Camp Woodland Blog

What’s the vibe of camp right now as we head into the 6th week of camp?

Borrowing the words of a once (maybe still?) popular Eagle’s song, campers and staff right now both have “that peaceful, easy feeling.” It makes perfect sense if you just look around. You see plenty of smiles, girls laughing and playing, and appearing really at ease. With camp being a place where girls can be themselves without the pressures and worries of school, where they know instinctively the people around them are genuinely kind and caring, it’s natural to relax into the experience.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

There’s no need to guard against anything or to maintain any kind of facade, so camp provides a release of sorts. That feeling alone is enough to lift a child’s spirits, but combine it with all of the fun activity at camp, along with all the enthusiastic energy of a zany community (spigot parties!), and you have a the recipe for peacefulness as well. There’s also plenty of giggling, especially now that campers are comfortable around each other. It doesn’t take much these days for a little bit of silliness to turn into a laugh out loud moment!

Where can you find that peaceful, easy feeling?

This feeling shows up in many of the activities. For example, in gymnastics, which meets outside of the Rec Hall, each class starts with a series of warm-ups. Spread out on the gymnastics mats, girls are peacefully stretching, listening to music, and getting mentally ready for some more difficult flips, spins around the parallel bars, and balancing on the beam.

On Land…Focusing, Concentrating, and Losing Yourself

Sometimes, this peaceful feeling arises from concentrating on something, from being completely immersed in whatever we’re doing. As one might imagine, the girls have to really focus when riding a horse, being careful with the position of their legs, their posture in the saddle, and how they are controlling the reins. This gentle coordination between the horse and rider makes horseback riding rewarding and fun.

Similarly, at the archery or riflery ranges, concentration is greatly assisted by slow, even breathing in order to have a bullet or arrow make its way to the desired area of a target. Adding up the score upon completion of each round brings great satisfaction or determination to improve next time.

Spending Time with the Animals

While we don’t have “therapy” animals per se at camp, it is not a huge stretch of the imagination to come to the conclusion that hanging out at the barn or Farm Zoo is about as therapeutic as it gets! Showing your horse some “love” before mounting and after a gratifying lesson in the ring is definitely encouraged (if not required!). The bunnies, chickens, and ducks in our small animal area get watered, fed, and petted (a lot!) every morning by the first hour class while sixth hour helps get the menagerie of very tame fuzzy friends get ready for nighttime.

And, Being Creative

Arts and crafts activities at camp offer a similar opportunity to lose yourself in the moment. Working with their hands, making a picture frame, wrapping yarn around a bottle, or tying the many knots required to make a friendship bracelet, campers easily become deeply engaged. There’s a strange immersive quality to many craft projects at camp, each providing another way to relax and at the same time enjoy the satisfaction of making something. It’s amazing how easily the campers are happily absorbed in designing, building, creating, arranging, painting, and more.

In the Sun and Shade at the Beach

Rec Swim at the lake also exemplifies that peaceful, easy feeling. Often instead of swimming, floating is more popular. It’s a way to cool off in the refreshing water of Sand Lake, while at the same time lounging comfortably on a tube or one of the mats available. Even more fun is when friends pile into the tubes making them a little unsteady and easy to end up in a splash. Even for those who choose the shade at the beach, there is something grounding about having sand wriggling between your toes and sifting through your fingers should you decide a sandcastle or lounging with a book is the way to go.

Ahhhhhhh, The Soothing Waves!

Sailing offers those “wind in your face” moments as your boat cuts through the waves while enjoying an easy going cruise with good company or rounding a buoy marker in a competitive race. Canoeing provides a calming rhythm as you dip, dip and swing a paddle to nowhere in particular or a planned destination. Spending an hour fishing while letting your legs dangle off the dock or taking a slow ride on the pontoon boat is a great way to decompress. Just hearing the waves lap on the shore or against the sailboats on their moorings, along with the sound of the halyards clanking on the masts is about as good as it gets!

A Gift That Keeps On Giving

Compared to the daily lives of most kids, living the “peaceful, easy feeling” life of camp is a great gift. It proves to them it’s fun and rewarding to be active, and to really dig into creative pursuits (this is often how Woodland girls find their passion that comes with them wherever they go!). Most importantly, it reveals the peacefulness that follows from simply being yourself in a relaxed way (like eating pancakes outside in your jammies!). The beauty of camp, and surely a big reason why girls love it, is how quickly and easily the community here evokes these feelings. It is our wish that your camper is storing up a reserve of “peaceful, easy” to insert when needed at home or school over the coming year!