Being in a new environment with hundreds of other kids can overwhelm even experienced campers.
Camp Fitch YMCA program coordinator, Lauren Hofford, says camp staff are there to guide campers through the experience, including helping them wade through the formidable task of making friends.
“We just want to give campers that sense of friendship, achievement and belonging,” she says.
But, with some prepping at home and the right mindset before attending camp, it can help kids produce life long friendships and enhance the social skills of even the shyest camper.
Break the Ice
Icebreakers help to guide people through new connections from kindergarten to the boardroom. At camp, it’s no different.
Camp counselors use icebreaker activities to break the tension in new groups of campers and are the perfect way to get to know your cabin or group all at once.
“When the kids come they are all nervous and it’s such a new place,” Hofford says. “The more comfortable we can make it the better.”
Prepare your child to share some fun facts about themselves and arm them with fun questions to ask new acquaintances. The best icebreakers are not too intimate, but reveal things about a new friend’s personality.
Fun icebreaker questions include:
“What’s the silliest noise you can make?”
“If you could be an animal, which would you be?”
“What superpower would you want to have?”
Counselors as Guides
Campers having a hard time making friends or who are too nervous to even start, should rely on their counselors. Besides ensuring the safety of campers and keeping them on schedule, one of the core roles of camp counselors is to facilitate friendships and positive experiences.
Hofford, who was a counselor at Camp Fitch before she became program coordinator, says it’s important for parents to have conversations with their kids before they arrive at camp about what it looks like to build positive relationships with other kids.
But, once they arrive at camp they should know that their counselors are there to help them with any of their needs.
“We want campers to know that you don’t have to feel super confident on your first day,” Hofford says. “[Counselors] are going to be there to support you and build up your confidence rather than feeling like you need to walk in and know everything about everything at once.”
It’s OK to Not Be OK
Building friendships with other campers and counselors can help kids feel a sense of independence they don’t get to feel at home. As they gain confidence, they feel a sense of achievement. The next step is knowing that they can open up and be vulnerable about their feelings with other people at camp.
Hofford tells a story about a camper who felt like an outcast and was struggling to connect with other campers.
“She was really quiet during a lot of activities,” Hofford says. “She had a really great counselor who said to her ‘it’s OK to not be OK,’ I was standing there when she heard it and she just started screaming ‘you’re right!’”
Hofford says the camper opened up after being given permission to be vulnerable and that by the end of the week she was the loudest camper, making everyone laugh.
“It was really cool to see that growth,” she adds.
When all is said and done camp is supposed to be fun, not scary. Talk to your kids about how important social skills and good friends are and get them ready to make memories that will last a lifetime.
By Lainey Novak
