Category: New Parent Information

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

Just kidding! Now that I got your attention…

A camp director friend at another camp says to parents, “Your kids are going to summer camp in a few years, it’s called college.” Living independently, problem solving, navigating an unknown world, making new friends, and more are a few of the skills necessary to succeed in life after high school (college, trade school, getting a job, traveling, etc). At camp, kids practice and develop those skills over the course of the summer. I actually know someone who is the ED of a fraternity organization on a university campus who shared with me recently that he can always tell the students who have gone to or worked at a summer camp. They exude leadership, confidence, the ability to make decisions, and resilience (just to name a few) that is easy to pick up on over those that did not attend camp.

It is easy to come up with reasons NOT to send your kid/s to camp (too far, too long, too buggy, too hot, too cold, too fun, etc). Yes, camp may actually be TOO. MUCH. FUN. It may have crossed your mind that an extended sleepover in the woods couldn’t possibly be an experience with any substance or observable outcomes. Kids playing, laughing, singing, and having the best time must be just that.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

To the kids, our campers, camp is supposed to be F-U-N. And, it definitely is that. Camp is Loads. Of. Fun. And, we want it to be that way. Camp will always be FUN.

To you, the parents and caregivers, camp is SO. MUCH. MORE.

Each aspect of the camp day has layers of intentionality behind it:

• Cabin living = independence and conflict resolution skills
• Activity choices = decision-making and time management
• Evening programs/Special events = social confidence and community building
• Overnight canoe trips = problem solving and teamwork
• Camp traditions = leadership development and belonging

I think it is even EASIER to come up with ways of why you SHOULD ABSOLUTELY be considering camp for your kid/s. Everything we do at camp is just another way to foster cool growth opportunities for ages 7-17 (and beyond). Add that to being surrounded by nature and away from the daily “noise” we live in most of the time, and you have the perfect ecosytem for CRAZY GROWTH!

Thinking about Camp Woodland or Towering Pines for 2025? Know someone who could benefit from a Northwoods camp experience? 

If you or a friend/family member would like to learn more about the Woodland/Towering Pines summer camp experience, we invite you to join us for our Virtual Info Event on Sunday, January 26 at 4 pm CST. (Zoom link will be sent out prior to event). Other events TBD in the months ahead!

If you aren’t able to attend one of our meetings, our leadership team is always willing to spend time sharing what our camps have to offer at Camp Woodland for Girls.

Please DO send your kids to camp (and help them prepare for life after 18)! There is still time to reserve your spots by Registering for Summer 2025!

We’re Mighty Glad You’re HERE…! 

You can’t open a summer camp without the people. The moment we have all been waiting for is FINALLY here…our favorite people have arrived! Dressed in their snazzy Woodland polos, the counselors were literally jumping up and down with excitement, clapping, and singing the welcome song as cars came into camp on Opening Day. Everything we’d been talking about during pre-camp training was coming to reality!

Even the less than perfect weather could not detract from the delight of the day— old camp friends reuniting, new campers being welcomed and suddenly finding themselves swept along as cabin groups began setting up their bunks. Soon groups of girls led by their counselors were exploring camp, warming up the tether balls, and getting to know each other. Lunch was a perennial favorite: mac & cheese, salad bar, and chocolate chip cookies. All hot and gooey, Dan’s homemade mac & cheese is a pasta dish (and comfort food) that always pleases the crowd. With pizza, another salad bar and rhubarb crisp for dinner, the girls got to enjoy several camp favorites on the 1st day! The natural beauty of Woodland was sparkling all day long (even with a little “dew”) and into the evening as the bus with our campers from Mexico pulled into the drive. It truly was an extraordinary day.

Dear Camp Woodland Parent,

You are about to do something brave, and terrifying, and important. In a few days, you are about to send your child/ren to summer camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This child that you’ve spent every waking moment thinking about, caring for, motivating every decision you make around since before she was born. This child you know like the inside of your own mind. This child that drives you totally nuts and you love more than literally anything in the entire world. And you’re giving them to me – a young adult who you’ve never met in your entire life, to care for.

I can’t imagine how scary that might be. I can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like dropping them off at the airport or driving home without them. I can’t imagine what it will feel like to wonder how they’re doing. Are they making friends? Are they growing? Are they learning? Are they happy?

I can’t imagine what that feels like, so what I can do is tell you what I will strive to do this summer.

I will strive to never take for granted that this child is someone’s most important human being in the world.

I will strive to do everything in my power to keep her safe – emotionally and physically.

I will strive to ensure her growth and happiness are my personal goals for the summer.

I will strive to find the things that make your child special, and celebrate them, cultivate them, let her know how cool they are.

I will strive to give you a warm welcome when I meet you and to discuss any concerns you have about your child this summer.

I will strive to be a role model for her that you’d be proud of.

When she is sad or has a bad day, I will do my best to be a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear and a comforting voice.

When she has challenges to overcome, I will strive to support her as she learns how to navigate the situation productively.

I will strive to make sure she has some of the best experiences of her life here.

I will strive to help her succeed and to build her up to see her missteps and failures as opportunities, to be a strong girl who can move on from the losses and dust herself off.

When she’s homesick, I will strive to listen and seek out help from other campers and staff members. If she’s the type of kid who’s the star of the show and the center of the room, I’ll encourage her to become the best leader she can be. If she’s the type of kid who hangs back, who needs a little time, who doesn’t quite know how she shines yet – I’ll help her figure it out, and celebrate her for being who she is.

Whether this is your first time dropping her off at camp or the seventh, I will strive to be committed to her growth and happiness. I can’t wait to see her eyes light up when it’s Donut Day (Saturday morning). I can’t wait to see her be proud of herself for performing in a play. I can’t wait to see all of her work at archery pay off when she gets her first bulls-eye (or hits the target for the first time). I can’t wait to see her feel strong.

She’s going to ride a horse, or sail in a race, or make a friendship bracelet, or dive off the raft, or write a totally ridiculous song and sing it in front of the entire camp. She might not be on the winning team, argue with a friend, or be homesick. And, I will be there for all of it, and I will strive to make it my job to know exactly what the best and worst part of her day was, every day.

You’re not going to know me until you drive down the camp road – so who am I?

I’m someone who gave up other job opportunities or potential college application boosters to be here – because I care about camp and taking care of kids more, and because I think being a camp counselor gives you skills that may be even more valuable than an internship or a different job.

I want to be here.

I care about the well-being of your child more than anything else.

I think hanging out with your kid is the best job in the world.

Camp has given or will give me more amazing friends, joys, memories and lessons than any other experience in life. I come back because I want to give that back to children, like my counselors gave it to me. I’m coming for the first time because I want to make a difference this summer.

I am silly, and serious, and imperfect – I play guitar and do yoga and balance spoons on my nose, or I play a sport in college and can sing my favorite camp song backwards, or I’m an aspiring doctor who sunburns really easily. Whoever I am, I’m a complex, strong person who knows what it feels like to have lots of different interests and hobbies. I want to help your child find her own, or teach her mine.

I want your child to feel loved. I want your child to succeed in doing something she never thought she’d do. I want her to push herself. I want her to feel like she belongs. I want her to try something new. I want her to make friends. I want her to learn. I want her to figure out what connects her to her friends, and also what makes her stand out from them.

I want her to read a book, listen to a loon call, eat a s’more, hit a back handspring, tie a figure-8 knot, make up a dance routine, paddle a canoe solo. I want her to have the best summer of her entire life. I want her to love this place as much as I do or will come to love.

But mostly, I want you to know that she’ll be in good hands, and that when you see her at the end of the summer, you’ll know it was all worth it.

Love, Her Woodland Counselor