Camp-lover - Excerpts From A Book Not Yet Written

What is your favorite thing to do with campers to pass time?

Any tips for taking initiative? I’m always worried that I’ll make a wrong decision, especially because I’m on under-18 staff

Hi friend,

That’s a great question. Taking initiative can be little things that fit easily into your job but put you ahead. Always make sure that you’re doing your job and prioritizing it before your go above and beyond. Some easy ideas for taking initiative:

Be enthusiastic! 

Help tidy the dining hall a little after meals with your kids if you’ve got time. Make it fun by singing songs or playing games.

Talk with the quiet campers.

Walk with the slow campers.

Give campers leadership opportunities.

Offer to lead songs or grace at meals.

Offer to help with campfires or all camp games.

Help unload the vans after a supply run if you’re in the area and have time. The kids can help too.

Help carry heavy things when you see someone struggling.

Make sure your kapers are always done and on time.

Come up with exciting games and activities for your kids beyond the regular camp activities. Play canoe tag or go all out for the color war.

Make sure that you’re always doing your job to your best ability. 

Best of luck and have a great summer!

Practice SELF CARE!

Camp Playlist

Every camp staff knows the struggle of finding camp-appropriate music to jam to. So here’s my playlist of camp-appropriate songs (which I play while driving).

“Best Day of My Life” by American Authors

“Pompeii” by Bastille

“All American Girl” by Carrie Underwood

“Bubbly” by Colbie Calliat

“Bright” by Echosmith

“Immortals” by Fall Out Boy

“On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons

“Don’t Stop Believin’“ by Journey

“Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall

“Ho Hey” by the Lumineers

“Whole Wide World” by Mindy Gledhill

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield

“Home” by Phillip Phillips

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten

“Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts

“Brave” by Sara Bareilles

“Geronimo” by Sheppard

“Anthem” by Superchick

“One Girl Revolution” by Superchick

“Shake it off” by Taylor Swift

“Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon

“Firework” by Katy Perry

“Story of My Life” by One Direction

“Renegades” by X Ambassadors

(various Disney songs)

Alright camp people of Tumblr, add on your favorite camp-appropriate songs.

I have $24 to last me til Friday, what should I buy with it?

Hey y’all!

Please share with me your favorite all camps, I’m looking for some new ideas!

I have $24 to last me til Friday, what should I buy with it?

Advice on how to be a better counselor

Now taking suggestions

Hey camp friends!

I’m hoping to do more regular posting on this blog, possibly with more original content, like the queues I’ve done in the past. Does anyone have any requests? It can be something serious or silly, I’m open to all sorts of topics.

What I want to teach my CITs

This is the earliest post in my drafts, started way back in September of 2015, when I first started this blog. And I wanted to share it with you now, with some new additions. 

There are some things I want to teach my leadership girls while they’re at camp.

1. Camp is where girls go to escape the real world. Let them.

2. It’s ok if you are at camp to escape the real world too.

3. It’s ok to be overwhelmed. Just try not to let your girls see.

4. It’s ok to be confused, to need to ask questions. You will learn something everyday, no matter how long you have been at camp. 

5. You will wonder what you are sending your kids home to. Is it the same love and acceptance of camp? Is it ambivalence? Is it something else entirely?

6. You will wonder because children say things. They trust you and so they tell you things. And because you see things, you watch how they act. And you will wonder.

7. You will never forget your campers. I remember campers from when I was a program aid, ten years ago, and I remember the name of every CIT from this summer (2015). 

8. You will want to share life lessons with your campers, things you wish someone would have told you at their age. But then you realize that it’s camp and you can’t tell them. And so you hope they will learn on their own.

9. You will make mistakes, at camp and in life. I’ve made mistakes, I still make them. You just have to learn from them. 

10. You will change while you are at camp. It is our experiences that shape us and camp is an experience with a shape that isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

11. Camp songs will be stuck in your head forever. 

12. You will work with girls from all walks of life, all different experiences. Learn compassion.

13. You are loved and you are valid. Being a teenager is hard. Being a young adult is hard. But you’re not alone in this world. 

14. Camp is an amazing place. Cherish it while you can because one day, not as far in the future as you may think, it won’t be in your life but will instead be a memory.

Can you post a really good packing list? including some fun items or things I would never think of. Thank you so much!! your blog is great and helpful

Thank you anon! I’m glad that you like my blog!

Here’s my packing list/suggestions.

Clothes:

Socks. A lot. Fun socks, if you can.

Old camp t-shirts. I pretty much wear only camp shirts, and you’re guaranteed that they’re camp appropriate.

Shorts and pants, in whatever style floats your boat. I like cargo - cargo shorts, cargo pants. They’re comfy and all the pockets are really useful. I also wear jeans a lot too. Make sure your shorts aren’t too short, especially if your camp has a stricter dress code.

Overalls. Comfy, lots of pockets, and fun.

A swim suit or two (depends on how much swimming there is at your camp).

Swim shirt (everybody)/swim shorts (peeps wearing the one-piece swim suits). This is a matter of personal preference, but I really like having extra covering and it’s less to put sunscreen on. Plus, less of a chance of sunburn. 

Hats. Sun hats, ball caps, beanies, weird hats, etc. 

Bandannas. I have a thing for bandannas, so I bring a bunch, but not everyone does. I use them for headbands, as a hair cover/hat, as a decoration. They’re super useful. 

A couple of sweatshirts/flannels/sweaters.

A long sleeve shirt (or two)

Raincoat! 

A regular coat (unless your regular coat is also a 

Shoes! Hiking boots, sturdy sneakers, flipflops for the shower, whatever sandals/water shoes you can have at waterfront.

PJs/sweatpants. I am forever happy that I brought sweatpants to camp last summer.I also have a rubber duckie onsie. I don’t actually sleep in it, it’s just for dress-up days.

Weird clothes you have laying around - I’ve got a cape, a Harry Potter tie, purple tie-dyed leggings, costume jewelery, extra crazy mismatched socks, and a crazy abstract space dress (it was part of a Luna Lovegood cosplay). 

*these clothes reflect the camp that I work at, which gets really cold. You might need to adjust if you work in somewhere really hot/muggy all the time. Also, we have a fairly conservative dress code. 

Other stuff

A headlamp AND a flashlightI have a lantern that I use in my tent and I really like that too.

Sunscreen, bugspray, chapstick (lots of chapsticks, you will loose them)

Your general toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste/toothbrush, hair brush, sanitary items, etc)

Stationary/notebooks, envelopes, postcards, and stamps

A camera!

Your trusty sleeping bag, a pillow, and perhaps a blanket too

A sturdy backpack

2 towels - one for lake, one for showers

2-3 water bottles. No they don’t need to be name brand Nalgenes, just make sure they’re sturdy and don’t leak. Bonus points if you put stickers on them.

Sunglasses

Laundry bag

Rubbermaid tote (to put all of this in)

Mess kit (if you need one)

Comfort items - I posted about self-soothing a little bit ago. I bring things like tea and a stuffed bunny. I’m bringing a few sensory items to put in a place that all the CITs can get to too.

Lotion. With all the hand washing and sanitizing, your hands will dry out. 

A journal. I write down the funny things and the things that I need to tell someone, but can’t for confidentiality reasons. 

A clipboard. I like the ones that close and open. They’re waterproof and hold a lot of stuff. My phone actually fits into mine along with a ton of paperwork. I also decorate it with camp photos, camper notes, and stickers. 

Sharpies

A multi-tool (think heavy duty Swiss army knife). Ask about your camp’s policy. 

Hairbands - if you have long hair

Kleenex packs to stash in your backpack.

I might come back and edit/add to this later.