than they were when they started. Whether they are climbing the rock wall on their own, or working as a team to maneuver through the high or low ropes courses, these adventures help campers excel in areas such as teamwork, leadership, goal setting, cooperation, positive risk taking and trust. These vital characteristics are taken from camp and built upon in the outside world, creating well rounded, brave individuals who work well in group settings, set goals and meet them, and can trust others as well as themselves. Who would have thought soaring down a zip line or flying through the air on a giant swing could be so important for a child’s emotional well-being?

Inner strength, confidence and accomplishment aren’t only gained through climbing great heights. Overnight camping trips are available for older campers via the Adventures Program, and offer a wide range of benefits for those to take part in it. The survival skills the campers will learn will give them a peace of mind that they have the tools they need to make it should they ever get lost in the woods. This also teaches them self-sufficiency, trusting their instincts and being in touch with their surroundings. The over night camping experience helps campers develop a strong sense of teamwork, as they work together to set up tents, build fires, and explore the woods.

What some campers accomplish on two feet, others can accomplish on two wheels! Mountain biking is another popular feature of Adventures Camp, and is an exhilarating way for campers to experience the outdoors. They will learn bike safety, get a great workout and experience the thrill of positive risk taking.

As campers climb, camp and cycle their way through camp, they are creating lasting memories and experience adventure in a safe and supervised environment.

Campers often write home about taking the “Leap of Faith” a favorite camp tradition that involves climbing to the top of the star jump taking a deep breath and jumping off, placing all of your trust in the ropes and harnesses that are attached to you. The scariest part is making your feet leave the platform, but once you do, you’re in the air and everything that was scary and impossible about making the jump is far behind.

Campers will come home from camp different than from when they arrived. They will come home more self assure, confident, brave and strong; thanks to all of the amazing activities like the Adventure Program that America’s Finest Summer Camps have to offer.

 

The Purpose of Attending One of America’s Finest Summer Camps

Last updated by

Attending one of America’s Finest Summer Camps can be a fun experience for your child. Not only does it provide a plethora of activities, it also allows children to learn different aspects of life. Summer camp is a unique experience for children.

A Fun Place to Be

A summer camp is an offseason gathering of school children from various schools, often from the same or different states. A summer camp is a fun place to be as it offers extracurricular activities, sports, hiking, swimming, cooking and other educational activities. It is a place where children learn to live together and perform different tasks by coordinating with each other. Within a small camp, there is a lot going on in terms of activities. Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.33.17 AM

At a summer camp, everyday is a new day with something new to learn for children. Children meet strangers, express and share thoughts on different topics, which is a good learning curve. A summer camp allows children to challenge their abilities to accomplish different tasks.

Work as A Team

Unlike a school environment, summer camp allows children to do things in a coordinated manner. They are taught to work as a team instead on an individual basis. Working in tandem as a team is a useful experience for children as this allows them to learn the importance of teamwork in life.

A Diverse Environment

Usually, children from different districts or states participate in a summer camp. Children from abroad are also welcomed by America’s Finest Summer Camps. These summer camps have children from different backgrounds, such as Latin America, Europe and Asia. Such a diverse environment ensures a unique learning experience for participants.

Being from various backgrounds, they bring their share of skills and expertise to the camp. Some are good at sports, others excel in hiking, some play campfire well, others may provide good ideas for a new activity. Every child brings something unique to the camp, sharing ideas and skills with other students makes a summer camp an ideal learning experience for all participating children. Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.35.03 AM

Learning Tolerance

Camp attendees learn to co-exist in a unified environment. Children are innocent and naïve so they don’t indulge in the negativities of racism and intolerance. However, camp management teaches them to remain cooperative with each other. While they learn, share and help, they learn the moral traits of life that help them in the years to come. The primary purpose of a summer camp is more than just a gathering of school children. It is a way of preparing them for life ahead so they apply simple things to achieve bigger goals.

From rope climbing to campfire, cooking to mountain hiking, a summer camp teaches children the valuable lesson of valuing life itself. Decisions taken in a camp may shape them as a future leader in life.

Staying Healthy at Summer Camp

Last updated by

When you combine the ease and affordability of fast food with the ability to literally record days worth of TV to be accessed at any time, your result is kids who are eating junk while watching junk. They are spending more time in front of a screen than they are playing outside. Sometimes the only body part getting a workout is their thumbs from playing video games or their index finger from pointing and clicking all over a computer screen for hours at a time. Lack of exercise and accessibility to unhealthy foods is what has caused childhood obesity to skyrocket in the last 30 years.

According to the Center of Disease Control, more than a third of kids and teenagers were overweight or obese in 2012. The physical risks of childhood obesity are endless; joint problems, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and it leaves them vulnerable to various types of cancers as they get older. Not only can early obesity lead to a lifetime of bad habits that are very hard to break, but the effects on a child’s already very fragile self esteem and body image are devastating. Children who are overweight and self-conscious are less likely to participate in team events or sports, try out for a new sport or activity, or be proactive in making new friends. This is can be a lonely and scary time for kids and teens, and it is absolutely preventable.

At America’s Finest Summer Camps, we take the health of each camper very seriously. We have been known to sneak exercise into the daily lives of campers by giving it a new name: FUN. We’ve also found a top secret, patented way to keep campers from eating unhealthy foods all the time: We don’t give them access to calorie filled foods all throughout the day. It’s novel concept, we’re very aware.

The menu at any of America’s Finest Summer Camps varies by the day. There is always fruit available, and a salad bar is always an option at lunch and dinner. Piping hot soups, vegetarian options and plenty of healthy options are always available. Whether your child needs a menu that is gluten, dairy, soy, nut or shellfish free, or they have other specific food allergies, a menu of delicious options can be created for them so they can enjoy everything camp has to offer with a full belly and no annoying or even worse, life threatening allergic reactions. Parents are encouraged to contact the specific camp your child is attending in order to discuss his/her dietary restrictions.

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.29.45 AMEven if campers do splurge on mac and cheese, shaved steak sandwiches or get creative at the pasta bar, they will easily work off all of those delicious calories in the endless physical activities the camp has to offer. A game of flag football, an afternoon of kayaking (talk about an arm work out!) an early morning mountain biking adventure, an impromptu basketball game vs. the neighboring cabin or an hour dancing away in a Zumba class are just a few ways campers can keep their heart rates up while having fun with new friends. Exercise disguised as fun means campers stay active all the time! When campers are so busy running (sometimes literally) from activity to activity, they don’t have time to mindlessly munch on snacks.Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.27.25 AM

America’s Finest Summer Camps do not offer sodas as a drink choice, which is a major culprit in the childhood obesity epidemic in our country. Plenty of water keeps campers hydrated as they tackle another day of go, go go!

Although America’s Finest Summer Camps are not specifically targeted towards weight loss, it is a common benefit that occurs naturally when campers spend the summer here. If weight loss is not a concern for your child, they will still benefit tremendously from the constant activity and plenty of healthy food options provided at camp.

America’s Finest Summer Camps wants the best for each camper on every level, including their physical health, which is why we are focused on instilling positive attitude towards healthy decisions. A mindset focused on healthy food choices and staying active is an excellent core value to instill in children, and could literally save their lives. By encouraging them to eat right and exercise daily, they are creating habits that will benefit them as they grow, and allow them to live long and healthy lives.

4 Tips For The Perfect Cannonball

Last updated by

Things every camper should bring to camp to ensure an amazing summer:

  1. Extra underwear
  2. Bathing suit
  3. This classified, top secret, limited edition guide to doing the perfect cannonball.

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.18.58 AMAs the summer temperatures peak, most campers find themselves lounging around the beautiful swimming pools available at some of America’s Finest Summer Camps, or splashing the day away in the lakes. Hanging out in the water is a great way to beat the heat, while hanging out with new friends and making memories that will last forever. When it is time to make things a little more exciting, initiate a camp wide Cannonball contest! Equipped with these researched, tested and proven tips, you can leave camp as this year’s Cannonball Champion.

First, it is important to remember that safety is always of the utmost importance. Remember to always check the depth of the water where you are going to jump. Jumping into water that is too shallow could cause serious injury. If the cannonball contest is taking place on the pool deck, remember not to run. You could slip and fall, and then you’d never get to show off your cannonball skills. You can achieve a perfect 10 cannonball without running and jeopardizing your safety.

Get Some Height: If there is a diving board, use that bad boy to get some extra height and land with a splash. The simple logic behind the perfect cannonball is that the higher you go, the more gravity you have to pull you back into the water with a splash.

Loosen Up: Many believe that the perfect cannonball is created when you fold yourself into a tight, round ball. This is actually not the case. The more area you take up when you hit the water, the bigger the splash. To accomplish this, wrap your arms around your legs, but keep your elbows out to the side, don’t pin them tightly to your body. Remember to keep your form loose and focus on taking up as much space when you land as possible. Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.23.28 AM

The Landing: You loose a lot of splash potential when the bottom of your feet are the first thing to hit the water. If you angle backwards a little bit, your bottom should be the first thing to touch the water. To avoid a knee vs. head accident, keep your knees slightly apart so the force of the impact doesn’t cause your knees to come up and hit you in the nose. Remember to keep your head up so you can see the faces of everyone who is in awe of your perfect cannonball style. Don’t be surprised if there is a line of campers waiting for you when you emerge from the water who want to learn a thing or two from the cannonball master.

 

 

 

 

Looking Forward to Summer Camp

Last updated by

As we head into the colder winter months, children are settled into their school routines and deep into schoolwork, homework and after school schedules. This is also the time of year for children to look forward to the carefree summer months ahead at sleepaway camp. For Americas Finest Summer Camps’ campers – and camp staff too, by the way – summer camp is a magical experience that is difficult to capture in words. Camp is a place to enjoy powerful experiences for a lifetime of memories and lasting friendships.

Reconnecting with Nature

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.14.22 AMBeing a camper means unplugging from electronics and connecting to the natural environment. Each of Americas Finest Summer Camps is a delightful spot surrounded by mountain views, acres and acres of woodlands and lakes. Children and youth discover the joys of activity in the greenery of the countryside by day, and gathering under the starlit sky at night. Returning campers look forward to shedding the constraints of winter clothing, schedules and schoolwork. At camp, they can take advantage of spontaneous learning opportunities as they pursue activities in a gorgeous piece of paradise on camp grounds. Summer camp gives children back their opportunity to explore the outdoors and reconnect with nature.

Face-to-Face Relationships

In today’s world of social media, too many young people communicate with friends through texting and posting. When children look forward to summer camp, a large part of the excitement is the anticipation of picking up relationships with established camp friends and making new ones. Just spotting a former bunkmate and saying hello can conjure up wonderful memories of athletics activities, outdoor adventures, fine arts and crafts projects, water sports, performances and color war enjoyed together. Over and over again, you hear campers and camp staff describe the camp experience as being a part of an extended family. And it is within that camp family that campers share their joys, work out their problems and hone interpersonal skills that will last a lifetime.

The Freedom to Explore

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 10.15.47 AMCampers look forward to the opportunity to build on current interests and explore new ones at camp. From the moment reveille sounds in the morning until the end of the evening program and Taps, campers join their camp friends for a full day of engaging activities. Whether it is perfecting the butterfly stroke or learning to kayak, meeting the challenges of overnight outdoor camping or participating in musical theater performances, campers look forward to participating in stimulating scheduled activities while enjoying the freedom to explore new options within the structure of the camp day.

Now is the time that many campers start renewing camp friendships and look forward to the excitement of the summer ahead.

 

The Anatomy of S’mores

Last updated by

660-Smores2At Americas Finest Summer Camps, everyone looks forward to getting in on the action and making s’mores. But what is it about s’mores that gets us asking for – you guessed it – some more?

The sticky, ooey, gooey, utterly delicious ingredients, that’s what!

People say there is a National S’mores Day celebrated on August 10 every year, but you don’t have to wait until then to eat s’mores. To make s’mores, you start when the sun goes down. Everyone gathers around the roaring camp fire hungry for an after dinner sweet treat. Bring along chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows. It doesn’t matter if the chocolate is milk chocolate or dark chocolate – you pick. And don’t forget the skewers, unless you are planning to use twigs like the old days.

Very carefully, break the graham crackers and chocolate into squares. A half of a regular sized chocolate bar and two attached graham crackers will do nicely. Remember, you are kind of making a chocolate and marshmallow sandwich, so you will need two squares of graham crackers.

Now for the best part. Stick your skewer, or twig, right through the center of the marshmallow so it doesn’t fall off. Then roast the marshmallow over the fire until the outside is brown, not burnt, and the inside is really, really gooey. If the marshmallow does fall off into the fire, don’t worry! Just take another one and start over.

When the marshmallow is done, it is time to put together your s’mores. Use one piece of graham cracker as the base, then place the chocolate on top, and then put the hot marshmallow on top of that. Be careful not to burn your fingers! Then add the last layer, the other piece of graham cracker.

But the s’mores is not ready for eating yet!

Just wait a minute or two so the hot marshmallow melts the chocolate just a little bit. Now, take a bite and enjoy your sticky, ooey, gooey, oh so good chocolate marshmallow graham cracker treat!

So Now What?

Last updated by

After the initial feelings of elation that come from having completed their first summer at camp, many first year counselors are left wondering what comes next. For some, the choice to return to camp (or not) is an obvious one. For others, there are many factors involved, impending college graduations or internships, the prospect of a full time job, etc. Others simply need time to process the summer before making a decision. What may have seemed like a one-time-only experience in the moment, proper reflection can give birth to goals that require at least one more summer. Still, some counselors are just too exhausted to even consider next summer without some down-time to rest. During the transition, priorities often quickly shift from camp to academic responsibilities. Although the final decision to return to camp may be months away, fall is actually a good time to make a tentative decision about whether you’re interested in returning and initiating communication with your camp.

Because summer camps recruit heavily during the early part of the new year, they like to have an idea about which staff members have intentions of returning prior to the end of the year. This helps them focus their recruiting efforts. It’s therefore a good idea to contact your camp sometime during the fall to let them know your overall feelings about your summer experience and to express interest in returning the following year.  Although your camp may not have made final decisions about which staff members it will invite to return, having an idea of who is interested in returning is helpful when creating recruitment plans.

Likewise, if you think you might want to return to camp next summer in a different role than you had this season, the fall is a good time to express that interest so that your camp knows that you want to be considered for that role should an opening become available. For clarification, it’s a good idea to explain why you think you might be a good fit for your desired role as well. Although it may be obvious to you why you might be right for that role, your camp likely goes through hundreds—if not thousands—of resumes each year. Some proactive notes from you may be helpful.

Making a tentative early decision about potentially returning to camp also gives you more time to prepare for the experience. Even well-seasoned counselors sometimes find themselves scrambling to make summer plans come together at the last minute. The earlier you commit to another summer at camp, the more time you have to financially prepare for the travel to camp. This is of particular importance for international staff who tend to have significantly higher traveling expenses than domestic staff.

Keeping in contact with other staff members is a way to keep camp fresh and the anticipation high throughout the year. It’s also a great way to position yourself to hear news of rideshares or winter join ups among staff.

With a little advanced planning and proactive measures on your part, ‘So now what?’ easily becomes, ‘Now it’s time.’

My Bunk

Last updated by

While I am now surrounded by the comforts of home, I would gladly give them all up again just to be back at camp, sleeping in my bunk. I must admit that the first few days of falling asleep in a quiet room, sleeping in my own bed, and waking up without bugles ringing in my ear have been nice but it does not seem to make up for the longing I have for my bunk.

Each summer when all of my bunkmates arrive at camp, we run to our bunk and begin to make it our summer home. On the porch we hang a big welcome sign with all of our names. We unpack our clothes and place them in our cubbies. Then each bed takes on a personality of its own with its bright sheets and blankets, fun pillows and sentimental stuffed animals. As the summer moves on the walls begin to fill up walls with posters, letters and pictures from home. The bunk becomes a disco, a runway, a theater where we perform. We play on the floor with jacks, cards and trade stickers. At night, we lay in our beds sharing stories. When the lights are all out, we continue to laugh and whisper until sleep fills the air. What I miss the most about my bunk is waking up, looking around and knowing that all my friends are there.