Camp Woodland Blog

From our respective locations in the non-summer months, we are starting to see signs of spring. Trees are budding, flowers are blooming, birds are chirping more frequently, ducks and geese are having their little ones, turtles are laying their eggs, pollen is covering cars and outside spaces, and yes, interesting cloud formations are seen due to the change of seasons. These are quiet but certainly noticeable signals that summer is near.

**Here is where you may expect to hear seasoned summer camp professionals spout anecdotes focused exclusively on excitement for the camp season appearing on the horizon; however, that wouldn’t be honest, or at least the full picture.**

Alongside the excitement—the anticipation of laughter echoing through camp, of campfires crackling, silly songs, and best friends reuniting or meeting for the first time—there’s something else: nerves.

We hear it from parents every spring, their daughters feeling a mix of eagerness and uncertainty as they count down the days to the start of camp. We feel it, too. Even after many years (100+ if you add them all together) for the Woodland leadership team, we still get that flutter in our stomach as the camp season approaches.

Not because something is wrong, but because something meaningful is about to begin.

Just as we operate in our camp community—navigating homesickness, encouraging growth, and meeting campers right where they are—we lean in to these conversations. By doing so, nerves around new experiences, like camp, which can feel complex and even isolating, become something else: shared, understood, and even simple.

Good news!

If you are feeling a bit nervous about the camp season ahead, that is 100% normal.

First, nerves mean you care about the right things—being seen, heard, and valued. Feeling them is proof that the experience ahead matters to you.

Nerves aren’t a signal to back away; they’re a sign you’re stepping into something important. They’re proof that you’re engaged, you’re growing, and you’re about to do something worth doing.

You’re in Good Company

Nerves have a way of making us feel isolated, like we’re the only ones experiencing them. But the truth? They’re far more common than you might think. That flutter of uncertainty? Nearly everyone feels it—even the most seasoned campers, counselors, and, yes, camp directors and the leadership team.

What’s reassuring is that camp is designed for moments like these. It’s a place where challenges aren’t faced alone, where growth happens in a community setting. From the first handshake at check-in to the final wave good-bye at Parents Weekend, every camper is invited to discover that their nerves aren’t a barrier—they’re a bridge to something bigger.

Nerves are a Welcome to the Work We’re Doing.

Unlike school, clubs, sports teams, or even church, camp is different. There’s no grade to earn, no trophy to chase, no rigid agenda to follow. At Woodland, our focus isn’t on performance—it’s on people. The only metric of success is how well we show up for one another.

That’s why nerves belong here. They’re a signal that we’re stepping into something real—something that asks us to look beyond ourselves and lean into bits of life we may not be able to at home. At Woodland, our entire staff practice noticing who needs a hand, who needs encouragement, and who just needs someone to sit beside.

So if you or your daughter are feeling those pre-camp nerves, take heart—you’re in the right place. They’re not a sign to retreat; they’re a sign you’re stepping into something meaningful.

Step into something meaningful with us and reserve a spot at Camp Woodland for 2025!

Thank you to a WNC camp for the inspiration found in this blog!

Research indicates minor struggles now build confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills later for kids. When we let children fail in developmentally appropriate ways, they don’t just learn how to handle failure — they learn how to recover from it.

Desirable Difficulties

Jessica Lahey, author of “The Gift of Failure,” points out that parents, logically, know failure is a learning opportunity. And, yet we still grapple with having our kids struggle. The intent is good – it comes from a place of love. It’s natural that we want to protect them. When we constantly step in, we also unintentionally teach kids learned helplessness. “We are telling them, ‘I don’t think you’re competent enough to do this yourself,'” Lahey says. Over time, kids internalize this belief, undermining their confidence and ability to handle challenges.

Kids need what Lahey calls “desirable difficulties” — challenges that feel hard but are within their ability to overcome. Guess where kids can experience these “desirable difficulties” in a supportive and caring environment? Camp is the PERFECT ecosystem to practice failure individually and as a group. Let me explain.

Individual Failure

It is rare for a camper to get up on skis, a kneeboard or wakeboard on the first try. First off, this activity requires that campers be at a certain skill level in swimming (to feel comfortable and adept at maneuvering in deep water). For some of the younger girls, this may take a year or longer to build up the skills of being a proficient swimmer in a lake setting.

Once campers have the swim skills necessary to give a more advanced water sport a go, it may take several days of multiple tries to get up only to face plant (and have a gallon of water go up your nose). It may take another round of Rec Swim periods to make a loop around the lake successfully (more face plants). For campers who want to challenge themselves even further, they may practice going in and out of the wake (with wipeouts being an imminent possibility) before they truly get the hang of it.

Group Failure
We gracefully fail together at camp every single day. Not every cabin earns a perfect “30” on inspection, gets chosen for “Best Dressed” on Sunday morning, or finds the “Mother Lode” during Gold Rush. Only one cabin receives the coveted 1st place award for “Lip Sync” or “Song Contest.” Paddling across Sand Lake for a cabin overnight canoe trip can be a feat in itself – not to mention getting a fire started quickly, putting up tents securely, and going to the bathroom in the woods.

Challenge by Choice

At Camp Woodland, failures and mistakes are not shamed or discouraged. Rather, it is quite the opposite. Missing the mark (by a little or a lot) is celebrated as an opportunity for growth. Sure we have levels in certain activities; however, at the end of the day, no “tests” are given or “grades” recorded. Campers have the choice to challenge themselves as little or as much as they want in any given activity. For campers who choose to work on passing levels in an activity, instructors are good at spotting when a skill has been mastered and can be done without hesitation vs when it is only demonstrated one time.

The idea of challenge-by-choice can be extremely rewarding and empowering. Campers typically make comparisons to earlier versions of themselves rather than measuring up to those who might be quite skilled in an area. Take archery, for example. There may be campers in the same class who are wishing they could simply hit the target and those who are shooting at 50 feet and trying for a given score or “qualifying” target.

One of my favorite things about having mixed ages and skill/experience levels in a class like archery is the mentoring that happens between campers. Being able to explain or demonstrate what you know to someone else helps with skill mastery. It is also really cool to see campers cheer each other on and recognize those small, yet important “wins” when they do something better today (have an arrow stick in the target) than they could yesterday (retrieve arrows from the grass).

Failing is the New Succeeding

Hearing the cheers when a camper is finally able to canter after the 12th try, return a ball using backhand on the 31st attempt, do a forward roll after struggling the 19 times prior, learn lines for a play after fumbling during the previous 17 rehearsals, coordinate a string of dance moves after 42 run-throughs, read the wind direction in sailing after 4.5 weeks, do a dive from the dock after the 21st bellyflop, paddle in the stern position in a canoe after spinning in circles for several classes in a row, and more is absolutely the B-E-S-T. You see, failure and mistakes are the stuff growth is made of at Camp Woodland!

We fail by ourselves and as a group. Difficulties become easier over time because we fail together in a supportive and caring community. If you would like your daughter to practice and get good at failing (the new succeeding), reserve a spot at Woodland for 2025!

Reference: https://www.popsugar.com/parenting/letting-kids-fail-49429258

I am just now catching some rumblings that sleepovers may not be the rite of passage they once were for various reasons. I can remember begging my parents on a regular basis to have a friend or two come to our house to spend the night. In fact, several of my birthday parties when I was in late elementary and jr high school consisted of going out for pizza with my “best” friends, taking in movie or a session at the local skating rink, and then coming to my house to sprawl out on the downstairs living room floor (love me some shag carpet!) in sleeping bags, and doing what girls do…stay up late talking and giggling about all kinds of things (boys!). Fun times!

I can also remember getting invited to spend the night a one of my classmate’s home where the entire group of 5th grade girls was included. We played games like “light as a feather” to see if we could get someone to levitate, dressed up in this gal’s mom’s clothes and paraded around, ate more junk food than anyone should consume in a month, and had dreams of staying up all night, but never quite seemed to make it to the wee hours of the morning.

When someone is interested in signing up for overnight summer camp, a question that often gets asked is whether or not the potential camper has been to any sleepovers. While this in theory could make the transition from home to sleepaway camp an easier one, I’m not so sure that is entirely so. Sleepovers can be uncomfortable due to the sleeping arrangements, loud for someone who may prefer to “chill”, and not ideal for getting good rest in order to function the next day.

In my humble opinion, spending the summer at sleepaway camp with us at Woodland for Girls is WAY better than a sleepover for these reasons:

• You get to sleep in your own bed every night (with the exception of your cabin’s overnight canoe trip when you sleep in a tent).
• You can make the bottom or top bunk feel like “home” by bringing your favorite blanket, pillow, stuffed animal, pics of family and friends, and other “decorations” that make it “yours”.
• Did I mention that there is an evening snack every night around 8:15 pm? You have your choice of fruit or some variety of frozen treat to keep your stomach from growling in your sleep.
• Every cabin has a set bedtime that is part of the daily routine. Your counselors ensure that you get into your jammies, brush your teeth, take a shower (this could happen earlier in the day, too), and get cozy under the covers so that you are primed for a good night’s sleep after a fun-filled day of activities.
• One of my FAVORITE things is that your counselors will read a bedtime story (even to the older girls) that will help you settle down and even drift off before she stops for the night. Breakfast is a great time for everyone to catch up on any missed details and make predictions about what will happen next!
• One counselor stays in the cabin after lights are out and is right there if you need anything. She may even visit each bunk to find out your favorite thing from the day or hear what you are looking forward to tomorrow.
• Bathrooms are in the cabins, so you don’t have to go far in the middle of the night if needed.
• It is possible to get 10 good hours of sleep every night for most campers! Sleeping in screened cabins allows for the breeze and sounds of loons calling across the lake to lull you into sweet dreams.

So, what about all of the laughing, giggling and cutting up that happens when you are at a sleepover? Great question! Because of the extended time at a sleepaway camp like Woodland, you will find yourself with a group of girls that you can have fun with all day long! The counselors are really good at coming up with conversation starters, things to do that include the entire cabin group, or making sure that you have a costume to wear for an all-camp event. They also know when it is time to get some rest, whether sleeping or just doing something less active like writing letters, making friendship bracelets, reading a book, doing a puzzle, or some other activity you brought from home. Sleepaway camp is the sleepover you dream about, only better!

If spending the summer with us for a sleepaway camp experience is sounding good right about now, you can reserve a spot for your daughter/s at camp for 2025!

I’m back! I’ve been in Dallas (with JoAnne), Atlanta, and Atlantic City (with Lee) attending several conferences and facilitating trainings over the past month and will be sharing with you what camp pros around the country are thinking about, reading about, and listening to in as we head into the summer. The person I’m going to mention today is someone I’ve already written about, and her stuff bears repeating again and again (and again). I (we) really like what Lynn Lyons has to say!

If you’re not familiar, Lynn is this brilliant anxiety specialist who talks about how our kids are increasingly struggling with mental health challenges. And not because the world is more dangerous, but because they’re not developing the skills to handle uncertainty.

One of those boss level skills? Flexibility. Not the “down dog” kind from yoga class (whew!).

• The “Oh, it’s raining? Let’s pivot to an amazing indoor activity without missing a beat” kind.
• The “I’m not sure what’s happening next but it’s cool, let’s roll” kind.
• The “This isn’t exactly what I expected but all good, can handle it” kind.

And yeah, if you know me, you know what’s coming next.

Summer camp might be the single best place on earth to develop this skill!!

Flexibility: The Secret Superpower

Here’s how Lynn puts it: “When we get locked into a position, stance or perspective—be it based on fear, inexperience, or rigidity of any kind—we remove the opportunity to learn, expand, discover, and problem solve.”

Sound familiar? It’s basically the opposite of what happens at camp.

At camp, flexibility isn’t just encouraged – it’s required.

The schedule changes. The weather doesn’t play nice. Your favorite counselor has the day off. The kitchen ran out of grilled cheese. Your cabinmate snores like a broken chainsaw. The best part? Parents/caregivers aren’t around to “solve” any of it.

And somehow, kids learn to roll with it all.

It Matters More Than We Think

The thing about flexibility is that it’s not just about adapting. It’s about adapting without falling apart into a million-gajillion pieces.

Kids who develop flexibility at camp don’t just grudgingly accept change – they are rocking new environments with confidence. They develop a simple but super productive mindset that says, “I can handle the unexpected.”

Meanwhile, rigid thinking leads directly to anxiety.

When kids go through childhood believing things must go exactly as planned or disaster is on deck, they’re setting themselves up for a lifetime of stress.

The Flexibility Gym

There are so many ways flexibility gets exercised at camp:

• The weather suddenly changes, time for a quick pivot from afternoon activities to Lip Sync Contest.
• A homesick camper needs the counselor’s extra attention, so it means the morning routine might shift just a bit.
• The food isn’t exactly what they’re used to at home, so new foods are tried.
• Another kid reacts to something in a completely unexpected way which gives valuable information about that person.

Each of these moments is a rep in the flexibility gym. Each one says to a kid, quietly but clearly, “You can adapt. You can handle change. You’ve got this.”

As Lynn Lyons says, “A kid with a flexible brain becomes a person who can go with the flow when life doesn’t unfold as planned. Handling the unexpected is a critical skill in most aspects of life.”

Most parents are desperate for their kids to develop exactly this. The word “flexibility” may not be used, but there is a definite want/need for children to be able to handle uncertainty without shutting down.

Embracing the Unplanned

Here’s where it gets tricky for us as adults: Sometimes we work so hard to make everything perfect, predictable, and seamless that we accidentally remove the very opportunities that develop flexibility.

• What if instead of seeing schedule changes as failures, we look at them as growth opportunities?
• What if instead of apologizing when things don’t go exactly as planned, we celebrate the chance for kids to practice adapting?
• What if we told you, our camp families, in July, “Your child had fifteen opportunities to practice flexibility today, and they crushed it”?!

Yep, that happens at camp! Every. Single. Day.

Making It Stick

The beauty of camp is that flexibility practice happens naturally. And, we can be more intentional about it:

• Normalize change. “Plans change, and that’s actually a good thing!”
• Celebrate adaptability. “I noticed how quickly you adjusted when we had to leave earlier than expected. That’s a real strength.”
• Highlight the skill. “You just showed flexibility, and that’s going to help you in so many situations.”

Because at the end of the day, what we’re really doing is preparing kids for a world that will never, ever go exactly as planned. And, if you want to give your kids a jump start, you can begin practicing NOW. Not sure what to say when your camper shows signs of anxiety about the summer ahead through the questions that are asked? Say This, Not That (a previous blog) will give ideas on how to respond (thank you Lynn Lyons!).

Enroll for 2025

Now is a great time to reserve a spot for your kid/s at camp; we hope your daughter/s will join us at the flexibility gym this coming summer!

A big thank you to my friend, Jack Schott, for being the inspiration of this blog. Here is the Podcast he did with Lynn – Apple, Spotify, Youtube

Many of you know that I live in the South, North Carolina to be exact. We experienced another unusual weather event recently…several inches of snow in our small coastal town and temperatures barely reaching the freezing mark for at least 3 days. I recognize that those of you who are in the Midwest, Northeast, or mid-Atlantic are laughing right now because you may have FEET of snow and WEEKS of brutally cold temps and windchills.

What you might not have, though, is the hype leading up to the chance of having any white stuff hit the ground. There was a runway of at least a week that had everyone (and I mean everyone) talking about the possibility of getting snow. It was enough to send people to the grocery store and gas station to stock up on necessities. There was definitely a sense of urgency to prepare and a perceived need to act quickly. A call to action was felt and taken seriously.

What Calls People to Action?

So this has me pondering the question, what calls people to action? What is it that creates the sense of urgency to do something now instead of waiting till a later date? I guess that is the million dollar question as companies across the globe would love for people to sign up, enroll, subscribe, purchase, leave a review, take a survey, or any number of other calls to action.

While there may not be the same sense of importance to act quickly as when a big weather event is headed in your direction, the calendar now reads February. It is time to prioritize making summer plans. I would even suggest that there is a sense of urgency to act so that you can avoid making a panic decision in a few months when you realize that time is of the essence and some desired options are no longer available.

The Rest of the Snow Story

The lack of snowplows and equipment used to clear roads so that people can get to work, school, and other places around town, was enough to bring many affected towns/cities to a screeching halt. Bridges were forced to close. Restaurants and shops didn’t open. Schools kept kids at home. Employees stayed put and didn’t make the trip to work. And, the great thing about having life interrupted for a few days is that kids and families went outside. Kids and dogs (and adults) romped around and played for hours. Snow people were built. Arms and legs frantically moved up and down to make snow angels. People flocked to any place in town with the slightest incline and used their surf boards as sleds.

There was a lot of laughter, smiles, and the feeling of true JOY. No one was worried about getting up at a certain time, rushing to the next thing, or getting bogged down with work of any kind. It seems that Mother Nature had us right where she wanted us to be – outside!

Summer Snow Days – 6 weeks worth!

By acting NOW to reserve a spot for your kid/s at camp, you are lining up an outdoor summer experience with lots of laughter, smiles, and the feeling of JOY (like having a string of snow days – just warmer!).

As you can see, WE LOVE CAMP and look forward to you taking this CALL TO ACTION and joining us for the “Enjoy the Ride Summer of ‘2-5”!