Summer Camp at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps helps Kids & Teens grow in Courage
Mar 18, 2019
Summer camps help kids grow tall in character and spirit. At Adirondack Woodcraft Camps, our mission is to help summer campers grow in courage, build resilience, and see the natural world and fellow friends with caring eyes. We live for the widening of a summer camper’s eyes as they step off the zip line platform to whoosh through the trees. We wait for the high five, hug or handshake we get to give to acknowledge our campers’ successes, whether it’s making it through their first rainy day on a tough trail, learning to build a fire, boldly getting up to sing a song in front of the entire camp, trying again to earn patch at their favorite activity, jumping off the high dive, summiting their first peak, paddling longer than they imagined they could without the help of a counselor… the list goes on!
We’re breaking down our summer camp mission to help you learn why kids and teens who participate in summer camp at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps grow so tall on the inside. Check out our next few blogs to see what’s behind the summer camp magic at Woodcraft. Here’s part one:
How do Kids Grow in Courage at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps?
- We meet your summer camper where they are. This is an incredibly disarming ability that our summer camp counselors and staff members possess. In the best way possible, we have no expectations of your child or teen. Funny, serious, goofy, athletically skilled, artistically interested, fast, mellow, full of jumping beans… we meet, and welcome, your child where they are. This is such a huge pressure relief for so many kids. It is also exactly what helps our summer campers relax and find the space within themselves where courage grows.
- We provide lots of chances for our summer campers to brave. There are so many opportunities for kids to strengthen and flex their courage muscle at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps. Bravery happens in small and big moments. One camper may be trying to portage a canoe for the first time while another might be saving their friend from the “grossest bug ever” that they found in the bathroom sink. Or how about the camper who just spent their first night in a tent in the wilderness? Or the one who sang their original song for the first time at a Woodcraft campfire? This does not belittle the bravery another summer camper shows when trying a new food at one of our delicious Woodcraft meals or pitching in at KP. Every opportunity to show courage matters.
- We strive to inspire, take time to support and give space to grow. The reason summer campers at Adirondack Woodcraft camps show bravery and are open to trying new things every summer has a lot to do with how our camp counselors interact with them. Leading by example, our counselors meet the days and their campers at Woodcraft with positive energy and an open attitude. Their “let’s see what happens when we try this…” approach eliminates pressure and promotes curiosity. At the same time, their neutral outlook opens possibilities that include both failure and success without judgement of either. Our summer campers respond to this and they try. Sometimes it takes a few tries, and sometimes it takes many. Either way, we are here to provide the space for those important moments to happen.
As you read more about our summer camp mission at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps, you’ll learn that we help our campers break free from a fixed mindset and embrace a growth mindset, something that will help them continue to grow even when they are not at camp. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how summer campers grow in courage at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps. Tune in next time when we break down how our summer campers build resilience. Until then! Greetings from your favorite camp in the Adirondacks.
Add Pingback