Camp Champions Blog

I was driving my thirteen-year-old daughter, Virginia, in the car yesterday.  For those of you who have children older than the Barney the Dinosaur years, you know that you’ve lost your ability to choose the type of music played in the car.  You’ll get your choice back when your kids are old enough to drive – but this will no longer be relevant because then you’ll lose your car to the same children.  Virginia is my youngest of four, so I’m familiar with this event.

Here at camp we love to play and to have fun! Who doesn’t?! Creative play at camp helps campers learn social skills, problem solving, communication, and other useful skills necessary in child development. The notion of creative using play as a tool to promote learning is rare in most schools. But here at camp, we believe children learn best in a relaxed and playful atmosphere. Children have the natural ability to let their imaginations run wild as they create games during their free play. Yet, with a decline in recess time at schools and an increase in screen time at home, playtime is more valuable than ever.

In what feels like a lifetime ago, I was a camp counselor. It's where most camp professionals start, and if you don't fall in love with camp as a child, the best way to get sucked in is through working at camp. During my last year as a camp counselor I had the opportunity to work at a resident camp in Massachusetts that also ran a Day Camp on the same property. Typically, the two worlds never meet, but that summer, I was one of the chosen ones to cross over and spend some time with the day campers.

More and more these days, families have seemingly countless opportunities and commitments each summer. Academic camps, sports preseasons, family trips - so many things that on the surface might seem more important than "just" going to summer camp. After all, wouldn't an academic camp better prepare a child for their next year in school? Wouldn't a family trip provide kids with irreplaceable memories with their family?

Both of these things are likely true, and valuable. But they do not have to come at the cost of summer camp, and we believe they should not, considering the specific growth and learning that can happen more at summer camp than almost anywhere else. Including academic camps, sports preseasons, or family trips.

For example, there is growing evidence to support the conjecture that overnight summer camp increases a child's ability to thrive when they leave home to go to college. While there has been no large-scale study that we are yet aware of, many writers, college administrators, and parents are beginning to believe that previous camp experience offers an advantage to students when they arrive at college.

Our team believes we help children grow in meaningful and important ways. Children who come to camp learn skills that help them thrive later in life.

Hello! I’m Margaret Dexter and have been the Fine Arts department head at Camp Champions for the past two summers. At the beginning of last summer, the Fine Arts department got together to come up with an updated approach to helping kids grow important skills at summer camp. Every counselor had personal stories to tell about how the arts have positively influenced their lives. After hearing each other’s stories, we collectively made a list of five useful life skills campers can learn in our activities (Drama, Music, Cooking, Dance, Arts and Crafts, Drawing, and Ceramics).

Two years ago I made the decision to "change careers" as it may be. I graduated from college in 2009 and before I even donned my cap and gown, I was already on my way to Florida with dreams of sunshine and a career with the Walt Disney Company. I had waited all year to return for my second internship at Walt Disney World, and now that graduation was around the corner, I was going to live my Disney dream.

If you happen to be involved in hiring and find an applicant for your company who has previously worked summer camp jobs, you’re in luck! Seriously. The applicant may or may not be qualified for the position you are offering, but if she is, then she is also likely to have a number of other skills that will be very valuable to your company.