Preparing for overnight girls camp can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience for both campers and their families. At Skyland Camp, we believe that proper preparation is the key to a successful and enjoyable camp experience. Here are some tips to help you prepare for Girls Camp at Skyland:

Practice Making New Friends

Camp is the best place to make new friends, so let’s help our campers start off on day one ready to do just that! Your daughter is going to meet dozens of other amazing campers. Teach her tips on meeting new people and introducing herself, including RE-introducing herself to someone she’s met before. Here’s an example:

First meeting, at Clubhouse: “Hi, My name is Eleanor, I’m in Cabin 1. What’s your name? Do you have a favorite activity at camp?”

Second meeting: “Hi!! it’s Eleanor, we met the other night at Clubhouse. Can you remind me of your name?”

Practice Sleeping Away from Home

Sleeping away from home, in a new environment and a new bed, can be a strange experience! Before camp, have your camper practice sleeping in different environments by planning sleepovers at friends’ or relatives’ houses. Ask her what she felt as she fell asleep and woke up in a new place.

Often, bedtime and quiet times are when feelings of missing home can arise. Let your camper know that these feelings are totally normal, and work on coping mechanisms to work through them. If your camper feels unsure or anxious about falling asleep in a new environment, offer her some tips to help ease these feelings.

Let her know that at camp there will be at least two counselors with her each night, as well as other first-time AND returning campers. If she can’t sleep, she can ask a new friend for support, read a book with her flashlight, snuggle up with her favorite stuffed animal, or ask a counselor to comfort her.

Practice Asking for Help

Skyland counselors are the most wonderful, caring women on the planet! Your camper will be cared for at high standards. That being said, your daughter may have some needs come up. It’s a great idea to help her practice a few scenarios where she can be her own advocate (since mom isn’t around) and ask for help from her counselors. This is especially important practice for children who are naturally reserved, quiet, or private.

“Counselor Caroline, I’ve lost my toothpaste, can you help me find it?”

“Counselor Caroline, my water bottle broke; what should I do?”

“Counselor Caroline, which shampoo bottle is mine?”

“Counselor Caroline, my hair is extra tangled today, can you help me braid it?”

Other Practice Ideas:

For younger girls, practice independent hair care prior to camp. With campers playing in the summer sun and jumping in and out of the pool all session, lots of brushing, braiding, and shampooing without mom is ahead. Consider trimming your camper’s hair before camp to make hair care even simpler.

Does your daughter have a talent she could showcase during Talentpalooza? Skyland wants to see it! Come prepped, practiced, and ready to shine bright on stage during this time-honored tradition.

Practice making a pretend activities schedule to help your camper narrow her most anticipated elective activities! (Check your email a couple weeks before camp to find out the exciting elective opportunities!) During activity sign up time, there are LOTS of options and a mental note of a couple “must do” activities will help her have a plan and also some wiggle room for trying new things.