5 Essential Summer Camp Packing Tips Every Parent Should Know
Your camp forms are filled out and you know where the bus drop-off point is. Now it’s time for the final step in getting your camper ready for camp – packing! I’ve spent years observing what and how campers pack for camp. I’ve seen many kids arrive with too much stuff. Some don’t know what…
READ MORE
5 Ways Camp Grows Grit
“It turns out that grit predicts performance better than IQ or innate talent. Grit makes our kids productive and successful because it allows them to reach their long-term goals despite life’s inevitable setbacks. This ability to overcome challenges makes them stronger and more masterful at their tasks. Moreover, the ability to cope with difficulty –…
READ MORE
Ep. 176: Summer Camp & COVID with Dr. Heather Silverberg
Sunshine Parenting host Audrey “Sunshine” Monke & pediatrician (and camp doctor) Dr. Heather Silverberg talk about how COVID is impacting kids this summer at camp. Want encouragement & simple strategies for raising thriving future adults? Check out Audrey’s book, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Happy Campers on…
READ MORE
How Camp Helps Parents Raise Adults
“The movie Stepford Wives came to mind as I watched my students live their college life still somehow looking to the sidelines for mom or dad’s direction, protection, or intervention as if they were five, playing soccer, and needed a parent to point in which direction to kick the ball. I began to wonder, I…
READ MORE
5 Fun Ideas for Letters to Campers
When children are at summer camp, parents have a new daily “to do”– write and send a letter or email to their camper! Because we’re not in the habit of writing letters to our kids much these days – with brief texts being the primary form of written communication between us and our kids –…
READ MORE
[ENCORE] Ep. 37: 8 Tips for First-Time Camp Parents
HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults is now available on Audible! Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 37, Sara Kuljis (of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp), and I share tips and…
READ MORE
Countdown to Camp: 5 Things to do NOW
School is ending and camp is right around the corner. Do you know where your summer camp packing list is? I suspected as much. In addition to being a camp director, I’m also a camp parent, so I am well aware of that “where did I put that camp handbook?” feeling. With two of my…
READ MORE
Why Summer Camp May be the Secret to a Longer Life
Last week, during my training with camp staff about friendship skills, I showed them this video (Susan Pinker’s TED Talk: The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life): I then asked our staff to share what similarities they found between summer camp and the small village in Sardinia Pinker describes in her TED…
READ MORE
Camp Secret #1: Connection Comes First
If you enjoyed listening to Camp Secret #1: Connection Comes First (the first chapter of my book), consider purchasing Happy Campers at Audible & Apple Books.
READ MORE
[ENCORE] Ep. 98: “Camplifying” the World with Tom Rosenberg
In Episode 98, I’m chatting with Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association. Last year, in Episode 46, we talked about summer camp, accreditation, and #CampKindnessDay (July 20, 2021). In this episode, we talk about the research about the positive impact of camp, our joint passion for partnering with parents to bring camp to…
READ MORE
5 Tips for Surviving Your Child’s First Stay at Overnight Camp
Your child’s at summer camp? That’s so exciting! And hard. For some of you, an internal “WA HOO!” went off as the bus filled with excited campers and their duffle bags pulled away. But for others, this whole experience of your child not being home is really hard and causes some emotional distress. In hundreds…
READ MORE
Ep. 174: The Magic of Camp (Happy Campers Book Excerpt)
Start listening to Happy Campers now! Just in time for summer, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults is now available on Audible! This week’s podcast features an excerpt from the audiobook, “The Magic of Camp,” that precedes the 9 Summer Camp Secrets. Learn ways to better connect with your kids,…
READ MORE