6 Things I Learned When I Was at Summer Camp

Have you ever sent your child off to summer camp during the summer time? Summer camp is a great place to make new friends and learn new skills. Plus, you know that your kids are safe and they aren’t attached to their electronic devices all summer long. If you haven’t considered sending your child off to summer camp or finding a day camp to keep them busy this summer, I highly recommend it.  When I was growing up, we looked around extensively for summer sleepaway camps for girls. I ended up choosing to go to several different Girl Scout Camps.

Today, I want to share with you some of the fun memories and things that I learned at summer camp when I was growing up.

Chance to Make New Friends

The very first time that I went off to summer camp, I learned so much and had a great time that I asked to go to several more camps the following years. I remember working really hard to sell a bunch of girl scout cookies so that I could earn a scholarship so that my mom didn’t have to pay for me to go off to camp. When I arrived at camp, I remember being scared because I didn’t know anyone.  While, I was at camp I made some new friends during my week stay.

New Experiences

If your child has never gotten to experience being away from home for a week at a time, summer camp is a great way to let them experience something new. The first time I was away from my family for a week, I was worried about being homesick and I remember there was only one night that I wanted to go home. I was camping out in a huge tent that was up on a platform and it had cots inside of it. One night there was a huge thunderstorm and it was scary. Several of the other girls staying with me were scared too because it felt like the tent was going to blow away. The counselors finally moved us inside to a building.

Learn New Skills

Most summer camps allow you the opportunity to learn new skills such as photography, archery, horseback riding, canoeing, and so many other things. If you are picking a camp, look at all of the opportunities they offer and find something that interests your child. I remember learning some basic photography skills one years. I was able to process black and white photos in the photo lab. It was a cool experience and it is something that I remember to this day.

Craft Time

I have always been a crafty person and wish that I had more time to teach my kids how to do some of the crafts that I learned while growing up. At camp, I had the opportunity to learn how to knit using my hands, we made bead necklaces using wallpaper & glue, sand art, make an eye of god using yarn and Popsicle sticks,  soda straw weaving, and so many other things.

Learn Fun Camp Songs

Camp is more than just learning all of the fun and silly songs but it is something your child will learn in camp. Signing is fun. We even ended our nights around the camp fire and we would sings songs before bedtime. To this day, I still remember some of the fun songs that we used to sing.

Create Lifelong Memories

I love that going to summer camp several years in a row left me with a ton of great memories that will last a lifetime. Even though I attended camp when I was a tween, I still remember a bunch of stuff that happened while at camp. I will share a few with you:

• I was at a girl scout camp in New Mexico and our home away from home was a three sided cabin. One side was left completely open, which meant wildlife, bugs, and everything else could get into the cabin if they wanted too. One afternoon we came back to our cabin and found evidence that a raccoon had been in our cabin. The raccoon found someone’s left over sack lunch and enjoyed a free meal.
• Cold showers weren’t fun but it is something that I can laugh about now. I was lucky at the camps in NM we did have hot water and the counselors only turned it on for a few minutes at a time.
• Pit toilets (if you don’t know what these are you are in for a treat). They are similar to those icky porta potties only worse.
• We hiked up to have a picnic lunch one day and we took a few llamas with us. Well one llama got lose and decided to make a run for it. Luckily one of the counselors was able to catch it at the end of the trail.
• I thought I was good with horses and decided to ride the stubborn one. Well it decided to scare me and needless to say I didn’t like that horse any longer.
• There was a huge centipede climbing the wall of our tent and the counselor got a shovel so that she could kill it.
• One summer I didn’t take enough covers because I was too hot the previous summer and I ended up freezing at night. I ended up dressing in layers and using towels on top of the blanket and sheet that I brought with me.

I really wish that I would have sent my kid’s off to summer camp so that they could have some of the lifelong memories that I had the chance to experience growing up. My daughter has had the opportunity to attend summer band camp and has enjoyed it the last three years.  Band camp is a bit different than summer camp but she was still able to create lifelong memories too!

Photo Credit: Flickr via Creative Commons

Do you have any childhood memories that you remember from going to summer camp? If so, what is your favorite thing that you remember from camp?

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