At about 9 a.m. on August 4, 2004, the State of New Hampshire's Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator received a call stating that on August 3 there had been a tragic death of a 13-year-old camper at Camp

Wouldn't you like to put any worries that you might have about next season's camp enrollment in your rearview mirror? Making your camp "the" place where campers want to be can be easily achieved if you

"I was the only one…I felt all alone…Not a single person said hi to me..." These are all words that we, as camp directors, hope we never hear come out of the mouths of our campers or staff as they reflect upon their

Ohio 4-H Sea Camp is a 5-day camp held in July at Kelley’s Island 4-H Camp in the Lake Erie Islands in Ohio. This camp is held through partnerships of Ohio State University Extension and organizations that offer aquatic education and water recreation.

As an old-timer in aquatics, I’ve taught literally thousands of hours of swimming lessons. I became a water-safety instructor (WSI) in 1977 and water-safety instructor training (WSIT) in 1984, and have maintained those certifications.

Whether done on-site or on a trip, swimming can be one of the most challenging activities to host at camp. Not only does the environment have to be fun and engaging, but swimming must be done safely with large groups of kids—all of whom have varying swim levels.

Most day and overnight camps forbid campers from using their phones. Most camps also forbid staff members from the same—at least in front of campers.

A well-run and organized registration provides a great first impression to participants. Whether registration is done in-person or online, make sure participants leave with all the information they need.

I had been teaching swimming for 20 years, so I couldn’t understand why this dripping and discouraged 12-year-old was having so much trouble with his breaststroke rhythm. My tried-and-true pull, kick, glide supplication had always worked … until today.

We knew it was coming, but it was still worrisome to see. Campers and staff in the 2022 summer struggled mightily, compared to their pre-pandemic age peers.

Want to know the biggest secret about staff training? Most of the learning will not occur in formal workshops but on the job, after campers arrive. As a parent, that’s a scary thought, at first.

The phrase “effective praise” might sound redundant. All praise feels good and increases desirable behaviors, right? Wrong. Some forms of praise fall flat and do little to shape future behavior.

According to camp legend, a neighboring farmer who owned 100 acres abutting our property, hated our camp. Like all legends, it hadn’t always been that way. For the first sixty years, the farmer, his family and

Admiring a photograph of an expert climber flashing a frosty smile and waving a tiny flag on the summit of Mount Everest is radically different from actual Himalayan mountaineering.

Summer camp for youth has been around since 1861. How could anything continue to be so popular for so long, with such passionate proponents in every generation, unless it has real

Camp facilities have a multitude of laws, regulations, and codes to which they must adhere. For many of these facilities, it seems like more laws and rules are added each year.

Ohio may be known as a place where presidential candidates clash, but it's also home to a camp that fights another type of conflict. The place is Camp Ho Mita Koda, and the battle is against diabetes.

Whether you're looking at your current site to make some improvements, or evaluating a piece of property for use as a new camp, or maybe more likely visiting someone else's camp to get some new ideas, few

Decisions about food can be among the most complex that camp leaders have to make. Ensuring that the most important boxes of quality, cost, availability, safety, and nutrition are checked is serious business.

The topic of nutrition has been appearing more frequently around the state of Texas, where I live and work, over the past year. Though Texas is unique in many ways, it is not unique in nutritional trends, and our

What would camp be without sticky-faced campers enjoying s’mores? In the never-ending quest to be creative and innovative, why not let campers experience these fun variations on

I never thought I would spend upwards of $10 on a single s’more. Like many camp professionals, I’m not in this industry for the money, which is a good thing because I’ve never earned that much! Instead, I try to make the most of my small paychecks by finding quality experiences, and I tend to avoid luxury items.

Are you looking for some new treats to spice up the menu? Invite campers to participate in preparing these mouth-watering snacks and build their confidence in their culinary skills:

Looking for some new delectable dishes to tempt your campers? Try these favorites—some are meals, some are treats, but all of them have been tried and tested and they are delicious!

For those who suffer from food allergies or intolerances, food can seem like an enemy. People struggle daily reading food labels, carefully ordering at restaurants, and double-checking everything

Is your camp prepared to offset rapidly rising food costs? Is there a strategic plan or a magic formula to enact in the dining hall?

Anyone can cook. After all, even Neanderthal man put fire to meat and called it cooking. But the key today is in the preparation.

No other building or facility occupies campers’ time like the dining hall. Campers and alumni remember, rather revere, the wonderful experiences they had in their camp dining hall: the songs they sang

Sometimes a technique to achieve success can be so simple that it’s tempting to think “that it is just too good to be true.” But before dismissing something that appears to be simple and wondering why isn’t everyone doing it, you might ask, “Is there any research to support that it works?”

Summer camp is famous for campfires, silly songs, friendships, and endless activities. What about the camper who wants a little more excitement?

Challenge courses are an important part of many camp programs. And constructing, maintaining, and staffing them are a big investment.

Although the camp world has always been a little ahead of the curve on diversity and inclusion efforts, recently there have been more bold, brave, and vigorous efforts to create camps that meet the needs of all kinds of kids, families, and staff members.

The dream was always that the physical property of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Camp Settoga in New York would be a manifestation of core values—a chance to really “walk the talk.” And now, it is. 

We know it’s been tough, so we asked readers to share how they fared through the pandemic and beyond. Here are some responses from those who were graciously willing to share. If you would like to add your thoughts to the conversation, feel free to drop us a line at editor@northstarpubs.com.

Owning a camp takes expertise and dedication. Often, at the same time children’s feet run through the lodge, the water heater goes on the blink, or the oven in the kitchen refuses to heat up.

Nestled on the shores of Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine, Camp Sunshine has been providing free retreats for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families since 1984. Although the campus has been much quieter since the last in-person sessions were hosted in February 2020, “turning lemons into lemonade” has remained the mantra.

We know it’s been tough, so we asked readers to share how they fared through the pandemic and beyond. Here are some responses from those who were graciously willing to share. If you would like to add your thoughts to the conversation, feel free to drop us a line at editor@northstarpubs.com.