Category: Why Camp Woodland?!

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg first introduced the idea of the third place—a space that is neither home nor work (or, for young people, neither home nor school). More recently, writer Kristin Kenzy has breathed fresh life into the concept, reminding us why these spaces matter now more than ever.

According to Kenzy, “a third place delivers social connection, a sense of belonging, and critical relief from our responsibilities at home and work.” For adults, that might be a favorite café or community center. But for the campers who return to Camp Woodland summer after summer, we know exactly what that third place is: right here on County D, among the tall pine trees, on Sand Lake, and in a community where they feel deeply known.

Why Camp Woodland is a Third Place 

Every June, campers arrive with duffels full of clothing and hearts full of anticipation. What they step into is not simply a camp session—it’s a living, breathing third place that offers:

1. Social Connection

At Woodland, connection happens everywhere:
– In the dining hall when the entire camp erupts into song 
– At the barn when a camper cheers for a friend’s first trot
– In the cabin before bedtime when the counselor is reading the goodnight story

Here, conversation isn’t something squeezed between tasks—it’s the point. Campers discover what it feels like to be listened to, supported, and celebrated in a community designed to bring people together.

2. A Sense of Belonging

Belonging at Camp Woodland doesn’t depend on achievement, appearance, or perfection. A Woodland girl is embraced for who she is the moment she arrives. Traditions, shared experiences, and the sheer joy of growing up together create bonds that stretch far beyond one summer.

It’s this belonging that keeps campers returning year after year—and keeps Woodland alumnae connected long after they’ve traded sailboats for laptops and riding boots and helmets for career attire.

3. A Break from Everyday Responsibilities

Camp is a rare gift in a world buzzing with notifications, pressures, and expectations. Woodland asks something beautifully simple of campers:
Be present. Try new things. Be yourself.

Free from academic stress, schedules, and the curated world of social media, campers find spaciousness—mentally, emotionally, and socially. They reset. They breathe. They remember what it feels like to play, explore, and grow without the weight of comparison.

Connection With as Little Friction as Possible

Kristin Kenzy emphasizes that “communities thrive when people are routinely guided to connect with each other, face-to-face, with as little friction as possible.”

This is the Woodland way.

Campers don’t need an invitation to connect—it happens organically. They live together, learn together, and navigate the ups and downs of cabin life together. Friction is minimized by design:

• Devices stay at home (or in a safe place at camp)

• Staff intentionally foster collaborative, supportive environments

• Rituals and routines gently pull everyone into shared moments

Face-to-face is the only way things operate here—and the result is authentic, durable relationships that feel increasingly rare in the outside world.

A Third Place They Carry With Them

By the end of every summer, something magical happens: Camp Woodland becomes more than a destination. It becomes an anchor point, a source of confidence, and a place campers carry in their hearts long after they’ve returned home.

Because that’s the power of a true third place—it changes you.
It strengthens you.
It reminds you who you are.

And every summer, Woodland campers return to the place that gives them exactly that.

We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026 so they can find or return to their third place! 

One of the youngest campers at Camp Woodland signed up for riflery for the last 2 weeks of the summer. She was barely bigger than the rifle she would be holding. Her motivation for taking the class at the end of the summer? 

She said it was because her Mom took riflery when she was a camper and had passed all the levels over the course of multiple summers. She saw her Mom’s name on the wall in the lodge for successfully completing the highest level, “expert”. 

This Silver Birch camper was determined and nervous at the same time. It took her a while to get the hang of it. Getting the feel of the rifle and how to hold it steady is an exercise in patience. Learning how to look through the sight to see the target takes practice. 

Aiming the gun to hit the target is another step in the process and summons persistence. Breathing evenly and calmly to keep a smooth rhythm before, during, and after shooting takes some getting used to (along with a dose of positive self-talk). 

Putting it all together? More patience, practice, persistence, and positivity. 

By the end of the 2-week period, this Woodland camper was confident in her skills and able to consistently hit the target. She was now motivated by her own reasons to work hard. Riflery became fun and something she looked forward to every day!  

Three Things Everyone Needs to be Truly Motivated – Letting the Secret Out of the Bag!
Research shows kids (adults, too!) thrive when three basic needs are met:

• Autonomy → Having choice and ownership (“I choose to…”).
• Competence → Seeing growth and impact (not perfection, but progress).
• Relatedness → Feeling connection and belonging.

Why This Matters at Camp and to Our Friend Taking Riflery (or any activity!) for the First Time
At Woodland these needs are woven into daily life:

• Kids choose activities (autonomy). This camper from the youngest cabin made the choice to give riflery a try for the last activity sign-up of the summer.
• They see skills improve (competence)—on the lake, at the barn, in archery, or making friends. Improvement was visible by the scores she was getting after each round and being able to shoot at the riflery range consistently almost every day for 2 weeks.
• Cabin life, activities, and traditions create real belonging (relatedness). Through the encouragement and guidance from the counselor leading the class and the other girls showing their support built connectedness and fostered a sense of confidence in doing something for the first time (and with other campers who were much older than she was!). 

When these three align (choice, competency, and belonging), kids don’t need pushing. The shift from external motivation to genuine engagement explains why camp works for child development in ways that surprise even us sometimes. They’re intrinsically motivated to dive in, try new things, and take steps towards independence.

This is just ONE example of MANY from the recent summer!

The Bottom Line
This is why camp “works.” At every turn– even when taking a new activity for the last 2 weeks of the summer—campers gain autonomy, grow confidence, and build friendships. They return with skills and motivation that can be applied at home, school, and beyond. We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026!!

Someone shared an article in Outside Magazine a few weeks ago: “Can a Campfire Improve Your Mental Health? Many Therapists Say Yes.” To summarize the piece, therapists and nonprofits are using campfires to help a variety of folks (teens included) open up about their struggles. And the science backs it up. A 2014 study found that sitting around a fire decreases blood pressure, fosters relaxation, and improves social connection.

There was no surprise here, of course, because we’ve been seeing this exact thing at Woodland and Towering Pines for decades. With the one difference being, we don’t call it “therapy”.

For us, it’s just part of the natural cadence of the day.

Things start to wind down after an exciting day, the wood goes into the circle, a staff member lights a match, songs get sung, and skits are performed. Then, when the fire dies down and the embers are glowing, a story is read, voices get quieter, conversations go deeper, and the stars are starting to make their appearance.

All of that science from above is happening in the standard order of things here.

What Else Counts as “Therapy”?

If we’re going to start calling campfires “therapy,” what else at camp deserves this newly expanded label? Don’t get us wrong…we are a huge supporter of high-quality therapy. It changes lives every day.

When we walk around Woodland or TP on any given day, we see dozens of moments that could probably justify their own research studies and fancy therapeutic labels.

Moments that look completely ordinary. Kids being kids. Counselors being counselors. Summer unfolding as it always does.

So let’s take a look at some other forms of therapy that we apparently offer.

Walking-Across-Camp-With-A-Friend Therapy.

Watch any path between activities. Two kids, maybe three, just walking and talking. No destination pressure. No agenda. Just the simple act of moving together, conversations flowing as naturally as their footsteps.

Where else does this happen anymore without someone checking a phone? It involves being present. Physically close. Eye contact. Connection.

Your-Age-Doesn’t-Matter Therapy

Our oldest campers hanging out with our youngest campers. Teaching them archery strategies. Showing them the best spot to catch a fish. Sharing their camp memories and lighting a fire of excitement that burns all summer for our newest campers.

Where else in their lives do kids get this? Maybe from a particularly loving older sibling or cousin, but teenagers can be inward-gazing.

Older campers live for these interactions. They can’t wait to take on these roles. Just older kids who genuinely want to share what they know with the next generation.

Canoeing-To-Nowhere Therapy

A counselor and a couple of campers in a canoe. Not racing. Not trying to reach the other shore. Just paddling, floating, talking.

The point isn’t Point A to Point B. The point is doing something together. Being on the water with time to think, talk about whatever, and laugh together.

Family-Style-Meal Therapy

Three times a day. All summer long. Kids and counselors passing platters, pouring drinks for each other, negotiating who gets the last piece of garlic bread.

As parents with impossible family schedules, we struggle to manage this once or twice a week with all that’s happening. At camp, we do it for every single meal. No screens. Just faces across the table.

Looking-At-Moon/Stars Therapy

This might be our favorite. Kids stop and look up to see the Milky Way splashed across the sky. Or they may see the moon blazing a trail across Nokomis or Sand Lake.

Feeling small and part of something so much bigger in the best possible ways.

The Real Point

These aren’t programs we’ve developed or initiatives we’ve launched. They’re just…camp at Woodland and Towering Pines.

No marketing committee designed “Walking-With-A-Friend Therapy.”

No consultant suggested we optimize our canoeing program for therapeutic outcomes.

These moments happen at Woodland and TP because this is how humans naturally connect when given time, space, and freedom from the usual pressures. Just kids and counselors at camp.

You can’t improve on a campfire.

There’s no technological upgrade for looking at the stars.

What looks like a normal day at camp is actually something increasingly rare: time for real human connection. And yes, it’s deeply restorative. The scientists are just catching up to what we’ve always known.

Thank you for choosing this path for your children for this summer and summers to come.

For understanding that 6 weeks of “just camp” might be exactly what they need.

Your kids are getting the gift of a million moments that truly build them up and help them to grow as human beings, all disguised as the best summer ever.

They don’t know that walking with friends or sharing family meals is good for their mental health.

They just know they’re happy.

With gratitude for all of our campfires and the girls and staff that make them so special! We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026 for sitting by the campfire, walking with friends of all ages, eating family style, gazing at the stars, and SO. MUCH. MORE.

Reference: KE newsletter/blog

Like your daughter/s, we are still thinking about our favorite memories from the six weeks at Woodland and Towering Pines. While you may hear about the fun they had with their cabinmates and counselors, going to archery, sailing on the lake, or making a project in arts and crafts, you might only see these activities for what they are. It may just sound like shooting arrows, hanging out with friends on the water, or gluing yarn to a popsicle stick.

The memories we hold onto at the end every summer are the ones that pull the curtain back a little farther, and perhaps go deeper below the surface than what meets the eye. When we think of archery, patience, persistence, and confidence come to mind. Leadership, teamwork, and adaptability are the anchors in sailing. Arts & Crafts brings out creativity, imagination, and self-expression. We could go through each activity, one by one, and come up with quite an impressive list!

We encourage campers to reflect on their experiences by including thoughtful prompts in the letters they write home. These prompts might ask about moments when they showed bravery, qualities they value in a friend, or something they noticed and appreciated in nature. This approach helps campers develop self-awareness and recognize personal growth during their time at camp.

We are sending out one last letter to give you a chance to talk with your camper(s) about their summer experience, now that they’ve had some time to think about it. The responses they gave were collected during the final week of camp, a busy and emotional time, so their answers may reflect the whirlwind of those last days rather than the full scope of their summer. This is a great time to put on your curiosity hat and ask follow-up questions!

When you hear a story from your camper about something that was really, really fun, we hope that you, like us, know that it is much more than that. Over time, they will start to connect the dots and be able to see beyond the activity or event described. It’s part of their development process! The guide below may help you “decode” the fun into what else was happening.

• • Cabin living = independence, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
  • Activity choices = decision-making, self-exploration, trying again (and again)
  • Evening programs/Special events = social confidence, community building
  • Overnight canoe trips = problem solving, teamwork, and negotiation
  • Camp traditions = leadership development and belonging

While camp is packed with fun and adventure, it’s also a place where your child builds a crazy amount of lifelong skills. Everything we do intentionally helps campers grow in ways that go far beyond what you see and hear in their stories. We hope that you continue to hear snippets of the “enjoy the ride” summer of 2025 in the months ahead!

We are already enrolling campers for 2026 and spots fill up fast! To be part of the FUN (and MORE!) register HERE!

In a few short days, the summer of 2025 will come to a (screeching!) halt. Parents, caregivers, siblings, friends, and possibly a pet or two will descend on our 6-week Northwoods “haven”. With that brings many decisions to make regarding the re-entry of your camper into the world of home, school, activities, friends, etc. There are also some decisions to consider about coming back into the world of technology. It’s not something to take lightly…there is a golden opportunity to do things differently and set the tone for the year ahead. 

For six weeks your camper/s have been navigating the world without one single device. They have not been distracted by dings, rings and buzzes. No one has been checking to see how many likes, favorites, views, or other social media tally has been racked up to give a temporary/false sense of popularity. Not a single person has been privy to what events or gatherings they might have missed because there were conflicting obligations or there was an intentional (and devastating) non-invitation. 

The next few days are the perfect time to consider and discuss the options and consequences before handing over your camper’s smartphone, tablet, or other device. I recognize that for some campers, long-distance or international travel is involved in the journey home, thus there is a need to be able to communicate with them during their bus ride and/or flight back. I would still like to challenge you to think about and come up with a plan for once everyone is back home safely.

What prompted me to even think about this is a Growing Leaders blog I read awhile ago about an interesting trend among kids today. It came across my radar again just recently, so I wanted to revisit this idea. I discovered there is a growing population of young people who have had enough of being glued to screens. They are looking for and needing/craving something more. Something their phones and devices can’t provide. This is the main reason the Luddite Club was founded by a few years ago by some high schoolers in Brooklyn, NY, and why its members assembled in-person on Sunday afternoons on the steps of the Central Library on Grand Army Plaza to play games, do art, or just hang out and have face-to-face conversations (sounds like camp!). 

The tie that bound this group is that they decided at some point to put their “smart phone” away for good and use a flip phone or no phone at all. The “push” in many instances for this unexpected turn originated by parental insistence that the mobile device be taken away for a period of time as a necessary consequence. After the initial shock of being without their communication lifeline, the teens realized that they were better off not being tethered to something that turned them into a version of themselves they didn’t recognize or even like anymore. 

These students are now in college and Luddite Clubs are popping up in other areas of the country on various college and university campuses. In a more recent interview with Soledad O’Brien, two of the founding members of the Luddite Club shared that other members use varying ways to cut back on social media and are finding out what works best for them.

In an ACT math prep tutoring session I had a few weeks back, the rising HS senior told me that he and some friends went to play golf (a great way to get the ACT out of your mind the week of the test!) and they all put their phones in the same bag and didn’t look at them again until the game was over. When I asked a few questions to find out more, Ryan said that his friend group does that on occasion so that they can enjoy each other’s company and the activity they are participating in without getting distracted by the many rabbit holes a phone can take you down.

A current TP/Woodland parent and longtime Woodland camper/staff member emailed me after reading the “Addition Through Subtraction” blog that was posted in 2023. This alum shared she appreciated that her kids return from camp having mentally slowed down to a healthy speed. “As a family, we take advantage as we roll straight from camp (by way of the washing machine) into a vacation at the beach where we all slow down, and we all love it. Three hours spent on a board game? No problem. Two hours reading a book? Great! Crazy slow mini golf? I double dog dare you.” This post-camp family time is intentionally sans devices.

She further states that, “My mom told me recently that my dad’s late life mobility issues were an unexpected gift, because she realized that she now looked up when she walked slowly to match his reduced pace, and she observed so much that she had been missing for years.” Great words to live by! I have that found that looking at my phone while trying to walk our dogs or do something else is robbing precious time from being present in the beauty of where I am at that moment. I can’t get those seconds or minutes of seeing the sun break the horizon, a heron flying overhead with a fish in its mouth, or the exposed beach at low tide back if I choose to have my head down and eyes peeled to a small piece of rectangular glass. 

Is this an easy ask? Heck no! Are the short term struggles worth the long term benefits? I believe so. 100%. Otherwise, I would not be writing this! Here are a few ideas to consider as a starting point for helping your child/ren become more aware of the impact their device is having on them and the benefits of scaling back on device time if not forgoing it altogether in the months ahead. Maybe a pros/cons list is in order now that they will have been almost 45 days without one!

1. Share stories of kids their age who are taking a break.

There are even examples of campers in our own community delaying possession of their devices following their 6 week camp experience. In fact, one such CIT gave her phone back to her mom before jumping in the car to go home a few summers ago. She knew she wasn’t ready to be immersed into the social pressures of what it means being “online” 24/7 and the mind-numbing feeling of being lost in endless scrolling. 

2. Curate dinner table or other opportunities for meaningful discussions.

Your camper is used to sitting with their cabin group for three meals every day having real, in-depth conversations about what is experienced and learned while everyone goes in different directions during activity periods. Sharing ups and downs, successes and failures, along with stories and past experiences from home is normalized when sitting around a table or in a circle at cookout or picnic multiple times a day. Dreams, hopes and goals are also being shared during meals or other random times of checking-in throughout the day with cabinmates and other camp friends. This has been a regular part of the fabric of every single day at camp for your daughter/s since they arrived on June 21. I would venture to say on the low side that 5-6 hours a day on average is spent in these organic interactions! 

3. Plan device-free days or times.

If going cold turkey with time spent on devices is too much or not realistic for your household situation, consider starting with times of the day (meals, homework time, etc) or certain days (Saturday, Sunday, or days during a holiday break) that are device-free. Having this conversation and together coming up with your family plan will help create buy-in from your camper/s. 

4. What now?!

Last time I checked, stamps are still available at your local post office or other customer service counter (I even tried to get my holiday stamps a few weeks ago because last year they ran out in August!). Campers will have address lists of our community in their memory folders and can connect with camp friends using “snail mail”. Rounding up some fun stationery, pens, stickers and other items can make letter-writing a more desirable means of communication. Instill “rest hour” at home when possible and encourage this type of activity (another camp routine). You can plan on hearing from us about once a month with photos, newsletters, and camp news that will keep the spirit of being “unplugged” alive throughout the year. 

We wish you a great school year and look forward to when we can all come together at Camp Woodland for another 6-weeks of being device-free!