As the summer approaches many Parents are wondering if summer camp is right for their first time camper. As the Camp Director of a Exclusive program for the first time campers in Wisconsin, we often talk to parents that tell us "their child is not ready”. Obviously, parents know their children best. Yet, often we wonder if this is true or if it is just a parent not understanding the benefits of summer camp. Maybe even being a little bit selfish to keep their child home. Either way what most parents do not understand is that the time that a child has to go to summer is short. At most kids have 9 summers to go to camp as a camper. It goes quick, I know my son will be entering his last summer at a Wisconsin summer camp…and it is hard for me to believe his time has passed.

So why should a first timer at summer camp embrace this experience? Because, the right summer camp can be the ideal first step away from home and family, in a safely created environment for learning independence. Camp provides a break from the ever invasive SCREEN, giving campers a new found freedom. Summer camp prolongs childhood, where a child friendly community promotes fun and joy away from the modern stress for achievement.

A first time camper at an Overnight Wisconsin Summer Camp will be be exposed to fun, friends, nature and activities. Yet, its the Soft Skills that campers discover and develop over the course of every summer that have an impact on that camper starting the very first year.

Overnight Summer Camp Provides:

• 1. Affirmation:  A simple word of affirmation can influence a child’s life. When we are recognized from outside it can turn into recognition from the inside. Building ones confidence.
• 2. Art: By nature we all want to create. When a child is free from the pressure of competitive achievement they are free to be creative.
• 3. Challenge:  When we Encourage a child to dream big dreams. They will accomplish more than they thought possible… and probably even more than you thought possible.
• 4. Compassion/Justice:  Life isn’t fair. It never will be – there are just too many variables. But when a wrong has been committed or a playing field can be leveled, we want our children to be active in helping to level it.
• 5. Contentment:  The need for MORE material things is society is out of control. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts we can give children is a genuinely appreciation for what they have. This contentment leaves them to find out who they are.
• 6. Encouragement: Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that a counselor or mentor might choose to speak can offer encouragement and create positive thoughts for a child to build from.  
• 7. Natural Beauty:  Beauty surrounds us. A forest, a lake, a frog can inspire our children to find beauty in everything they see and in everyone they meet.
• 8. Generosity: When we live with others we experience generosity. . Generosity is a consistent quality of heart regardless of whether the medium that reflects it is time, energy or material things.
• 9. Mistakes are accepted: Kids are kids. That’s what makes them so much fun… and so desperately in need of our patience. We need to give them room to experiment, explore, and make mistakes early, when consequences are so much less severe. We learn more form mistakes than successes.
• 10. Meals Together: Meals together provide an unparalleled opportunity for relationships to grow, the likes of which can not be found anywhere else. Helping children the life skill of conversation and friendship.

So as a parent, ask yourself if you need a team to be part in raising your child. If you say yes,  let your child be a 1st time camper at summer camp in Wisconsin this year. You will be surprised how they personally grow and develops during their adventure at camp. Be sure to see why Swift Nature Camp creates an Exclusive Summer Camp for 1st Time Campers.

Every summer millions of children go to overnight summer camp. But Why? Oh sure, some parents just need day care. But the vast majority of parents that are thinking about sending their child to overnight summer camp, do not take this responsibility lightly. They do their research by: going to camp fairs, talking to friends, taking camp tours and chatting with references. Why do all this? Because when you select the right Overnight Summer Camp for your child, it will be a life changer and an experience they will want to repeat summer after summer. Maybe thats why children from all around the world come to USA Summer Camps

So how does summer camp change kids lives? Not every camp is the same, so I can only speak about our overnight summer camp. Swift Nature Camp is located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. We cater to children 6–15, with a leadership program for our 16 & 17 year old campers. Our small camp blends old-fashioned camp activities on land and water, with environmental and nature learning. Plus we have a camp zoo, where children who love animals can even adopt one while they are at camp.

Here are ways that children’s lives are changed because of camp:

1) Great Staff- When you get young people who are dedicated to kids full time, your child feels it. Camp counselors have boundless energy and enthusiasm- something parents often loose as they get older. It’s like having the best big sister or brother in the world who really cares about you. They want you to be your best. So children look up to these counselors and since they are role modeling positive values, your child will pick those up and bring them home.

2) Communal Living- Yes, your child will be living in a cabin with 5–8 other children of their own age, building new friendships and developing strong new social circles. For most children this is a new experience. When you live with others, you have to be a little less worried about yourself and be thinking more about others. That is part of the natural progression of kids from self to others. Camp pushes them a little further along this road.

3) Nature-This day and age we live our lives inside. There is a big beautiful world out there that children should learn about and they should not be afraid of. All of science is saying, humans need to be connected to their environment, enjoy the beauty of the simple things in life. That’s why at SNC, we often take our kids to the lake to quietly enjoy a sunset.

4) Independence- Today we have so many types of parents, and often we see loving parents that hold their children back, not intentionally. But, sometimes they just don’t see that kids need and want to get out on their own, make decisions on their own and try new things. A Nature Camp is a safe place to try things, make mistakes and move on. This is all part of growing up and camp is the safe and supervised place this takes place.

5) Play is an amazing tool. It helps children get exercise, loose weight and feel better. More important, Free Play can help children resolve conflict, problem solve and be creative. Daily, at camp have 1.5 hours dedicated to free play, where campers can do the activities they want to do. This is like the old days, when children could just go outside and play.

One thing we hear from parents every summer is “I wish I would have sent my child to Swift Nature Camp sooner” you see, childhood is a once-off thing. Too soon it’s over, and you can’t reclaim the years, but you can look back on incredible memories. That’s why summer camp is so important — it’s a fun, positive experience where children can simply be children and have the time of their lives. Overnight summer camp is a vital part of a child’s personal growth and development

It’s the small size and attention to detail that makes camp so successful at promote each child’s personal development. Sending your child to Swift Nature Camp is a gift, one your child will cherish for the rest of their life. Maybe that’s why 92% of our campers want to return each summer to this Wisconsin Summer Camp.

Summer Camp! What do you think of? Fun, Excitement, New Friends, Camping, Smores? All those things happen but summer camp is more than games and friends, especially when you are a Camp Counselor.

Camp is about knowing you made a difference in a child's life. Do you know how you tell? It's the last evening of the session, you have spent a few weeks with the kids, some amazingly cool while others were a bit more challenging.  Then a camper who took the most energy comes up to you with tears in her eyes and says "You’ve made a difference in my life, I will remember you forever" and in the same breath asks "Are you coming back next summer? I want to be in your cabin." This is the moment when you know you changed a life and in some small way changed the world. It becomes clear all your effort was worth it. But what is surprising is you know your camper leave camp a better person and on your last day at camp you too will find that you have grown tremendously from the summer camp experience.

Here are the top reasons being a Camp Counselor is a summer job every student should try.

1. 
   1. You are in a place where you and your campers grow to form the most unique and wonderful friendships you could ever have. You will want to stay in touch with your new friends long after camp is finished.
5. 2. There will be nights when you are awaken by a camper who needs to go to the bathroom, so you get and go outside, while looking up the stars it take your breath away and your camper feels honored that you pointed them out and to have spent that time with you

3. At some point you will realize our clothes, hair,dirt under our fingernails and smell are really not as important as we might think. What matters is who we are on the inside. This is a freeing experience that role models for the campers what is important in this world.

4. Camp is all about creativity, imagination and spontaneity. Your job will change every 15 minutes, from playing, to cleaning, dressing up like a super hero. Nothing beats the feeling of being a kid again and finding the simple joy of a pillow fight before going to bed.

5. The campers look up to you. They’ll mimic what you do, they will dress like you, they will believe everything you say. In short they think your the coolest ever and they want to be like you.

6. Tie Dye will be a staple of your wardrobe and you will keep trying to make the perfect one.

7. Many of your stories back home will start with “This one time, at camp…,” and most folks, except your camp friends wont get it.

8. Your happy to make time for an extra long hot shower. These are rare yet, most appreciated.

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9. You’ll will be outside everyday in nature. So sunscreen will be art of your ritual as well as bugspray. You will thank the creators of these 2 wonderful products almost daily.

probably get the best tan-lines. Farmers tan? Check. Shorts tan? Check. Headband tan? Check. Flip-flop tan? Check. It’s an inevitable truth, sadly. But the tan-line competitions are real

10. Your summer will be separated from the outside world and technology. Relationships will form face to face with face-time or face-book. Real faces & real people. This is a 21st century life skill.

11. you will appreciate your time off and away from camp but on the drive back you will be wondering how your kids are, whats been going on. The excitement will only increase as you get closer to camp and once you hit camp you will want to find your co-counselor to hear how everyone is.

12. Your coworkers become your best friends because you have spent "camp"together and they get it.

13. You quickly learn life’s most important lessons are easily solved by campers.  Oh sure they sometimes need help finding the path but they always figure it out. They just need a freiend like you to guide rather than fix things.

14. Helping a camper gain confidence and face their fears builds a self-worth unlike any other. Cheering on a camper who is swimming for the first time or holding a camper who is affraid of a storm. although they will meet challanges, they will love camp as much as you.

15. Sadness is the last day of camp, your campers are gone, the work is over and their is only you and your co counselor in your cabin packing. It's then you get you see why camp is such a magical place.and how much camp and your campers have changed you.

16. You learn how important sleep is, you look forward to going to bed early and snuggling up for a long cool night or you cherish that 15 minute nap under the shade of a pine.

17. You make time to refocus on all the beauty nature can show you with out a screen.

18. Camp will forever have left it's mark on you and you will be a part of the fraternity of camp counselors who value the importance Summer Camp Counselors truly have on today's youth. You’ll never be the same.

So you have done all your homework, You have been planting the seeds with your new camper. You have talked about camp, done a sleepover and looked at websites. You have even taken an assessment of your child's needs and wants,  and you tried to match those with the proper summer camp. For instance our Nature Camp is the best for those kids who still like being outside and off the screen. So now you have picked the Right Camp- the mission meets yours and the dates work. Often, parents think all they have to do is now pay a deposit and they are off to camp. As an Overnight Summer Camp Director, I suggest you scour the website to answer the below questions or email to get the answers, ya might even do that crazy thing and pick up a phone and call. Not all camps are equal. A side note, as a camp director it is some what terrifying to me how few parents these days call to talk to a Camp Director. Most just see a few pretty picture and they are good to go. Not the best decision. Mu goal is not to scare you but, here are things to think about.

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• *What is the camper to counselor ratio for the majority of the day? How many staff total at camp? What are the ages of Counselors?
  

• *How do they handle supervision of children, discipline issues? What is the discipline policy? When do they send a camper home?
  

• *What age groups will be combined together? Do younger children mixed with older children? How are activities different for different ages?
  

• *What is the schedule for the program, what will they be doing each day? What is planned or free choice? How much non-active time?
  

• *What are the  qualifications of the Counselors? What about training. Do they have First Aid and CPR?

• *Are staff  up-to-date on criminal background checks?

• *What is the policy for handling injuries and illness?  Who is at camp to give care?
  

• *Do the campers go swimming or near water? Do campers take swim proficiency tests? Are there a lifeguards on duty?
  

• *What insurance does the program carry? Do they have liability insurance?

• ,
• These are all great things to think about. at Swift Nature Camp we have a Summer Camp Parent Answer Page that helps parents make a very informed decision. We believe we want you to have too much information so you KNOW you made the right decision.

Science & Nature Summer Camp
in Minnesota

Often Parents from Minnesota, ask us "Where has this camp been"? Well Swift Nature Camp has been giving children a wonderful overnight Summer Camp experience since the 1960's. But what I think they really mean is that they have been looking for a special overnight summer camp that meets their child's needs. You see they are looking for an Animal Summer Camp or a Nature Camp, maybe a Science Camp all near Minneapolis. Why? Because their child generally is not sportsy type and really thrives being outside going on frog hunts and doing other Nature activities.  So when a parent finds a small camp like SNC, they are very happy that their child will have the opportunity to play and be with kids who are also Nature Nuts.

You See at SNC we are not school so children learn about animals and nature hands on. Matter of fact one of our favorite activities is going on a frog hunt. See at SNC we believe when campers see, they remember. But when campers do, they understand. If we can increase a campers  self discovery and natural curiosity, it entice children to learn about and play Outdoors in NATURE and if children value our environment they will in the future see a reason to protect it.

What many parent enjoy is that camp is only 2 hours form Mpls., so on a weekend they can stop on by and see how their camper is doing or even take him or her out of this Animal Summer Camp for Lunch. It allow parent to stay in contact with their camper. However, don’t be surprised if your child has other plans, so often parents are happy to see that their camper has found a nature summer camp they can call home. But, get discouraged when their child would prefer to play in nature or do science experiments rather than go out for lunch. But that's OK, camp is all about helping children feel comfortable in their new surroundings and giving them the independence to do so.

Animals are why kids love Swift Nature Camp, we have plenty.  Each summer children enjoy adopting a pet and taking care of it. They need to be responsible to feed, water and play with it before any play time. This helps build responsibility and empathy for their pets. Speaking of Pets, SNC is one of the few camps that allows children to bring their animals with them to summer camp. How Cool! Little Billy can bring his pet hamster with him, one less thing for parents to worry about while your camper is at summer camp.

But it is more than just an active Nature Center, Pet Zoo, and Department of Natural Resources sponsored programs that keep bringing campers back to Swift Nature Camp it is our special recreational activities that include canoe and backpack trips, horseback riding, swimming, arts & crafts, team courses, archery, sailing, water skiing, tubing and sports, over 20 different land and water activities.

As a parent to learn more about this Overnight Minnesota Animal Camp, read more about how we encourage children to be more responsible and to be accountable for themselves as well as being kinder. For Campers at this Kids Nature Camp learn more about the cool activities, the friendships and the animals. Hope to see you at Swift Nature Camp

 

So the summer is coming and college students are beginning to schedule their summer. Good Plan. Yet, many will be looking for internships or for jobs along their career path. Not necessarily a bad choice but lets be real, you will be working the rest of your life. Why not have a job that teaches you about yourself and about others. Why not have a summer job that is loaded with fun and friendships? Right now you can be looking for a summer job that gives you all this and what is amazing many corporations are learning that working at a summer camp can give you valuable people skills. Recently the American Camp Association wrote an article about the 3 biggest advantages why camp is a GREAT SUMMER JOB. I have the article below. Oh Swit Nature Camp also offers Internships... Think this might be the right move for you? Here ya go Summer Camp Jobs

 

 

 

If you are a college student, you may already be thinking about what internship position or summer job you want to secure for the summer.

But instead of an internship, consider taking on a different kind of summer job – one at camp.

If you are unsure whether that is the right choice for you, here are three reasons you should take a summer job at camp.

1. At camp, you are responsible for more than just yourself.

When you work at camp, you get to work as a mentor, role model and hero to children ages 6-15. Your campers’ parents are not there, so you must act in a parent-like role for a group of children who will rely on you for almost everything during the time they are there. You are there to ensure that your campers are happy, have their individual needs met and have the time of their life. You’ll also be a part of the staff team and will be encouraged to give of yourself to your group and to the camp staff team more than you ever thought possible. At camp, the more you invest yourself in everything you do, the more you will get out of the experience.

2. You get to work in an inspirational environment.

At an internship, you may spend more time in front of a copier or coffee machine than developing valuable skills that will truly prepare you for the workplace. That will not happen if you work at camp. Instead, you will hone your leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, all in a beautiful setting. You will manage yourself and the campers under your care. You will get to try new things and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

3. You can develop professional skills to take with you throughout your career.

The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) emphasizes the following essential life and career skills: flexibility and adaptability; initiative and self-direction; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; and leadership and responsibility.

A job at camp will help you develop these skills – and so many more. You will learn flexibility and adaptability, as you work with a variety of people ranging from children to camp directors. You will show initiative and problem-solving when any unexpected circumstances arise. You will be exposed to a multi-cultural community of both campers and counselors and understand what it means to build a caring, supportive community. You will demonstrate accountability as you work to keep children safe and happy. But more than all of this, you will gain a sense of self-fulfillment as you see your campers try new activities, reach their goals, and grow in confidence.

It’s exciting to watch camp staffers become inspired to work professionally with children and youth as social workers, teachers, outdoor educators, psychologists, and clergy. Work at summer camp prepares you for a myriad of careers. I have had the pleasure of working with camp staffers who have gone on to work in the White House, in medicine, in academia, as movie producers, as entrepreneurs, and more. Working at camp expands your career possibilities far more than you might imagine. 

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to meet with a variety of professionals, ranging from business to the nonprofit sector, education to religion. The common thread of those conversations, more often than not, is camp. And, to be honest, I’m not surprised. The skills developed and the experiences gained through a job at camp are universally in demand, regardless of your ultimate career path. So before you hit the submit button for an internship application, consider camp. I guarantee it will be the most impactful workforce development experience of your life.

Photo courtesy of Camp Cedarbrook in the Adirondacks in Corinth, NY.

As Summer Camp Directors we are always looking at trends in parenting and how it is going. Recently Simon Sinek had this video posted. If you know someone born in the mid 1980 to early 2000 this is about them. For many of us parents, when we watch this video it will help us better understand our own kids and see how we can best help them in the 21st century Having said that it also helps us be better Camp Directors at Swift Nature Camp