Create "Grandparents" at your summer camp to grow your community

We all know the importance of a tight-knit camping community. Here are a few more ideas for you to incorporate into your summer:

Grandparents

Why not assign all members of your senior staff to a cabin or tent group each session? They can become the “grandparents” to those campers. Decide together as a staff how much time they are able to spend with them. A few of the things they can do include: eating meals with them, sitting with them at campfire, “tucking them in at night” with a story or quiet songs, offering the counselors a night out of cabin while they stay with the campers, etc. They can also be available as a resource to counsellors who may need their expertise and wisdom! We call them “grandparents” because they can go into the cabin group, have fun with the kids and let the counselors look after the hard stuff such as discipline, etc., (just the way grandparents get to come the house, play with the kids and leave the parents to look after the trouble!)

Plant a Tree or a Flower

Plant something to symbolize the growth that will take place in a summer together, plant seedlings or flowers that can be taken care of through the season. You could also make flowers or small trees out of paper and other art supplies and "plant a garden”. Leaves or petals could be added by the staff members and/or campers throughout the summer to represent their growth or new skills that have been accomplished. These visual reminders of your concern for their growth can be very effective.