Author: Kim Aycock
Treetops is ready for camp!
This is the last of the “Best Moments” from 2016 – thanks, Treetops, for reminding us to pack our sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, sunglasses, and Crazy Creek so that we are ready for camp to begin in a few short weeks! We are VERY excited to see what new memories, achievements, and growth “Create Your Own Scene in ’17” will bring!
What is one moment at camp you will never forget:
Eleanora: When I met my new friends.
Ava: When I met so many people my age and older and when I did new things.
Lilah: My cabin friends!
Lizzy: Song Contest is a moment I will never forget because we worked so hard on it with the props, the dance, and the song.
Brooke: Doing the activities (gymnastics, riding, swimming, archery, dance, rec swim)
Lou: I will never forget the day I passed out of level 4 swimming.
Dani: Winning Song Contest!
Maya: When my riding class trotted – the counselors said it was awesome!
What is something adventurous you did this summer:
Eleanora: I went on a canoe trip.
Ava: I went camping in the wilderness for the first time. I tried many new things, including the Big Banana.
Lilah: I rode a horse bareback.
Lizzy: Trying something new and going out of my comfort zone.
Brooke: Going on trail rides.
Lou: I went to the bog for nature week.
Dani: Going on our cabin canoe trip and sleeping in a tent in the forest.
Maya: I trotted by myself. I was scared at first, but then it was fun.
What is an achievement for which you are most proud:
Eleanora: I passed Promarksman in riflery.
Ava: Passing level 4 in swimming, trotting in riding, passing Promarksman in riflery, shooting 20 yards in archery, and getting my back handspring!
Lilah: I learned how to do a kneeling dive.
Lizzy: Competing in an individual event in the Olympics.
Brooke: Doing a front and back walkover in gymnastics.
Lou: Passing my Black Archer and trying gymnastics.
Dani: Being in Level 4 in swimming, and being pretty good at tennis, gymnastics, riding, and riflery.
Maya: I tried 5 new things this summer: dance, drama, canoeing, art, and archery.
What is something you learned about yourself:
Eleanora: That camp is not scary!
Ava: I am a leader and a hard worker. I also have a sense of fun and adventure.
Lilah: I really like archery!
Lizzy: I learned that if I put my mind to something, I can do anything!
Brooke: I am really quiet every day.
Lou: I learned that I am really funny! I love myself, and I can do anything if I try my best!
Dani: Don’t say “I Can’t” and never give up.
Maya: I am beautiful inside and out, and I should not judge myself.
Happy Mother’s Day from Sunrise!
Best Moments from Sunrise
What is one moment at camp you will never forget?
Emily: Making sand castles at the waterfront!
Lauren: Sailing for the first time.
Libby: When I made Sophia, Jenny, and Ceci cry. I started hugging them and they broke into tears.
Ximena: Being hyper and running laps around the cabin with Amelia. It was super fun laughing and running all around the cabin!
Amelia: Having loads of energy and running laps around the cabin until we grew tired. Those were the good times!
Becky: My first day at camp! I remember Sofia (my counselor) shouting my name and 5 minutes later telling me to go to the cabin, but in that moment, I forgot who she was! I also won’t forget Claire telling me to put my pajamas on, and I didn’t understand what she was saying. It was SO cool!
What is something adventurous you did this past summer?
Emily: I tried new things.
Lauren: When I went with Farm Zoo to Lost Lake at Towering Pines.
Libby: I soloed a canoe for the first time.
Ximena: Passing my level in water-skiing – I didn’t think I could do it!
Amelia: This summer I tried 2 new activities (tennis and riflery). Both of them are now my favorite activities!
Becky: Getting to canoe across the lake was something new for me. Rachel, Elena, and I were singing during the entire trip. Sleeping outside in the woods was amazing! And, I ate s’mores for the first time (they were delicious)!
What is something for which you are most proud?
Emily: I am proud of passing a level in archery when it was my first time shooting.
Lauren: I passed out of Level 4 in swimming lessons.
Libby: Passing levels in activities and trying new things.
Ximena: Making new friends, passing out of swimming lessons, and passing levels in other activities. I also make others have a great summer!
Amelia: Learning to take 2 minute showers – it really comes in handy!
Becky: I did a lot of new things this summer! I shot a gun for the first time, I learned how to ride, I knee-boarded for the first time, I improved a lot in gymnastics, and I made a lot of new friends!
What is something you learned about yourself?
Emily W: I am a good shooter and swimmer.
Lauren: I am braver than I thought!
Libby: I usually don’t give up when trying new things.
Ximena: That I can do everything I put my mind to and achieve it no matter what. I think that is AMAZING!
Amelia: I learned that I don’t have to be perfect. All that matters is that I try and believe in myself.
Becky: I realized that my way to run is so weird, but it makes me run faster!
Why I Choose Woodland!
Waterfront Director 1987-1997
Because I moved on from Woodland/Towering Pines after a 12-year stint as counselor, program director, waterfront director, and eventually assistant director, and then returned after a 14 year hiatus, I am often asked by fellow alumni why I chose to come back. In the time I was away, I was the associate director at a much larger all-girls camp in the mountains of Western North Carolina full-time for 8 years. There are 60+ camps in three neighboring counties in that part of the US alone!
Tamarack Cabin Counselor 1986-1991
A little over 10 years ago, I started my own camp consulting business and present at multiple camp and youth development conferences every year and work with camps to provide top-notch staff training and programming experiences. I have been back at Woodland/Towering Pines every summer since 2011 spending a month sleeping on a top bunk and being truly immersed in camp life. I can’t imagine being anywhere else!
Lena’s Helper with 1989 Birthday Cake
I have worked with and been to many different camps (100+) since my career path took me in another direction in 1997. This includes single sex, co-ed, for-profit, not-for-profit, agency, religiously affiliated, specialty, traditional, all sizes, various geographic locations and a few other qualifiers that I’m sure I am leaving off the list. Coming back to Woodland/Towering Pines was choice I made because of how strongly I believe the the experience both camps have to offer kids today who need camp now more than ever! While there are many great camps out there, I would have no hesitation choosing Woodland and Towering Pines for the following reasons:
Fair Day sign still in tact 30 years later!
Size: Small & personalized. Every staff member (including the directors) knows every camper! Campers know each other (younger and older) and that truly makes us a camp FAMILY.
Purposeful Play/Creativity: We are technology free! We focus on what really matters – growth as individuals and as a group. Through purposeful and “unplugged” play, kids use their imagination and creativity to make their own fun.
Program Philosophy: Our 2-week themes of ACCLIMATE – ACCELERATE – CELEBRATE provide a framework for campers to thrive and grow. Mr. Jordan (founder & 5th grade teacher for 30 years) knew what he was doing when he created the mix of activities and the flow of the summer.
Staff: The owners/directors really know the staff because the majority have been campers themselves and have come up through our Counselor-In-Training leadership program. Staff training is on-going and includes a week prior to camper arrival. We take our work seriously!
Length: Kids need the opportunity to work through their differences and face challenges! The real value of camp plays out AFTER the first two weeks of experience. The 6 Week Advantage and time spent “all in” is the reason the end is so fun and impactful.
Diversity: Campers experience a variety of cultures and make new friends from all around the US and world. Camp is a great equalizer!
Level of Competition: There is healthy competition at appropriate times in the summer with a focus on sportsmanship and teamwork. Everybody plays!
Consistency: This is a hard one to explain, but I feel that it is important to “walk the talk” by being true to what is portrayed in marketing efforts and then staying congruent with that message throughout the entire camp experience. What you see is what you get at Woodland/TP!
Food: Meals are mostly made from scratch (very little processed food) with healthy options available during snack times. Plus, the time spent eating 3-meals together contributes greatly to the feeling of being family!
Price: “All-inclusive” (no extra fees) and competitive with other camps our size and duration. It’s hard to put a price tag on a quality experience!
So, there you have it…some of the reasons why I truly believe the camp experience that Woodland and Towering Pines provides to kids is exactly what they need for each unique stage of development. And, that is coming from someone who lives, sleeps, eats, breathes, and LOVES camp every single day! I look forward to seeing you and your camper this summer!
April Showers from Starshine!
Best Moments from Starshine (these girls will be CIT’s in 2017!):
What is one moment at camp you will never forget?
Sofia: On our canoe trip, all 8 of us were in one tent and we had a great time bonding. We stayed up late and had a blast!
Sam: Putting 8 people in a 6 person tent on our canoe trip! This made us bond, laugh, and most importantly, make memories that will last a lifetime!
Amelia: When we were on our canoe trip and we all fit into one tent. This way we got closer as a cabin!
Kelly: On our canoe trip this year, we fit all 8 of us in one tent and we talked all night. We also took a lot of photos that we can look through forever.
Paula: On our canoe trip we did a photoshoot and stayed up late talking and telling stories.
Valentina: I will never forget our canoe trip; we got to know each other, worked as a team to put our tents up, had a lot of fun in the lake, and told stories. It was a great canoe trip!
Cayley: I will never forget our canoe trip when we all shared a tent and told funny stories by the campfire.
Molly: We took a full on photo shoot on our canoe trip and seriously took 1000 pictures! It was the best canoe trip ever!
What is something adventurous you did this summer?
Sofia: Ropes course – we did some pretty extreme stuff!
Sam: Trying lots of new things and learning from both good and bad experiences.
Amelia: At Ropes Course I did all of the different activities that were scary at first, but ended up being tons of fun!
Kelly: When we went to the Ropes Course, we did the “human slingshot” and it was scary, but I did it!
Paula: At Ropes Course, I challenged myself to try things I never thought I could do, and in the end I did them!
Valentina: Ropes Course was an amazing experience because we got to do things that we can’t do anywhere else.
Cayley: We did a lot of challenging activities at the Ropes Course, and it was a lot of fun.
Molly: When we went to the Ropes Course, I was pulled up over 20 feet off the ground and then launched like a human slingshot.
What is something for which you are most proud?
Sofia: Learning to ski and sail.
Sam: Making new friends outside of my cabin that will no doubt be friends for life.
Amelia: I swam 245 laps in lap swim and got to go to Cathy’s!
Kelly: Finishing my laps for lap swim and getting to go to Cathy’s with my friends.
Paula: Trying to pass so many levels and for trying riding for the first time.
Valentina: I am proud of going on the “human slingshot”. I am very afraid of heights, but I still got on and did it!
Cayley: I signed up for sailing 3rd session after not doing it for many years, and I loved it! I passed a few levels in Riflery.
Molly: I passed out of swimming lessons this year; it took 5 years to do it, but I did it! I went on all of the challenges at the Ropes Course, and I am afraid of heights, so doing everything really pushed me.
What is something you learned about yourself?
Sofia: Never give up and keep on trying; you are always going to have obstacles in life that you have to overcome.
Sam: I love my best friends so much that it is hard to describe!
Amelia: I am determined to pass my levels in all my activities and I love trying new things.
Kelly: I learned that nothing is impossible if I try my best and keep persevering.
Paula: That it is never too late to try something new and that to accomplish something, you need to keep trying no matter how many times you fall.
Valentina: I learned that if I try my best and push myself to my limit, I can accomplish anything (even if I am afraid at first).
Cayley: To never give up and try new things because you will regret it if you don’t.
Molly: I will never take my friends for granted because I know that we would do anything for each other. I also work well with people to try new things and not get discouraged.
The Power of Play
The Power of Play
The winter months are exciting as we prepare for the upcoming summer. Often we are asked, “so, what do you do in the off-season?” Believe it or not, this time of year can be just as busy as the summer months! We are meeting new and returning campers at camp fairs and open houses, putting together our staff team, checking out new program ideas and resources, and connecting with our camp family via various social media avenues. It is also a time of professional development as we take part in webinars and national and regional conferences so that we stay current with the latest trends in the industry.
One of the interesting themes we have noticed this year is talk around the power of play. Dr. Shimi Kang, a keynote speaker at the recent American Camp Association National Conference in Albuquerque and author of “The Self-Motivated Kid” talks about how play is directly linked to the development of the prefrontal cortex, which directs our highest levels of thinking and functioning. She goes on to say that play is so important to our survival that the impulse to play is just as fundamental as our impulse to sleep or eat. Play is also essential to the development of creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration, the skills needed for success in the 21st century. (Kang, 2014)
The quote, “Play is the work of children,” takes on various forms and is contributed to Piaget, Maria Montessori, Fred Rogers, and other youth development experts. Play isn’t exactly a novel concept at Camp Woodland – Mr. Jordan was a huge proponent of the power of play at camp! Here are some of the ways we foster play throughout the summer:
- Taking advantage of the outdoor playground all around us! There are sticks, leaves, rocks, etc. that can provide hours of creative thought and play.
- Opportunities for camper performances at weekly campfires, the annual Lip Sync Contest, and promotional skits at assembly are various “stages” for true colors to shine!
- Tetherball and other pick-up games are available for free time where campers often collaborate and make up their own rules.
- Cards and board games provide great fun for cabins during rest hour and at nighttime.
- The Woodland Drama class uses their creativity and imagination to design props, sets, and costumes for drama productions.
- Arts and Crafts classes provide starting materials for an idea; it is amazing how each camper develops them into a unique project.
- Campers use innovation and resourcefulness to plan theme events for evening activities and Sunday’s. Gymnastics mats become elaborate mazes for Camper Council Night, a giant painted rock is the infamous “Mother Lode” for Gold Rush Day, and soccer goals turn into the “jail” for Woodland Fair. “Minute-To-Win-It” games were a big hit in 2016!
- Cabin night is another opportunity for campers and counselors to improvise fun things to do. Jumping on the Aqua Tramp or getting involved in an game of tag always make for a good time!
COME PLAY WITH US THIS SUMMER!!!
“It’s happy talent to know how to play”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
