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Ready, Set, Camp!

Since the 1860s, summer camps have been a safe haven

and character building experience unlike any other

Begin at the End

“At camp, I get to be myself” is the most common reason children give for loving camp.  Of course, kids have known that camp is fun since its inception in this country more than 150 years ago.  What’s not to love?  You get to make friends, try new activities, and enjoy the outdoors.  But it’s that wonderful feeling of being loved for who you really are that keeps kids coming back.  Plus, new research by the American Camp Association has confirmed that camp accelerates growth in children’s social skills, positive identity, physical and thinking skills, and spirituality.

Look and Love

For prospective campers, build enthusiasm by showcasing camp.  Together, you and your child can tour local camps while they’re in session, explore distant camps’ websites, and send for promotional DVDs.  Seeing other kids enjoying activities as diverse as horseback riding, swimming, sailing, rock climbing, and archery is all it takes for kids to fall in love with camp.  The goal of this collaborative investigation is both to generate passion and to find the camp that best matches your child’s interests, abilities, and developmental level.  Remember, parents should avoid picking a camp for their child.  Pick a camp with your child so that he or she feels ownership over the experience.

Organize for Success

            Once you’ve chosen a camp, read and follow their packing list.  For maximum outdoor enjoyment, consider these insider packing tips:

·   Buy stick or lotion bug repellant, rather than a spray bottle or aerosol can.  Sprays tend to get in other kids’ eyes; aerosols are an explosion hazard if they roll into a campfire.

·   Everyone knows how important it is to protect yourself from sunburn, but did you know that poison ivy is the number-one allergic skin reaction in the United States?  Smart products like büji Block™ contain SPF 24 sunscreen and a poison ivy / poison oak barrier.

·   At camp, a footlocker isn’t just a suitcase.  It’s also a ladder, table, stage, and landing pad for the kid in the top bunk.  Bring a rugged trunk, like the “Happy Camper” by C&N Footlocker.

·   Pack pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes.  In this day of IM-ing, few kids can compose traditional, handwritten letters, so give them a head start.  Seal your homemade stationery kit a zipped freezer bag to protect it from humidity.

Homesickness is Normal…and Preventable

            Almost 95% of all boys and girls feel some homesickness at camp.  The great news is that severe homesickness is preventable.  The American Camp Association’s new DVD-CD set, called The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success, contains an informative and entertaining collection of well researched strategies that lower the intensity of first-year campers’ homesickness by 50%.  A sampling of the best homesickness prevention strategies from the DVD include:

·   Arrange for some practice time away from home.

·   Discuss how letter writing helps you and your child stay connected.

·   Avoid giving your child something to worry about by saying something like “I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

·   Pack and plan together so your child feels control over the decision to spend time away.

·   Use a wall calendar to show the opening and closing days of camp so your child can see that camp doesn’t last forever.

When your child asks you the inevitable “What if I feel homesick?” your best reply is, “You probably will miss something about home while you’re away, but I know you’ll love camp.”  Avoid the crippling mixed message the camp directors call “The Pick-Up Deal.”  Telling your child, “If you feel homesick, I’ll come get you” sets them up for failure.

Opening and Closing Day

            As the big day nears, you can expect some anxious anticipation.  Because every child wonders Will I make friends? and Will I like the food and activities?  it’s important for parents to stay relaxed and confident.  Ask, “What do you think you’ll like the most?” and “Won’t it be fun to make new friends?”  Soothe feelings of separation anxiety by gently reminding your son or daughter “I’ll be fine while you’re at camp.  There’s lots to do around the house and at work.  Plus, I’ll be busy writing you letters and reading what you send back.”

            Once you arrive at camp (or at the bus stop, if that’s the way your child’s camp works), you can model prosocial behavior by making good eye contact and introducing yourself to staff, asking good questions, and telling a little about yourself.  You will have already completed a health form for your child, but be sure to inform your child’s cabin leader about any allergies, medications, or other conditions that will help staff care for your child.

            With careful preparation, you’re likely to hear, on closing day, the same thing I blurted out to my parents after my first summer at overnight camp, “Next year, I want to stay twice as long!”

Dr. Christopher Thurber is co-author, with Dr. Jon Malinowski, of The Summer Camp Handbook.  He is the school psychologist at Phillips Exeter Academy and a research consultant to the American Camp Association.

Helpful links: (perhaps this is a sidebar or box)

Research on camp outcomes:                                                                ACAcamps.org/research

The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success DVD-CD set:       CampSpirit.com

Best camp search engines:                                                                     CampParents.org

                                                                                                            mysummercamps.com

Best footlockers:                                                                                   cnmfg.com/camp

Buji Products:                                                                                       bujiproducts.com