Photo courtesy of YMCA Camp Marston
Kristen Castillo
Get Fired Up for Camp!
12 ways to prepare and generate excitement Spring and summer camps
are right around the corner, and there are things families can do now (and over the next couple months) to get kids prepared and excited for the experience. Use these tips to set kids up for summer adventure success: Try new foods. Plan camp cuisine nights, complete with hot dogs on a stick and s’mores. Add in new dishes kids might try at camp, such as a chili or breakfast burritos. For added fun, cook on a camp stove in the backyard. Establish routines. Campers need to get used to a schedule, so encourage kids to develop bedtime and hygiene routines, like brushing teeth and combing hair. They’ll learn responsibility and develop independence that lasts a lifetime. Reminisce about previous camp experiences. Ask kids to teach you an
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activity or game they learned during a previous camp. Talk about what they liked and what could have been better. Ask questions like, what lessons did you learn? What are you looking forward to this session? If this will be your child’s first experience at camp, share your own fond memories. Get dirty. Camps can be very textural, so let kids experience some of the “feels” of camp. Whether it’s finding rocks to paint or creating with clay, they’ll get in the mood for getting messy. Get social. Encourage kids to look at camp brochures, watch online camp videos and check out camp social media pages to help build excitement. Not sure where to start? Stay tuned! San Diego Family’s online camp fair launches April 15 — full of videos to watch together. Kids may be more motivated to try something new if they see peers participating and having fun.
Do chores. Making beds, sweeping floors and washing dishes help kids learn teamwork. Everyone knows that camp “kitchen patrol” is much more exciting than chores at home, but kids still need to learn how to do it. Tom Madeyski, district executive for the YMCA of San Diego County’s Overnight Camping branch, says many kids do chores throughout the year in exchange for parents “paying” them with a camp experience. “I enjoy hearing stories of children that earn all or part of their way to camp,” he says. “Credit can be earned through chores around the house, or by outside jobs like babysitting, grass cutting, etc.” Get crafty. Summer camps often involve creative activities, so why not make pre-camp crafts with little ones to generate excitement? Imperial County native and Navy veteran Stacy Bressler gets her kids excited for camp (and camping) through crafts and activities