Calming New Camper Jitters

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It’s camp season and, over the next couple of weeks, a lot of children will head off to summer camp for the first time.  The first summer of camp is an exciting time for new campers.  For many, it’s their first time away from home and their parents for an extended period of time.  Chances are, they’ve visited their new camp already and seen all of the fun stuff there is to do there.  They have probably even met a few new camp friends. Sometimes, as the beginning of camp nears, the butterflies set in a bit for both campers and parents.  Campers worry about being away from home, and parents worry about campers being away from home.  Here are a few tips for keeping the anticipation level high and the butterflies at bay for both campers and their parents so that everyone can be set up for a successful summer.

*Emphasize to your camper all the fun stuff he or she will get to do at camp that he or she doesn’t get the opportunity to do at home.  Children love new things.  They’re likely to be even more excited about camp if they think there are activities they can only do at camp (and there are).  If you have visited the camp, remind them of the things they saw there that excited them most.

*Encourage them not to be afraid to try new things.  Remind them that camp is a place where they have the opportunity to try lots of new things and urge them to try as many as possible.  Many a camper has tried an activity for the first time at camp and developed a passion that they continued to pursue during those months they’re not at camp as well as into high school or even college.

*Some children are shy about meeting new people, so rather than challenge campers to make new friends, reaffirm that they are not the only camper attending sleepaway camp for the first time and ask them to treat other new campers the way they want to be treated in the same situation.  Friendships will naturally follow.

*Almost all new campers experience minor homesickness, and it’s not always within the first few days of camp.  For some campers, the feeling comes somewhere in the middle while others make it through almost the entire summer before even remembering that they have a home outside of camp. Believe us when we tell you that, for the vast majority of them, the blues pass within a day or two.  Don’t panic if you speak to your new camper one day and he/she sounds a little less enthusiastic than on previous calls or you get a letter written on a day that wasn’t his or her best day at camp.  Most camps have multiple staff members charged with monitoring the behavioral patterns and moods of campers—especially younger or new campers—and will alert parents if necessary.  Rule of thumb:  If you haven’t heard from the camp, chances are that everything was fine again within minutes of your child hanging up the phone or writing that letter.

*If you have a child who tends to be shy, reassure him/her that it’s okay to act silly at camp.  In fact, that’s what camp is—a place where kids can have fun and act goofy.

*Have a transition plan for both the beginning and end of camp.  Walk your child through each step of getting on the bus, train, or plane, and saying goodbye.  Literally start with first, we’ll do this, then we’ll do this, etc.  This lessens the anxiety of wondering when the moment is coming and gives him/her and you guidelines for mentally preparing to leave. At the end of the summer, have a plan for helping your camper transition back into home life.  Summer camp is a very different world from home and getting back into the school year mode after a summer full of excitement can be challenging for some campers.  Also, be prepared.  So much has happened in such a short amount of time that your child might not stop talking for several days, even if he or she generally isn’t very talkative.   Be excited.  Your child is more likely to be excited about returning the following summer if he/she thinks you’re excited too.

With a little bit of preparation, your new camper will have a great first summer!

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Summer Reading at Camp

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The hour is upon us, the trunks and bags are already shipped, and the carry-on bags are stuffed so full that they almost don’t zip, but we encourage you to consider packing some summer reading.  Sure camp is action-packed, but there are also a lot of great opportunities throughout the summer for campers to read.  Most camps have a rest period during which campers are encouraged to take advantage of some quiet time.  Reading material is great for those days when a camper just wants some quiet time.  Many camps also allow campers to read in bed with a flashlight at night as well.  Having a book handy is a great way for campers to wind down so that they are able to fall asleep.  Reading also makes for great conversation.  If your child does not have assigned summer reading, slipping a book from a popular youth or young adult fiction series might lead to some new friends through a common interest.  So if you haven’t already tossed in a book or two, squeeze everything together a little more tightly and shove one in.  Neither you nor your camper will regret it.

Staff Orientation Week

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Some campers and parents may wonder what happens up at camp before they arrive.  When do the counselors get there and what do they do to prepare?  All of America’s Finest Summer Camp staff members attend a week long orientation session.  This is a week when counselors learn a lot about themselves, each other, the camp itself and, most importantly, our campers!  Quite literally, the goal of camp is to make sure campers have the most fun they possibly can while still being safe.  During Orientation week, every camp staff member learns how to make that happen.  They also have a little bit of fun while doing this.  They live as campers in cabins or bunks during Orientation.  They also learn all of the camp’s favorite songs (motions too!), play games, participate in evening activities, and learn dining and trip procedures.  Orientation is a fun and intense week, but it’s made even more so by the excitement for the campers’ arrival.  In the middle of Orientation week, everyone knows that camp is getting close. But even the activity of having all our staff members around for Orientation doesn’t compare to the atmosphere instantly created by a camp full of campers!  We’ll see you soon!

Mail Call

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If your children have ever attended camp, chances are you’ve walked out to your mailbox at some point in the summer to find a letter that goes something like this:

Hi Mom and Dad,

I passed my swim test.  Yay!  I almost made it all the way to the top of the climbing wall yesterday.  More yay!  I WILL zipline before the end of the summer!  I bounced the ball off the post and actually scored a goal in soccer earlier today.  FIRST GOAL EVER!  The most yay!  Went on a nature hike a few days ago.  We saw a squirrel and named him Sam.  At least we think it was a squirrel.  It could have been a bunny.  Emma said that maybe it was a chupacabra.  Duh!  Chupacabras aren’t real.  But we just said, “Maybe.”  Then we thought it would be funny if we actually told people we saw a chupacabra just to see how many people we could get to believe us.  So now like a lot more people than I ever thought would believe there is a chupacabra running around in the woods, which is kind of bad because now it’s IMPOSSIBLE to sign up for nature because everyone wants to go on hikes in the woods to see the chupacabra.  Long story short, if Max writes home about seeing a chupacabra, it was a squirrel (or a bunny).  And if he finds out it was a squirrel and writes home that I told him it was a chupacabra, it wasn’t a trick I was playing on him specifically—and it wasn’t just me.

So my friend Katie and I made up this new game to see who can make up the goofiest knock knock joke.  Wanna hear the (kinda) funny joke she made up while we were walking?  Knock knock.  Who’s there?  Katie.  Katie who?  Katiepillar.  I made up one at dinner but it’s not as funny.  Knock knock.  Who’s there?  Butter.  Butter who?  Butterfly.  I also learned a new card trick in magic the other day that I can’t wait to show you when I get home.  My favorite thing so far is cooking.  Yesterday, we made chocolate chip cookies.  Don’t be mad.  I ate two.  But they were small.  Speaking of food, can we have pancakes more often when I get home?  I never realized I like pancakes so much before.  Gotta go.  Time for guitar.  Love ya!

p.s. Can you add this list to the other list of things I asked you to bring on visiting day?  Doritos, M&M’s (not the peanut kind), gummi bears, and Sweet Tarts (the chewy kind).

Many summer camps make letter writing a regular part of campers’ schedule and deliver

letters from parents and relatives to campers each day.  For campers, there is something special about sprawling across their bed at camp and reading what Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, and maybe even pets have been up to.
For parents, seeing a letter in their children’s handwriting makes the communication more personable.  It’s endearing to think one’s son or daughter took the time out of his or day to write home. Some parents even joke about how refreshing it is to receive a message that isn’t so full of abbreviated words that it requires an interpreter, like many text messages. It also lends added significance to those things about which children choose to write.  Parents have reported that it helps them more closely identify their children’s interests.  If a child dedicates two thirds of each letter home to how much fun she is having playing tennis, it’s a good indication that tennis is playing a particularly important role in the success of the camper’s summer.  Some parents  are so highly entertained by their children’s letters from camp that they make scrapbooks of their children’s letters from camp throughout the years as a memoir.  Author Diane Falanga was so inspired by children’s letters from camp that she published a compilation of them.

Sadly, email and text messaging have almost made the art of letter writing—taking pen to paper—extinct. But summer camp is a place where the tradition still survives.  Summer is a time when the joy of receiving an envelope with one’s name on it is rediscovered every summer by thousands of children and parents alike.

It’s a Small World after All

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The guest blog this week is courtesy of Alyson, Assistant Director of Camp Starlight

As we go about our everyday, it is easy to think that the world is made up of just our friends, family and the people we see on a regular basis. We associate and spend time with people from similar places, cultures and backgrounds and can sometimes even forget there is a big world outside our own.  Whether you are a camper or a staff member, going to camp makes you see the world differently! Camp gives you the benefit of coming into contact with people from different schools, communities, countries and cultures from around the world. We make it a point of hiring counselors from across the globe for this reason.

After traveling around the world to meet our counselors, we know that everyone loves to see that some of our soccer coaches are from England and it’s great to be out of the lake with our mates from Australia! They bring so much to the camp experience. Not only are they fun, and we love hearing their lovely accents (we love trying to repeat them too!) They share stories about growing up in places we may have never been. They also teach us new activities, create new interests and help us see the world differently. And what happens is that even though many of our international staff live far away, and talk funny, we realize we are not all that different. These relationships help us to grow and force us all to learn about getting along with others and not just the people we see as like ourselves. Camp teaches you that there is so much more out there, and campers and staff walk away with a greater understanding of themselves and others.

–Alyson

*This blog was originally published on the Camp Starlight website http://www.campstarlight.com/blog/uncategorized/its-a-small-world-after-all-2/ on April 28, 2012.

Time to Start Thinking about Packing…

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May means a lot of things to a lot of people.  To some it’s Memorial Day and the official beginning of summer.  For others, it marks the end of another school year.  For summer camp parents, it means it’s time to start thinking about packing.  For first time parents, the task can seem absolutely overwhelming.   How much sunscreen and shampoo do I pack?  Do they really need shinguards?  How many t-shirts are enough?  For seasoned camp parents, packing is a science based on experience.  The art is in packing just enough but not too much or too little…and knowing which items the children have sneaked into their bags to take out and which ones to let go.  Packing properly takes time…and patience.

Camps provide rather comprehensive packing lists.  These should not be disregarded.  They’re compiled by professionals with years of camping experience who have excellent knowledge of what children’s bags need to contain in order for them to arrive prepared for a successful summer at camp.  Also keep in mind when packing that living space is somewhat limited at camp.  Your child will not have his or her own room at summer camp.  He or she will live together with several other campers as well as a couple of counselors. This means that there is not a whole lot of room for “extras” and labeling clothes is important as mix-ups are otherwise bound to happen.  If laundry is your primary concern, rest assured that camp laundry is done at least once per week.  Your child’s counselors and other camp staff will see to it that your child has clean clothes.

Summer camp values also often downplay appearance.  The emphasis of summer camp is on fun, friendship, and safety.  Before the end of the summer, your child will likely get wet, slimed, painted, generally messy, and a host of other cool things that tend to make children laugh and adults cringe.  So keep the really good stuff at home and send clothes that neither you nor they will miss too much if they have to be “retired” at the end of the summer.

It’s important for both new and seasoned camp parents to pay as much attention to the items your child’s camp asks not to bring as those items it asks to bring.  There is a reason your camp requests that certain items not be brought onto campus, whether it’s to help facilitate a specific environment, protect those with allergies, or to avoid other issues not conducive to the spirit of summer camp.  Packing “do not bring” items risks them being lost or confiscated until the end of the summer.  This ultimately causes undo stress on your children.  Alleviating stress that results from the idea of having to leave a beloved item such as a cell phone or notepad at home is typically accomplished by reiterating to children about what they will have at camp as opposed to what they won’t.

By following your camp’s advice and being proactive rather than reactive, packing for camp can be a fun countdown to camp rather than a reactive chore.

Ladies and Gentlemen…

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Maybe your child regularly practices his or her acceptance speech for the Academy Awards–or maybe you have a child who just likes to occasionally brush up on his her acting skills–or maybe still you have a child who is merely curious about exploring the world of theater.  Whatever your child’s level of passion, summer camp is a place he or she will thrive.  Although there are many camps that specialize in the arts, even traditional summer camps often foster healthy theater programs that put on multiple shows throughout the summer.  It’s not difficult to understand why theater is such a beloved tradition at virtually every summer camp.  Camp itself is an environment that encourages children to shed the self-consciousness that may hold them back in other more formal settings and to try new things, act silly, explore interests.

But it’s not just the summer camp environment that makes camp theater programs ideal for aspiring young artists.  Many summer camp theater programs also offer outlets for exploration behind the stage in areas such as costumes or stage and set design.  By being able to be part of the process of piecing together a show from both in front of and behind the curtain, some children actually find that their real passion isn’t necessarily as part of the cast but part of the crew.  Children also learn to understand the importance of working together.  Putting on a theater production, whether it involves the entire camp or just a few people, is a cooperative effort.

The team spirit quality of this encourages participants to support each other makes summer camp theater ideal for anyone who might want to explore theater as a new hobby, or children who like the idea but aren’t quite sure how they feel about being on stage.  Summer camp theater programs tend to place the emphasis on the importance of being part of a production rather than being the star.   Although there are many elements that may seem separate from the outset, the final product is the sum total of all of those efforts added together.  Summer camp itself breeds a sense of togetherness, so perhaps it’s that sense that makes theater perennially a popular summer camp program.

A Network of Lifetime Friends

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One of the most touted benefits of working at a summer camp is the network one may build even within the parameters of a single summer.  Unlike many work environments, which tend to draw locals with a telescoped set of talents, summer camp attracts staff from virtually all over the world who possess an array of abilities.  A successful summer at camp requires the expertise of athletes and artists alike.  Because summer camps are 24/7 communities, staff members tend to form very close bonds within the two months that they reside at camp each summer.  Camp breeds a sense of family, which is precisely why, for a good many staff members, goodbye at the end of the summer is seldom goodbye forever.  Thanks to a little help from social media outlets such as Facebook, it’s possible to stay in touch with summer camp friends no matter where on earth they live.  Whether it’s couch surfing while traveling, hunting for a job, needing a little bit of advice or support, or sharing an inside joke, camp friends are there.  Working at summer camp is more than just a summer experience.  It’s a way to form a global network of friends for life.

Re-asserting the «Team» in Team Sports

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Whether your family lives in a large city or a small town, there is likely not a shortage of organized sports  for children. Increasingly, the emphasis of team sports is less about what it means to be a member of a team and more about being the MVP of a winning team.   As a result, child athletes are often caught between sparring parents on one sideline and anxious, screaming coaches on the other.  Overly zealous parents and coaches seldom stop to consider that children often absorb their parents’ feelings and may project the resulting tension through their play.  The immense pressure to be a star who constantly wins is often why many children become burnt-out in the competitive sports environment and choose to take a break or even quit altogether.  Says Fred Engh, author of Why Johnny Hates Sports, “If all the focus is on winning, kids may be scared to fail and make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process and it’s how one improves.”  One of the most undervalued benefits of team sports at traditional American summer camps is the environment that allows children to make mistakes without fear of backlash from the sidelines and to process those mistakes in a way that they can turn them into learning experiences.

Setting up children for success requires a welcoming environment in which they can feel comfortable being themselves.    Those who tend to be self-conscious are particularly challenged by situations in which tension runs high.  The spirit of camp is one of instruction, fun and safety more than competition.  It’s about making children feel like a valuable part of a unit that utilizes everyone’s talents in a way that is beneficial.  In short, the traditional summer camp environment is a team environment.   At camp, children have the encouragement of their counselors and fellow campers when playing sports.  A child making a layup shot on the basketball court for the first time is cheered just as much as someone scoring a winning three pointer.

Perhaps the relaxed positive reinforcement they receive while learning to play sports at camp is why so many children (as many as 60%) feel compelled to continue being active in an activity they tried for the first time at camp.

An International Staff Member Reflects on Working at Summer Camp

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A couple of weeks ago, an American Camp staff member reflected on his camp experience.  This week, we’d like to share the sentiments of an international staff member:

«An average camp is considered to be successful if the kids come home safe at the end of the summer and had fun. Camp is about so much more than that.  The people who work at Camp want to teach and help children grow up.  Working at camp will wear you out.  By the last day you will have no ounce of energy left inside of you. But that’s what it’s all about. It’s the most satisfying feeling you can think of.  It’s so worth it and that’s why I love working at camp!

My name is Fred Goddard and this will be my third summer at camp. I have been a tennis coach, sailing instructor and am really excited about moving into a leadership position as Division Head for summer 2012.   When I’m not at camp, I live in Bristol (UK) and attend the University of Bristol.

My friends back in the UK always ask me why I am going back to camp, and I always tell them… Because I am trying to put off the day that I am going to have to say no to coming back.  I am lucky to say YES to my summer home again in 2012!»

*The above blog was originally published on the Camp Weequahic website http://www.weequahic.com on April 3, 2012.

All of America’s Finest Summer Camps are currently hiring.  If you’re ready for the summer of a lifetime, please visit their websites for more information:

www.weequahic.com

www.campstarlight.com

www.camplaurel.com

www.laurelsouth.com