Getting Ready for Camp
Your child’s first summer at camp can be great! It can also be challenging and maybe even a bit scary at times. That is what we hope for – that your child will be encouraged to learn new things and challenge themselves and expand their interpersonal skills at camp, surrounded by a supportive unit of peers and counselors. Success for your child may show up in many different ways, both during the session and after they’ve returned home, and we’ve collected some resources that may help in preparing your child (or you!) for their time at camp.
Preparing for a Camp Experience
Is your child ready for camp? They might think they are ready, and you might be ready for them to go to camp – both of which are part of the process.
Start with this Ready for Camp checklist, created by Bob Ditter, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in child, adolescent, and family therapy, and a long-time consultant for camps across the country and the American Camp Association. It is not a set of absolute requirements for Nor’wester, rather a starting point for conversation and naming of growth opportunities for your camper.
The ACA also has resources on their website to help parents and guardians support their campers in getting ready – try their Preparing for Camp page.
Has your camper spent much time outside? Although we’ve created what we consider a home in the woods at camp, and many of our campers really appreciate the opportunity to connect with nature at Nor’wester, it’s important to be confident your camper can handle our rustic living set-up. Go camping for the weekend together, or research short-term programs that offer young people opportunities outdoors.
Additional Resources
Preparing for an Extended Stay
We recommend that you assess your camper’s ability to spend time away from home by setting up overnights at friends’ or families’ homes, or a longer visit (without parents, eventually without siblings) to a trusted relative or friend. Start with an overnight, move to a weekend, and on to a week or two after that.
Snail mail! Most members of our camp community LOVE writing and receiving letters. It’s a big part of our camp culture. It might be a good idea to encourage your camper to start writing letters to friends or family before they leave for camp, so it will be familiar for them while they’re at camp. Encourage them to make a list of addresses to pack with their belongings and to make a stationery kit (including stamps!) so they will be good to go when they get here.
Consider the following list of “Essential Camper Functions”. This is meant to help you assess your child’s ability to deal with growth opportunities they will encounter at camp, not to discourage them from seeking a camp experience.
LIST OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Preparing for Emotional Self-Regulating
Missing home and familiar things is a normal part of being away from home. Consider it an opportunity for your child to practice using their coping and interpersonal skills in a setting away from the familiar. Michael Thompson, a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families, offers a perspective in this book, Homesick & Happy.
Nor’wester’s Camper Preparedness Statement
Nor’wester is structured around a Unit System where campers live, interact, and participate in activities with a group of peers, and are led by staff members. Most of each day is spent in close community with others. With the hope for the greatest success for each camper at Camp, families should be confident their camper can self-manage in the settings and structures of the camp environment. This might include:
- Following a structured group schedule, as well as verbal and written directions and guidelines from staff.
- Having tolerance for unpredicted but necessary schedule changes and adjustments to the daily plan.
- Managing frustrations, disagreements, and building strong interpersonal relationships.
Enrolled campers will also complete a “Camper Commitment to Community” form as part of their spring forms packet, which includes specific behavioral expectations for participating in the program.
We would love to connect with families early and openly to discuss any areas of support or concern for their campers, so we can work together to campers up for success in our program. Please contact us – before, during, or after submitting a camper application – so we can begin to learn about your family and your camper’s needs this summer.