What do a week’s worth of wet towels, 84 miles on the minivan, ten dirty socks under the bed, and five half-eaten apples have in common? They are all the remnants of a week of day camp that parents have to deal with! It might be time to analyze the benefits of overnight camp vs day camp.
Imagine an Alternative to Day Camp
The benefits of overnight camp vs day camp are worth considering. I know it’s a stretch to go from the safety of day camp where your child is only a few miles away to overnight camp perhaps several hundred miles away. But it might be time to start imagining, what if?
What if?
The benefits of overnight camp are worth considering, even if you aren’t quite sure yet. What if…
- What if instead of the morning battle to get out of the door, your daughter wakes to the sound of the bugle and joins her cabin for eggs and waffles in the Hearth (dining hall) to start her day.
- What if instead of piles of towels in the laundry cycle, your daughter hangs her own wet towel on the clothesline outside of her cabin every afternoon.
- What if instead of miles on the road, she hikes the three miles up to the peak and three miles back.
- What if the uneaten apples in her lunch are replaced with heaps of spaghetti at the family style dinner table with her cabin, followed by campers responsibly cleaning up their table.
- What if instead of looking forward to screen time at the end of her day camp, she looks forward to bringing milk and cookies to the younger cabins for their evening snack.
- What if instead of hearing “I’m bored” on the weekends, you are receiving a letter with “I am having the best time!”
The benefits of overnight camp might be great for parents, but what if the benefits of overnight summer camp vs day camp are even more meaningful to your daughter?
CJDA Experiences You Can’t Find at Day Camps
Overnight summer camp can be a leap of faith for kids and parents. But the benefits of overnight camp vs day camp are real. Camp Jeanne d’Arc provides experiences you cannot find at local summer day camps including:
- Sailing and canoeing on the beautiful Chateaugay Lake
- Participating in century-old traditions like Smugglers (a nighttime hide and seek game) and Wishing Night (a special evening lake-side ceremony)
- Hiking some of the high peak of the Adirondacks
- Singing songs by campfire nightly with fellow campers that will become life-long friends
- Building friendships with campers and counselors from Mexico, New Zealand, Argentina, Azerbaijan, and more
- Earning recognition for things like aptitude in archery or riflery, emerging leadership skills, and camp spirit
Overnight summer camp provides many other benefits including connecting with the outdoors, learning new skills, and experiencing a tech-free summer (see the Tech-Free at JDA blog post here). The potential for growth and adventure are right there – just allow yourself to imagine the possibilities!
Allow Yourself to Imagine Your Child at Overnight Camp
We know that sending your daughter to overnight summer camp for the first time can be daunting (read our Dear First Time Camper Parent blog post here). But the upside for your child can be significant, possibly even life-changing.
If you or a friend is considering overnight camp, follow us on Instagram this summer to catch a glimpse of camp life and allow yourself to imagine… what if?