Happy Campers: Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp (Bass Lake, CA)
Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp “We built in a culture to where there’s many times during the day for a staff member to affirm a camper. And not for just what they look like, and not even for their achievements, but to go to a deeper level to where they are really affirming their character and…
Continue readingIs it better to go to camp with a friend?
Ask Me Anything About Summer Camp Series Why do parents send their kids to summer camp? What’s the best age for camp?
Continue readingWhy do parents send their kids to summer camp?
Camp-Related Posts/Podcast Episodes Happy Campers Interview Series with Camp Directors 100 Questions About Summer Camp Ep. 74: Why Summer Camp? 5 Essential Summer Camp Packing Tips Every Parent Should Know 5 Fun Ideas for Letters to Campers What’s the Best Age for Camp? Ep. 32: Benefits of Summer Camp for Teens 10 Messages for a…
Continue readingHappy Campers: Carmel Valley Tennis Camp (CA)
Carmel Valley Tennis Camp is located in Carmel Valley, California and is camp for boys and girls ages 10-18. Sessions are one or two weeks. This Happy Campers Interview is with Susan Reeder and Steve Proulx, the owners and directors of Carmel Valley Tennis Camp. Video of the interview
Continue readingHappy Campers: Camp Chippewa for Boys (Cass Lake, MN)
Camp Chippewa for Boys is located in Cass Lake, Minnesota and is camp for boys ages 8 – 17. Sessions are four or eight weeks. This Happy Campers Interview is with Camp Directors Mike and Mary Endres, who have a long history with Camp Chippewa. Video of the Camp Chippewa interview with Mike &…
Continue reading100 Questions About Summer Camp
Over my three decades as a summer camp director, I’ve been asked thousands of questions about camp from parents, campers, and young adult counselors. Much of my research, writing, podcast topics, and speaking has emerged from these questions. Do you have a question about summer camp? Send me an email message, comment on this post,…
Continue readingEp. 62: Creating Change Around the World Through the Power of Camp with Phil Lilienthal
When the (campers) get home, parents and teachers, without knowing who’s been to camp, can always tell. Their whole attitude changes. They have more confidence. Phil Lilienthal In Episode 62, I’m chatting with Phil Lilienthal of Global Camps Africa. We talk about his early Peace Corps experience in Ethiopia, forming Camp Langano, spending the next…
Continue readingEp. 52: 9 Ways to Help Kids Process Summer Camp and Other Experiences
In Episode 52, Sara Kuljis and I chat about ways to help our kids process experiences. The ideas work for post-summer camp debriefing but also for our kids’ other adventures and experiences. Sara is a 20-year veteran camp director and parenting trainer who has great insights and ideas about parenting and counseling kids. Sara, with her…
Continue readingEp. 47: Experienced Campers Talk about their Camp Experiences
For this episode of the Podcast, I talked with five 17-year-old Junior Counselors who’ve been going to camp for a long time: Will (10th year); Jackson (7th year); Caroline (7th year); Blake (6th year); and Quinn (3rd year). Below are some quotes from our talk. How have you changed or grown because of your time…
Continue readingEp. 46: #CampKindnessDay with Tom Rosenberg
Camp is a place where we can be very positive and very intentional about teaching kindness and why it matters. -Tom Rosenberg In Episode 46, I chat with Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association about summer camp, accreditation, and #CampKindnessDay (July 24, 2018). Tom’s Bio Tom Rosenberg has a distinguished career in the…
Continue readingWhy 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: 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 Talk. They came up with these ideas: We live together in close quarters, sharing…
Continue readingEp. 32: 10 Benefits of Summer Camp for Teens
It’s those deep relationships that are formed at summer camp that really have a dramatic influence on them. -Stephen Gray Wallace In Episode 32, I’m talking with Stephen Gray Wallace about his recent article for Teen Life : 10 Reasons Why High School Students Will Get a Lot from Summer Camp. Adolescents’ Three Primary Developmental Tasks Forming an…
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