Tag: summer camp

The Importance of Being Creative

Arts and Crafts at summer camp is more than just stringing together a few beads to make a bracelet or gluing some spray painted macaroni to a cardboard picture frame.  It’s a program that gives campers the opportunity to explore their creative interests in several different types of art by offering a diverse array of… Read more »

Taking One for the Team

They’re a staple of summer camp lore…Color Wars, although some camps prefer less confrontational terms, such as “Olympics”, “College Days” “Tribal”, or “Challenge”.   They’re steeped in tradition and every American summer camp has one, a competition usually held toward the end of the summer that, over multiple days, splits the camp into two teams… Read more »

Come Rain or Come Shine…

Do you ever wonder what happens at camp when it rains?  We assure you, it’s nothing like those scenes in movies that depict bummed out campers forced to spend entire days in their cabins or bunks .  Typically, it doesn’t rain all that often in the northeast during the summer and, whenever possible, activities proceed… Read more »

Reflections of a Senior Camper

For parents, deciding when, or even if, to send your children to summer camp–whether it’s for a few weeks or seven–is a big decision.  They’re young.  You wonder if they’ll remember to brush their teeth or make their beds.  You want to know that they’re going to make friends and have fun every moment of… Read more »

A Special Place for Girls and Boys

For older campers, one of the most profound and lasting advantages of camp is the opportunity they have to focus on being boys and girls.  Many summer camps also strengthen the safety of the camp setting by offering exclusive programs that help teenage campers gain a better understanding about how to best grasp the transition… Read more »

Sing, Sing a Song

There is something about singing that brings people together.  Perhaps that’s why singing (and music in general) is such an important part of camp.  The silly or sometimes sentimental words of a “camp song” can set a mood, evoke a feeling, and create atmosphere.  Music is a universal language that everyone understands.  Perhaps this is… Read more »

Crazy Days and Whacky Nights

Parents, do you ever log onto your computer to check out the camp photos for the day, see your child painted in blue from head to toe or maybe wearing a crazy wig and big nerdy glasses and wonder, ‘What in the world?’  The answer probably has something to do with your summer camp’s special… Read more »

Growing up Global

作为父母,我们常常听到人们预测说我们的孩子们需要为一个新的“全球”世界作准备。但是有些人却认为全球互动的根基在多个世纪前就已经准备好了,我们当前所拥有的电子和交通技术让世界各地的人们更加互相联系和依赖。因此,如何才能让我们的孩子们准备就绪并给予他们能够变得全球化的经验? 诚然,旅行是一种帮助孩子们提高他们文化通货的显著办法。但是,去野营也能够以特殊的方式帮助他们培养全球化思维的技能。夏令营是一个让来自世界各地和美国各地的孩子们互相连结的场所。他们可以在这里建立终生友谊,一起尝试新事物和实践生活。以在AFSC夏令营为例,虽然只有少数露营者是来自国外,但却给露营生活和整个社区带来很多东西。每个人都从露营中的不同孩子们身上得到益处。孩子们可以练习一门语言,而且肯定能在日常互动中了解到不同的风俗习惯并有时间对这些进行吸收。 最重要的是,他们将学会如何尊重有着不同观点的人并与他们相处,这些人做事的方式可能会不同。 Homa Sabet Tavangar 在她的书 籍《Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World》中说道,发展一个世界观的第一步就要求能够 “拥有一个去交朋友和与人成为好朋友的心态”。交朋友指的是练习全球性的品质(如,移情和尊重)。在露营中与别人建立长久的友谊是整个体验过程中的重要部分。 我们的辅导员和员工们都经过培训,随时准备帮助露营者们在露营中得到成长,在必要时能开发新技能并关心他人。Tavangar认为,“黄金法则” 或者“你希望别人怎样对待你,那么你也怎样对待别人”的观点渗透了各种文化和信仰传统,这些在她的书中也有详细说明。当孩子们有着互相关心的普世价值观时,他们就会变得谦虚,有礼貌且具有同情心,从而能够交到真正的朋友 – 这也让他成为一名世界公民。 因此,不论我们去到世界的哪个地方,打破不同文化因素及能够看到让各种文化相似或相异的东西才是让我们为能够彼此相联系做好准备。 对于孩子们来说,在与新文化沟通时向前迈一小步,就能够克服尝试新食物或者离开家来到各种事物都“不同”的露营地的恐怖。毕竟,每年的每次露营都具有其特殊的特点或文化。 例如,许多露营者必须忍受并学会去喜欢新食物,而正是这种经验让孩子们能够为未来做好准备。 Growing up global并非只是为了如何准备好在经济世界做生意。它还与如何能够拥有意愿去与训练了 一个本地足球队的肯尼亚父亲,一个有着与众不同的时尚风格的土耳其邻居,或者一个期望永不间断电源的美国人轻松相联系息息相关。最后,它所涉及的是对不同事物具有好奇心而不是恐惧感,并重视与我们遇见的不同人们交朋友。 心理学家认为友谊与一个人的健康息息相关,并最终关系到我们的生存能力。因此,友谊是让人在个自的领域以及在我们的地球上感觉舒适自在的关键。 我们的夏令营经验是培养具有全球意识和自信意识的孩子的关键组成部分。在露营时所学到的东西和交到朋友在露营结束后能长久持续。因为露营者会继续扩展他们的视野,并跨越时间和空间的障碍与朋友们保持联系,从而找到他们的生活热情。

Let’s Go on a Trip!

With all of the amazing offerings within camp, it’s hard to believe that anyone would want to leave.  But some of the greatest fun children have at summer camp is actually away from camp on one of the many out of camp trips that are arranged throughout the summer.  Some are small, an evening or… Read more »

A Peek at What’s Happening at AFSC Right Now!

The start of summer 2011 is at hand and the always amazing staffs of America’s Finest Summer Camps assembled this week at their respective camps, excited to be with old friends as well as new and anxious to begin preparing for the campers.   We thought we’d take a moment to share the success of each… Read more »