Tag: value of summer camp

Why outdoor adventure skills are important

As a camp counselor, I’ve always been surprised by the wide range of lessons that campers take away from the outdoor adventure activities at camp. Some campers benefit most from building a sense of self-reliance and resourcefulness. Others particularly enjoy the non-competitive aspects of the activities, which combine the adrenaline of sports with the positivity… Lue lisää »

What I learned from playing sports at camp

I wish you could have seen my face the first day of summer camp; my excitement was so contagious I was worried the nurse would put me in quarantine. That being said, my excitement had nothing to do with sports. So far as I was concerned, sports were just another stressful school activity, and to… Lue lisää »

More Than Just A Lake

There are many things notice when they arrive at camp the first day. They notice the cabins, all of the new faces, the baseball fields, ropes course, tennis courts and acres and acres of open space to run in, play in and explore in. But one of the most breathtaking and exciting parts of camp… Lue lisää »

What I Learned From My Campers

When I arrived at America’s Finest Summer Camps as a counselor this past summer, I knew exactly how I wanted every camper to feel. I was on high alert for the shy ones, the scared ones, the nervous ones. I was looking for the nail biters and the ones with the look of “wow this… Lue lisää »

10 ways everyone can totally tell you went to summer camp

You want to play outside no matter the weather The rain-or-shine attitude is something that sets summer campers apart. After all, rock climbing and waterskiing waits for no one — you sure aren’t going to miss out on the time of your life just because of a spring shower!   You always want to work… Lue lisää »

Camp Changed My Kid

I was nervous and excited to send my son Connor to one of America’s Finest Summer Camps this year. Connor’s best friend attended camp the summer before and could not stop raving about it. So after plenty of research and discussions, we decided to let Connor spend the summer away. I won’t lie, my “mommy… Lue lisää »

Participating versus Competing

My son Austin lives and breathes soccer. He is captain of his school team, plays with the neighborhood kids on the weekends and plays in recreational leagues. He watches soccer on TV, researches player stats online and is even part of a soccer club. To say he is competitive is an understatement. His sister, Emma,… Lue lisää »

Academic and Social Pressures: Summer Camp

A quick Google search for “what stresses kids out?” will produce thousands of results discussing all of the things kids and teenagers have to stress out about. As our country leans more towards standardize testing each year, students are bogged down with learning how to take a test, and riddled with anxiety about a single… Lue lisää »

Trying New Things

Trying new things builds character, self-esteem and confidence. It allows you to be vulnerable, allows you to trust yourself and others, and allows you to grow as an individual. Trying new things, like spending the entire summer away from your bed, your dog, and your parents may seem like a scary endeavor, but thousands of… Lue lisää »

Finding Your Voice at Camp

Although most campers leave camp an excited, talkative and outgoing ball of energy, not all of them come to camp that way. Camp has a magical way of taking a quiet and introverted child and encouraging them to find their voice and speak up for themselves. Children who came to camp as followers can emerge… Lue lisää »