On the last day of camp, the “good-bye’s” are full of emotion – teary hugs, weepy farewells, promises of reunions, exchanges of phone numbers, and a whole lot of “see you next summer!” It’s easy to understand why. Camp friendships are deep and lasting. They are formed in a place where campers are navigating social spaces and sharing chores and responsibilities. They include multitudes of personalities and screen-free time in nature. And all of this away from parents. These conditions support strong formation of relationships. So what happens after camp is over? How do campers manage friendships in the off-season?
Ways to Keep the Friendships Going
Reunions and Meet-Ups. Camp Jeanne d’Arc offers several opportunities to meet up with camp friends in the off-season. There are virtual cabin meet-ups, virtual parties, in-person socials, and reunions. Campers sometimes even plan mini reunions with their cabinmates. My advice, try to make as many of these as you can, especially for the younger campers. Girls crave time with their camp friends and even a short time reuniting can mean a whole lot.
Emails, Phone Calls, and Letters. Campers don’t have to meet face-to-face to keep the friendship going. Sometimes an email with a brief update or a phone call will be enough to keep the warm and fuzzies from camp going. Better yet, encourage your camper to write an actual letter that goes through the actual mail! Include stickers or photos from camp. And a funny or hand-made birthday card will bring a smile to their camp besties face for sure!
Social Media. While many social media channels have their downsides, this can be a way for campers (especially older campers) to keep in touch over the off-season. Teenagers feel supported when a camp friend comments on an Instagram post and SnapChat is often an easy way to say a quick hello. Younger campers might want to play video games over Roblox or send messages through kid-friendly social media (like Facebook Messenger) to enjoy their camp friendships.
Story-Telling and Photos. Parents: get to know the names of your daughter’s camp friends. Know who they are from the photos and stories. Find out where they are from. Reference your camper’s friends when talking about the summer. Encourage your daughter to write to them. Put their birthday in your calendar. Even if you haven’t met them, these camp friends are important to your kids, so get to know them via the photos and stories!
Why are Camp Friends Important?
Honestly, sometimes “see you next summer” works, especially for our youngest campers. Even though they spend months apart over the school year, when they reunite, it’s as if time disappears. By the first afternoon the friendship is back to what it was last summer – laughing, exploring, scheming… all the good stuff that camp friendships are made of!
But more often than not, we see huge benefits to maintaining camp friendships. Here’s why:
Trusted support system outside of school. Strong friendships outside of school and home life can be the steady force campers (particularly teenagers) need when navigating sometimes tricky social dynamics. If a school friendship becomes rocky, kids can rely on camp friends for an evening chat or a quick video game session. Instead of feeling alone during these times, campers know they have a support system – a group of cabinmates who can be a listening ear or a distraction from the drama.
Diversity in friendships. Camp friendships often form between girls from different parts of the country (or different countries!), who speak different languages, who are part of different athletic/artistic communities, who live in urban or rural areas, who practice different religions, etc. Living alongside folks that are different from you is one of Camp Jeanne d’Arc’s founding principles and can be a transformative experience for young girls and can really help girls form diverse friendships at home.
Future contacts in different cities/schools. We’ve seen this so many times: A high school student exploring colleges finds out that a cabinmate is a year ahead of them there. A camper’s sports team travels out of state to a fellow camper’s hometown. A college grad settles in a totally new city and discovers that a couple camp buddies are there too. We’ve even heard about camp friends finding each other while studying abroad! And because these camp friendships are accustomed to lying dormant in the off-season, they can usually be rekindled easily and create a comfortable space amidst new adventures.
Friendships Without an Off-Season
In the end, camp friendships don’t really have an ‘off-season.’ Whether it’s through a late-night text, a hand-written letter covered in stickers, or that feeling when you reunite and pick up exactly where you left off, these connections are built to stand the test of distance and time. By helping our campers nurture these bonds today, we aren’t just helping them stay in touch for the winter. We’re helping them build a lifelong circle of sisterhood. So, here’s to the letters, the laughs, and the countdown to next summer. The season might be over, but the bonds they’ve formed—and the confidence they’ve built—will stay with them all year long.