Tag: benefits of summer camp

Camp Weequahic: A Camper’s Perspective

May 15th, 2015

Jacob A. from PA

The grass whispers to you as you stride down the hill. When you near the lakefront, you hear kids yelling and laughing with joy. The wind whistles a happy song while the sun smiles down on you. You beam back up and you suddenly feel like playing a game of pickup basketball. Luckily, Camp Weequahic has this, which along with other activities, contribute to its perfection. With these activities come life-long friends and then everlasting memories. As you can see, Camp Weequahic is a place you never want to leave. After three to six weeks of spending time with your second family, your real parents are the only thing taking you back.

Screen Shot 2014-12-03 at 11.19.45 AMThe first thing you want to check out once you arrive at Camp Weequahic are the activities. In the morning, you are tired, yet thrilled for the day ahead. Maybe a nice game of tennis or basketball will warm you up. During the first basketball league morning, you get evaluated. Then after the draft, you split into teams and see if you can make it into the playoffs. You want to play in the league so much that you are bummed when you realize it’s only every other morning. But as the sun starts bearing down on you around midday, you want to go snag your bathing suit and cannonball into the waterfront. As you plunge in, the cool water lazily glides over you, soothing the effect of the warm summer day. Your friends jump in and you realize you never want this to end. What with the perfect-temperature water and the incredible experiences, who would? After splashing around and scuffling to get to the top of your favorite floats, it’s time to get out. When you do, the warm air rushes back to meet you. Springing along with your friends, you race to put on your towels and crocs, then to get back up to the bunk. As the day comes to a close, the realization comes that you need to get as many competitions in as you can. Everyone races to behind the boys’ cabins to play mini basketball hoops, ping pong, taps, and kickball. I wonder who will win!

Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 4.28.33 PMDuring all these remarkable activities, you meet and make new friends around camp and in your bunk who you’ll keep in contact with for years. For example, JP is one of my best friends. I met him at Camp Weequahic, and we talk and text all the time. When you have your bunkmates, all the activities suddenly seem more fun. Plus, your friends will always be with you: When something sad happens, who’s there to help you through it? When you hurt yourself, who’s there to comfort the pain? When the best thing ever happens, who’s there to congratulate you? The answer is indefinitely your friends. They are the ones you can depend on to have a good time. At lunch, it won’t be fun dancing by yourself to the music; you need to have other people there jamming with you. I mean what’s better than dancing to your favorite song with your chums as the sweet buttery dinner aromas flounce around your nose? But when you sit down as the mouth-watering crumble-in-your-mouth brownies are finally being served, you realize there are also friends you make who aren’t in your bunk. When you are playing a game or taking part in an activity without your cabin, you’re going to have to hang out with other people. You can embrace this during Tribal Wars. Depending on what tribe you’re on, you will be with different campers and counselors. For example, on Seminole (the tribe I was on) was this kid named Spencer. He wasn’t in my bunk, but we still became friends.

With friends come tons of exceptional memories that will never leave you. There are bound to be times where you win your football league or water ski with your friends. And if not, there is always the Camp Weequahic dance, eating ice cream in the enormous trough, and MTV night. The best part about these valuable memoirs is you get to share them with those around you. When you are at MTV night, I promise that you will never forget that moment where you are singing and dancing to a song with your bunk. But strangely, no matter how embarrassing and awkward, you will always have fun. Another great experience is Tribal Wars. Even though through these three tremendous weeks you may be against your friends, it is also one of the more exciting parts of camp. When our co-director suddenly stops the Weequahic Play with a blazing torch in her hand, you know you will never want to go; you never want this to stop. You are only waiting to find out what tribe you are on for about fifteen minutes, but honestly, the suspense kills!

In conclusion, Camp Weequahic is a place you might be nervous about going, but terrified of leaving. Once you arrive, you know you are in paradise and you’ll never find another place like this even if you devote your entire life to it. Once you start engaging in the activities, you make new friends with whom memories are made. After your session at camp is over, you’re begging your parents not to take you away. You try convincing them about how it’s so great. They finally drag you out but you only have one thought in mind: Camp Weequahic is a place you never want to leave.

A Few Spots Left at Camp Weequahic

May 12th, 2015

lM7ydpdpUJjkMr__hc2JUJCssj-okW9yKd5jdjF8218Sometimes it is good to procrastinate. Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race. But when there are just a few spots left at some of the best summer camps in the country, procrastination is not your friend. If you’ve been on the fence about this summer being the summer where you do something new, big and exciting for your child, here are a few reasons why you should ACT NOW:

  1. Camp Weequahic reaches maximum capacity every single year. The remaining spots will be filled, so why not let your child be the one who fills them? If you continue to put it off, once you finally decide to make the move to get your excited camper signed up, you may have to explain to them that they have to wait until next summer, and help them unpack their tidy little suitcase.
  2. The kids need time to get pumped up! By getting them signed up now, they will have plenty of time to get used to the idea that they are about to have the best summer of their lives. It also gives them time to ask all the questions they have about camp, and gives you time to find all of the answers to ease their anxieties. Knowing ahead of time what the summer plans are will help them feel secure in the decision instead of trying to process everything last minute.
  3. By getting your kids registered for camp early, they have the opportunity to get to know the staff that will be taking care of them all summer. Kids (and parents) receive phone calls from parent liaisons, camp directors and division heads prior to the first day of camp. This allows kids and parents to become familiar with some of the staff they will see when they arrive.
  4. 10413348_10152628758631419_7151854350829801847_nMore importantly, kids can connect with other kids who will be attending camp too. Knowing a few friendly faces when your child arrives at camp can ease their nerves, and can be the foundation of life long friendships.
  5. On a less exciting note, there’s a lot of paperwork and preparation to do! Waiting until the last second will only cause stress on your part. Give yourself plenty of time to read the family handbook, fill out the paperwork, get all of the health forms together and of course, pack!

Leave the procrastination to writing thank you cards, going to the dentist and cleaning out your closet, but not for enrolling your child in Camp Weequahic. There are still spots left, what are you waiting for?

Camp Leaders at Camp Weequahic

May 4th, 2015

10413348_10152628758631419_7151854350829801847_nConfident leaders aren’t born, they’re made. And great leaders come from spending time at America’s Finest Summer Camps. Campers and counselors alike leave camp with a better understanding of how to serve others and act as positive role models for those around them.

From the first day they arrive, campers are thrown in a group setting that, for most of them, is very different from what they are used to. They eat with their peers, spend the entire day doing activities with their peers, and share their mornings and nights side by side with them as well. This is the perfect situation for campers to build upon their leadership skills, as it encourages them to quickly determine whether they’re going to follow the crowd or stand out on their own. Campers have countless opportunities on a daily basis to make good decisions to positively affect their stay, as well as the experiences of those around them.

Their involvement in sports helps to foster strong leadership traits, such as being a team player, being fair and winning (and losing) with grace. Team sports like soccer lacrosse, and baseball encourage campers to step up and be leaders of their team, and to be a positive example for their teammates. Campers who participate in other activities like archery, gymnastics and dance have the chance to be leaders when they choose to make responsible choices regarding their involvement and commitment to the activity that they chose. Arriving on time, respecting their competition and their counselors, and doing their best every day are all great ways campers can act as leaders at camp.

A good leader is someone who can serve others well. Campers have plenty of opportunities each and every day to be helpful and kind to their peers. They are encouraged to stand up for each other, support each other, communicate with each other and be an honest and loyal friend. Even if they aren’t aware of it, the building of these characteristics is also building a leader in every camper.

DSC_0125_(58)Campers aren’t the only ones who leave camp as stronger and more confident leaders. Camp counselors who spend the summer at Camp Weequahic also learn valuable leadership skills in a much more obvious and intentional way. They are trained thoroughly on what it means to be a leader and positive role model for the younger campers. They are very aware that there are always young and impressionable eyes watching everything they say and do. Counselors learn very quickly that being a counselor doesn’t just mean making sure all of the kids follow the rules. They become teachers, big brothers/sisters, role models and friends. Camp counselors also get an opportunity to improve their time management, problem solving, and multitasking skills. The training and education required to be a camp counselor prepares them for managing groups of children in a confident, patient and trusted way.

Whether they come to camp as a camper or a counselor, everyone leaves camp as a more confident leader. This confidence transfers over to their attitudes towards their siblings, friends, coworkers and teammates in the real world. The world is a better place with leaders like the ones developed at Camp Weequahic in it.