As summer hits full stride, kids throughout the U.S. are leaving for summer camp. Their parents, needing and deserving a respite from the strain of having an idle child in the home 24/7, are all too glad to give their little ones the chance to become campgoers. The kids, meanwhile, may be concerned at first with the nerve-racking prospect of making a bunch of summer friends and having dramatic summer crushes. Nonetheless, summer camp is a timeless experience for all kids, and the memories last a lifetime
With this in mind, we held an unscientific poll. Our target: ask adults (namely, the middle-aged staff at our office) and 2 dozen current campgoers to list their 5 happiest camp activities, and see how much difference there is between the two. Has the influx of new gadgets and media tainted or otherwise significantly changed American kids? Or are they basically just like us, except with fancier toys? The surprising answer: they are primarily the same!
#1: Archery. Even though young children wielding bows and arrows may be cause for plenty of nightmares for parents, kids still love it. There’s just something so gratifying about flinging a sharp bolt of steel 100 feet into a giant cloth target. Thankfully, archery injuries are still almost unheard of at summer camps, thanks to the safety training staff and counselors have had.
#2: Canoeing. Yes, kids still do this. It always confused me why, when it’s blistering hot during the summer, we decide that the best thing to do is to exert yourself strenuously on *top* of the lake rather than in it. However, considering that canoeing allows kids to learn teamwork, I can see why kids would feel gratified doing it.
#3: Crafts. So what if you wouldn’t be caught dead allowing your kids to use any kind of tools, no matter how much they plead with you? There are still tons of great crafts kids can make at summer camp. Plaster of Paris, meet Mr. Tiny Chisel–next thing you know, your child is proudly packing up a carved bust of your family cat, Reginald. Or at least that what he tells you it is. Crafts are outstanding.
#4: Camp-wide competitions. These Herculean competitions, where each cabin culminates to take on all the other cabins in a series of fascinating competitive activities (three-legged race, relay races, and scavenger hunts are only the beginning!). This is a great exercise in leadership, and forgive them when the kids all blame one another when they lose. They’re learning important life lessons!
#5: Horseback riding! What’s interesting about this camp activity is, while we all remember there being horses at our camps, only two of us actually ever got a chance to get on one (admittedly, there are just 10 of us all together–again this is an anecdotal study!) However, just the memory of being outdoors and near horses makes us all feel all gushy inside, and apparently today’s kids too–this one came in #1 for our little modern campers as well.
Otis Robbins is a comedian and camp counselor at Camp Regis Applejack near Upper St. Regis Lake of New York. Leaving all the jokes aside, to learn more about the perfect experience for campers at Camp Regis, please take a look at their website.
