Tag: American summer camps

Home Visits

October 25th, 2012

The air is getting cool, the leaves are starting to turn, and we’ve moved back to our winter office.  That means it is time to start seeing families interested in Camp Weequahic for Summer 2013!

It is no small thing to choose a sleep away camp for your family. And it is your family we focus on, not just the camper. Sure, the camper has to be excited about going to camp and having a great time whilst there. But, when all is said and done, it is the development of the relationship in which we partner with families to help raise their children for three or six weeks that represents the biggest piece of success for a family.

The best way to start is to meet face to face. Home visits normally take one hour and give everyone a chance to get to know one another.

We show a lot of great pictures from the previous summer, answer and ask a lot of questions, and hope to have some fun along the way.  At the end of the meeting, families should feel knowledgeable about:
– who the director is and the philosophy of the camp
– how staff are selected and trained and the director’s expectations of them throughout the summer
– the type of daily program and activities the camp offers
– how the camp deals with problem behavior when it occurs (because it will)
– how the camp differs from others in which you are interested for the coming summer

Just as importantly, you should leave the meeting feeling comfortable with your decision about whether or not to send your child to camp.  As camp directors, we are happy to help with as many questions as you’d like to ask – it’s a long winter and we have the time!

If you would like to set up a time to visit with Camp Weequahic, please feel free to call. We travel quite a bit around the country (and Europe!) and would be happy to see if a home visit would make sense for your family. (And, yes, cookies are always welcomed!)

Choose Your Own Summer Camp Adventure

October 18th, 2012

There is a new trend sneaking into summer camps.  An increasing number of sleepaway camps are foregoing the traditional pre-determined summer camp schedule in favor of giving campers complete control over their summer camp experience.  This approach to summer camp has become  a particularly popular approach to the summer camp experience at session camps, which tend to attract a less traditional family of campers than seven week camps.  And the appeal is mutual.

Allowing campers to customize their experience gives them the opportunity to experience a traditional summer camp while enjoying many of the same benefits that they might enjoy by attending a specialized camp.  It’s truly a best of both worlds scenario, and the response has been overwhelming.

There is certainly no shortage of children who want to experience summer camp.  The conflict seems to arise from increasingly busy summer schedules and the pressure placed on children to be great at—well—everything.  Despite our inclination as adults to want them to be everything we are and more, along with everything we are not, children need time and space to be…children.  Enter the session sleepaway camp, an environment catered to letting them be themselves while improving their skills in those activities they love while giving them ample opportunity to try out new ones in shorter, more realistic segments for the busy family.

In addition to having freedom over their activity choices, the independence children gain while at summer camp is also a great way of letting them try out their wings. For many children, camp is their first experience away from their parents.  It’s the first time they’re choosing their own clothes, deciding what to eat, determining which activities to try, and learning how to be part of a social network without the assistance of mom and dad.  For those children not quite ready for the full summer experience, a session camp is the perfect way to give camp a test drive.
So if you’ve hesitated to enroll your children in summer camp because you’re afraid it’s too much structure, or if you’ve been thinking you would like them to learn how to be a little bit more independent, consider a session summer camp.  It just may be the perfect fit.

Camp Weequahic: Preparing Children for a Global Life

September 13th, 2012

The world is shrinking. It’s a line you hear over and over because it’s true. First, steamboats and railroads made it possible to ‘easily’ travel distances once thought unimaginable. Then airlines made it possible to get anywhere within 24 hours. Now, the internet and our smartphones allow us to connect with anyone, anywhere in the world, instantly.

The benefits of this newfound ability to connect immediately will be most fully realized by our young people who are interested in building connections and have some experience in doing so. A summer at Weequahic could hardly be a better place to start.

Children and staff come to Camp Weequahic from twenty eight States and thirteen countries. In fact, our community represented all but one of the continents this summer. (Hopefully, we can find an intrepid penguin to help us round out all seven continents next summer!)

Our campers had the summer of their lives laughing, growing, and learning alongside children with whom they’d never connect and from staff they’d never meet unless at camp. Young people immersed in a wonderfully fun environment are more willing and interested in reaching out to others. In doing so, they begin to build the habits of independence, curiosity, and openness. These are the same skills necessary to be successful in the larger but shrinking world of adults.

If you want your child to learn to connect with others, you’d be hard pressed to find a safer, more inviting place than Camp Weequahic. Our diverse and professional staff help prepare our campers for the larger world in so many fun and exciting ways. Whether through arts, athletics, aquatics or adventure or simply sitting around the campfire, we’ve something for all to enjoy.

Come spend a summer with us and learn to build those much needed real world connections!