Ep. 29: Empowering Kids through Outdoor Adventures
“Instead of telling kids what to do, we have the kids tell us what to do. It’s an empowering experience to let kids think that way from a young age.” -Paul Dreyer In Episode 29, I’m chatting with Kyle Littman (COO) and Paul Dreyer (CEO) of Avid 4 Adventure. Kyle and Paul are both passionate about empowering…
Continue readingEp. 25: Sports Camps and Competitive Athletics with Susan Reeder and Steve Proulx
“We want kids to learn to love the game.” -Steve Proulx In Episode 25, I’m talking with Steve Proulx and Susan Reeder, the husband and wife team, along with daughter Aimee Reeder, who have owned and directed Carmel Valley Tennis Camp for the past 24 years. Questions for parents to ask about sports/specialty camp programs Is the…
Continue readingWhy Making Friends is One of the Most Important Things that Happens at Summer Camp
“Friendship is the gold of childhood” Michael Thompson, Ph.D. When I saw this TED Talk by Susan Pinker, “The Secret to Living Longer May be Your Social Life,” I was reminded once again of the crucial importance of relationships and social connections to our children’s (and our own!) life-long health and happiness. Children and adolescents…
Continue readingWant an Independent, Self Confident, Resilient Kid? Summer Camp Can Help!
While it’s easy to think of ways to teach our kids to do laundry or solve math problems, finding a way to instill important character traits isn’t as simple. The way we model traits we want our children to exhibit has a powerful influence on them, and some traits (kindness, gratitude, and generosity) they learn…
Continue readingToo Much Screen Time? 4 Ways Summer Camp Can Help
I’ve learned to face my fears, I’ve tried new things, and I have learned that you don’t always need to have your phone or video games. -Kimberly, Camper Children between eight and ten years old currently spend nearly eight hours a day on media. Adolescents average nearly eleven hours per day, seven days a week,…
Continue readingWhy Teens Need Summer Camp More Than Ever
Being at camp gives me this sense of belonging that I’ve never felt anywhere else. I know that I can be myself and that my cabin mates will love me for who I am, and I’ve brought that to my life outside of camp. -Hannah Each summer, tens of thousands of teens leave their phones and car…
Continue reading10 Messages for a Homesick Camper
Many kids experience some homesickness at camp – most often the sad feelings flare up during down times like meals, rest time, or at bedtime. While they’re busy with activities and their minds are occupied, most kids feel fine and say the fun they have at camp far outweighs any sad feelings. Homesickness is a…
Continue reading5 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…
Continue readingEp. 10: Homesick and Happy with Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
“I wanted to remind everybody that for many of us, while we love our parents to pieces, the sweetest moments of our childhood were when we had independence from them.” -Michael Thompson, Ph.D. In Episode 10 of the podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite parenting and camp experts, best-selling author Michael…
Continue reading10 Reasons Great Parents Choose Summer Camp for Their Kids
My shy, quiet nine-year-old went to camp not knowing a soul. Two weeks later, she came home transformed. She blossomed. She made friends, learned a multitude of activities, felt safe, loved, confident, and happy — really, really happy. As hard as it was on me, it was all worth it for her. It was the…
Continue readingEp. 9: Being a Camp Counselor is the Best Job with Daniella Garran
“Everything good in my life is because of camp.” Daniella Garran Daniella Garran calls herself a camp “cultist” because she loves camp that much. Daniella has been at Cape Code Sea Camps since 1984 as both a camper and a counselor, and she now serves as an assistant director. In her role at CCSC now, Daniella schedules…
Continue reading5 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…
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