We began today with another chilly misty morning as campers and staff made their way to the dining hall for breakfast. Excitement soon filled the air as we saw what was for breakfast….waffles!! Some also noticed a banner on the wall, a few tables and chairs missing, and even a kayaking paddle where the missing table should have been. It seems the Hi-Ups had pranked the CAs. Here at Rockbrook we have a few rules about pranking. The first, along with everything else at Rockbrook, is that it must be kind. Second, the prank must be something that can be undone (e.g. nothing broken or ruined). And third, the group who pulls the prank must be willing to help undo it. In this case, the Hi-Ups moved the CA’s dining hall tables and chairs to the lake! When the CAs arrived, they were surprised to see their breakfast was being served waterside! Lots of waffle hunting and laughter ensued.

Morning activities kicked right into high gear as campers and staff walked to their first period activities ready to finish out the three-day rotation. Later this evening they’ll be signing up for their next set of activities. A couple of lucky cabins took a tour on our zipline and high ropes courses. They all had a wonderful time going across all three ziplines while shrieking with happiness! Today’s muffin flavor was blueberry chocolate chip. While most enjoyed the combo, a few picked out their blueberries to have a classic chocolate chip muffin.

At lunch, we announced several special trips: Sliding Rock, Dolly’s Dairy Bar, and Pucker Up Berry Farm. Cabins roared with cheers as they heard their cabins being called for some of these fun adventures. Lunch ended with mailboxes being emptied, cabin photos being taken, and the start of a relaxing Rest Hour.

Cabin Day is usually an activity done together as a cabin and is planned out by the counselors. Today, the Senior Line (our 7th-9th graders) did something a little different; they had a line-wide cabin day! The counselors worked hard prepping a unique game that mixed the campers, dividing them into 12 different groups that would compete in the game.

The game was a battle of sorts where each group had “tools” they could use to score points against others. These “tools” were sections of pantyhose filled with flour! Tied into small balls, there were black pantyhose balls and white ones too, each worth different points. A team would score points whenever they hit someone on an opposing team with one of the balls. Needless to say, the girls enjoyed firing these balls at each other on the hill. And since they were all dressed in dark colors, the white flour left a mark when hitting someone. The prize awarded the group with the most points was an ice cream treat.

In addition to trying to cover one another in flour, teams walked around camp to find counselors who had special tasks for them to complete in order to earn other candy treats. Some of the tasks included answering trivia questions, building a human pyramid, and various hula hooping challenges. The Seniors roamed all over camp making new friends from other cabins and having a grand afternoon.

Meanwhile, we had cabins watercoloring at Rockbrook Falls, down at the archery range playing games, climbing the alpine tower, and tie dying some t-shirts. By the end of cabin day, everyone looked happy to have spent time with their cabin mates. After dinner, another large group of campers and staff headed off for a chilly evening sliding down the rock— at Sliding Rock, that is! Dressed in swimsuits and ready to slide, the girls sat down in the stream at the top and slid the 60 feet into the pool at the bottom. It’s a classic summertime mountain thrill, and these Rockbrook girls loved it! And of course, Dolly’s was the final stop of the evening. Another action-packed, happy fun day at camp!

—Casey Blair

You're reading "Waffle Hunting" by Casey Blair, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

A strawberry, two clouds, a concerned citizen and a newscaster are all racing around in the Mountainside Lodge at Rockbrook. They stop twirling long enough to host a pretend newscast about the weather, which seems to involve strawberries falling from the sky and a cloud-dance. And a LOT of giggles. After five minutes of zipping back and forth, blurting out lines, and more giggling, they dash back to their seats, basking in the applause of their audience. 

An uninformed observer would be completely baffled as to what just happened. But here at Rockbrook Camp, cabin skits are a staple of camp life. They’re an opportunity for campers to try out life skills, be completely silly, and make memories with their new friends. 

Evening programs begin as the sun sets behind the mountains and the crickets warm up for the night. Each age group of campers gathers in its respective lodge around camp. This brings campers together to meet new friends and touch base about the day they just had and talk about the new day ahead. Cabin skits also play a big role in the evening activities. The “themes” for skits may vary, but they generally involve each cabin getting their “assignment,” racing off to their respective cabins to self-organize, and then coming back to deliver their big performance to the group.

There are dozens of different types of cabin skits, and new ones are always being created by enterprising counselors. Things like creating silly advertisements, hosting a pretend TV program, building a plot based around a random cabin item are performed regularly. After campers dash off, costumes come out of trunks, items in the cabin are put to creative use, and imaginations run wild. “Scripts” are jotted down on scraps of stationary, and “rehearsals” involve heated discussions and occasional flashes of emotion as campers decide on a plot, roles, and props for the big show.

Being at camp is an opportunity for campers to learn and hone all kinds of life skills. Cabin skits are one such opportunity, and counselors deliberately stay hands-off during the planning. Each group is assigned a “director,” a role that rotates over the course of the camp session so everyone can have a turn. Beyond that structure, it’s up to them to self-organize, plan, and create. This can sometimes be difficult or frustrating, especially for younger age groups and different personality types. Listening to the ideas of others and compromising, especially when you believe YOUR idea is “best” can be a tough skill, even for adults! There’s also a fixed amount of time to plan, and as the clock ticks down the voices from cabins grow more intense.  

As they say in show business, the curtain doesn’t go up because you’re ready; it goes up because it’s time! Counselors summon cabin groups back to the lodge, with excitement and anticipation crackling in the air and an assortment of wacky props hidden behind backs. To nervous giggles and shuffling, the first group takes the stage in costume, and the skits begin. 

While minor details like “plot” and “dialogue” are not always clear, what is clear is how much fun the campers are having, and how they’ve come together as a group for each performance. Together, they face the experience of public speaking, acting, singing, and producing. They learn how to work together, listen to each other, and respect different opinions. The final result is always magnificent, even if the casual observer leaves confused why the strawberry ran off stage and the clouds jumped up and yelled “tah-dah!” and the newscaster put a cowboy hat on and started singing a Taylor Swift song. The only thing that matters is that campers are learning and growing and creating. They know it, and their cheering audience knows it too. 

Each cabin takes their turn, with each performance growing more exuberant and costumes more outrageous. Meanwhile, unnoticed, the sun quietly slips behind the mountains and the volume of the crickets begins to compete with the actors. The air temperature drops a bit, and evening softly descends on camp.

Our actors take a final bow, to the cheers of the fellow campers. After a round of the goodnight circle and milk and cookies, it’s time for teeth-brushing, pajamas, and a good night’s rest. After all, tomorrow is another day full of new skills, new friends, and more wild imagination. And definitely more wacky costumes.        

Miranda Barrett
Camp Mom, former camper and counselor 

You're reading "Skits and Skills at Camp" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Let’s talk about a shaving cream fight. This is a special event that brings all the campers together, no matter what their age. It’s equally popular with all age groups too. So when we announced that there would be a shaving cream fight tonight during our “twilight” time, the girls roared with excitement. At the sound of the camp bell, everyone interested in joining in the messy fun would meet down at the landsports field dressed in their swimsuits.

We were ready when the girls started to arrive— about 150 cans of plain shaving cream, a couple of water hoses, some fun pop music pumping, and a big sheet of plastic for a slip-n-slide (because that’s fun too when you’re already slippery!).

The point of a shaving cream fight is not complicated, and the girls somehow know instinctively how to go— spray the contents of your can of the white slippery foam both on others and on yourself. Then race around smearing, wiping, splattering and rubbing the shaving cream into everyone’s hair, on their backs, and ultimately everywhere. Beyond that, the goal is to have fun, be silly and enjoy the wild mess of it all. It’s as simple as that.

There are no teams, and this is not a competition where we pick a winner at the end like some games. So it’s not much of a “fight” really. It’s more of a group event, almost like a dance, since it’s just as much fun to be attacked as it is to splatter others. Part of the fun is surprising someone, sneaking up to them and planting a blob right on their back, shoulder or leg… as you race away grinning, and secretly hoping, but also looking out for, someone who will do the same to you. There’s no score: just the fun of playing the game.

By the way, have you ever noticed how not keeping score makes playing a game more fun. That matches up perfectly with our camp philosophy.

The whole event is absolutely hilarious! Once the spraying begins, you can’t hear anything except shrieks of delight and laughter. We all (yes, counselors and directors too!) quickly begin to look pretty funny, our hair sticking up, with white beards and mustaches, if not completely foamy. There was one little Junior tonight whose entire head was one blob of shaving cream!

A shaving cream fight feels liberating too. It’s a little mischievous and outrageous, but still sanctioned, even celebrated at camp. It’s a harmless way to go a little crazy, while at the same time laugh and play with your friends. Outside of camp, you’ll never see girls having this kind of deep, affirming fun, the kind of laughter that makes you pause to take a breath. A shaving cream fight like this taps into the deepest kind of childhood joy. Among friends, there’s nothing like it. Just ask your camper when you get a chance.

Is there something to learn from a shaving cream fight? Perhaps. It’s certainly proof that letting loose with your friends feels really good— laughing with abandon, not caring how silly you look, embracing the energy of it all.

Here we know each other so well, it’s easy for these Rockbrook girls to relax into who they really are. This community of support and encouragement opens up a quality of experience that’s hard to match. Even in something as simple as a shaving cream fight, that connection makes a real difference. No wonder this feels so great.

You're reading "Deep Childhood Joy" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks visited camp again this week to film and has produced another short video for us. He spent the day filming, worked his editing magic, and now we have this wonderful snapshot of camp life. The video does a beautiful job of depicting the mood at camp this session… so much action and so many happy girls!

Click below to watch the video…. and let us know what you think.

You're reading "First Session Video Snapshot – Part Two" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

In the woodworking shop at Rockbrook Camp our goal is to get tools into the hands of campers and empower them to transform a block of wood into something beautiful and useful. At times we come up with a project for them to complete and at others they give us the ideas. One junior camper came up with an idea for a secret box that we ended up using as one of our project ideas. We had sections of branches from a tree that were cut in about 5 inch sections. I had no idea what I was going to use them for. A toothbrush holder, a pencil holder? These ideas will not take three hours to complete. So, I asked a junior camper. Immediately she says we need to cut off the top to make a lid and to hollow it out to make a secret box to put little things in. Perfect. I’m terrible at coming up with ideas, but decent on improving on existing ones. I thought if we attach the lid with a dowel so it swivels to the side to expose the hollowed out section that would prevent the lid from being lost. She approved and now we have Mallie’s Box! Campers learned to use both manual egg beater drills as well as electric drills and improved their sanding skills.

Cutting boards are a big favorite. I believe this was one of the first projects when woodworking began at Rockbrook Camp and the expectation has been set. “What are we doing?! Cutting boards?!” Most of the time we get to say yes. For this project students select either a piece of maple or cherry for their board. They get a pencil and are instructed to draw the shape they’d like their cutting board to take. We encourage them to be creative and to look at the wood to give them ideas. Does it have a knot in it that could be made into a focal point? Is the grain making an interesting pattern? We try to encourage campers to use what the wood gives them instead of imposing their will on the wood. It’s an organic material and every piece is unique. If you try to fight the wood, it almost always wins. The campers have truly embraced this. One board had a knot in a corner that one woodworker turned into an eye. Knots are surrounded by circular swirls of grain that created in the mind of this camper the body of a fish. She shaped her board in the shape of a fish around those swirls and the eye gave the board what is certainly the image of a fish. Beautiful. Students cut out their boards using an assortment of tools including hand planes, rasps, files and the bandsaw. The finishing touch is sanding before we apply a coat of oil that helps protect the board from cracking but also brings out the colors in the wood. A phenomenon began where campers would take their boards in between sessions with them so they could sand them wherever they are. I’ve been told they find it relaxing. I do not find sanding relaxing, but to each their own. Campers were spotted playing tetherball while sanding, waiting for the shower sanding. I even spotted one camper in line waiting for food while sanding away at her board.

These projects provide us with the opportunity to understand how to shape wood using different tools. They help us understand that wood, at times, has a mind of its own and sometimes you just have to go with what it gives you. Patience, creativity and understanding go a long way in the wood shop! We’ve been using a variety of hand tools to achieve our designs including Ryoba, coping and flush cut saws, hand planes and spokeshaves as well as rasps and files. Students also have the opportunity to use egg beater-style hand drills along with electric drills. The shop is equipped with a bandsaw and drill press that some older campers get the chance to try, as well. Campers’ skills have come a long way and they’ve made beautiful things. We hope they’re inspired and continue to explore the wonderful world of craft!

—Laura Shay, Woodworking Instructor

You're reading "Hello from Woodworking" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

When I think back on my time at Rockbrook as an eight-year-old camper, there’s one moment that has remained clear across the many decades. I was hiking up the hill from horseback riding, and I stopped for a minute. Standing on that hill, I realized that I had no adults telling me where to go or what to do. No one was urging me to hurry up or change clothes. The feeling of freedom at camp was intoxicating. At the age of eight, for the first time I felt totally in charge of myself. And I really liked it!

One of the things that makes Rockbrook Camp unique is that campers of all ages are responsible for getting themselves to their own activities, just as I did years ago. That may seem like a minor detail, but it’s much more than that. It puts the camper in charge of their self throughout the day, which is a significant and sometimes new thing for them. Counselors and staff are always around to help give directions and escort a wayward camper, but for the most part, moving between activities and showing up on time is their responsibility.  

Personal responsibility extends to life in the cabin as well. As a counselor, I remember constantly picking up the wet towels and bathing suits of my campers (grumbling in aggravation), until my wise co-counselor pointed out the error of my ways. After a few days of unhappy shimmying into cold and clammy bathing suits, my campers had figured out how to hang up their own wet items. Amazing how that worked! Sometimes it’s a new experience for campers to choose their own outfits each day and keep track of their own belongings. Sometimes that means there’s a lot of stuff on the “lost and found” table. But they always figure it out in the end (and hopefully wrote their name in their clothes!) 

Campers are also given several hours each day of free time, with plenty of options as to how they can spend them. From my vantage point on the hill, it’s so much fun to watch kids wander around camp, perfectly happy alone or in small clumps. Some will race to the tether ball and start a heated competition. Others sit by the stream, quietly knotting friendship bracelets or reading their books. From a distance, I can hear the splashing and laughing at the lake of cheerful swimmers. 

Just like me as an 8-year-old, campers at Rockbrook Camp regularly have the autonomy to dwell on what they feel like doing in that moment and just go do it! They love the personal freedom and will have deep consultations with each other about the best ways to spend their free time each day. From my perch, I hear things like “Should we go swimming?” “No, I don’t feel like changing into my bathing suit, let’s go sit on the rock and talk.” “I’m going to go finish my art project.”  All these little snippets of conversation add up to kids realizing their own independence and exercising it.  

Watchful counselors and staff members are always making sure campers show up for activities, behave in a safe manner, and take full advantage of all the fun things available at camp. But as much as possible, they stay hands-off when it comes to campers making their own decisions and exercising responsibility. After all, that’s the whole point of going away to camp! Sometimes that means a yucky wet bathing suit or missing the first half of riding because you had to go back for your boots, but you learn and grow each time.  

— Miranda Barrett
Camp Mom, Former Counselor and Camper

You're reading "Learning to Figure it Out" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

It’s the night I’d say everyone at camp looks forward to. It’s the kind of once-in-a-lifetime event that can’t be recreated and is remembered by some for the rest of their lives. It’s a community celebration, a culmination of detailed plans, and a recognition of the many friendships formed over the course of the session. It’s banquet night, the unveiling of the surprise party and themed dinner presented by our 9th grade “CA” campers.

This session’s banquet theme gathered Renaissance characters and scenes transforming the dining hall into a fairyland of woodland folk, royalty, and city folk. The girls went all out decorating every inch of the walls in the dining hall with painted scenes. They strung ivy and small lights overhead in the rafters, along with streamers and stars. They arranged the dining hall to make a wide open dance floor in the center where they could perform skits and choreographed dances.

One of the most exciting moments comes when the campers enter the dining hall and first see the CA girls dressed in their costumes. With fun, upbeat music playing, the counselors enter first, followed by the campers from oldest to youngest. The CA girls create two cheering lines and welcome everyone to the banquet in character. Unveiling the surprise, the costumed characters, plus the elaborate decorations filling the dining hall, makes for an amazing entrance. Everyone smiles, and can’t believe their eyes. Especially for the youngest girls, it’s a wonder-ful thrill to be met like this. And with a theme like this, it was truly magical.

In the banquet we found a King and Queen, crowned and robed. Dressed in long gowns, there were seven princesses, complete with tiaras and glitter. Woodland nymphs with pointed ears and flower headbands, plus four colorful fairies roamed about. There was a Satyr with horns too. From the town we met a jester, 3 milkmaids, a witch, bards, and knights. We watched a plot unfold where a princess was eaten by a dragon, the knights on a mission to save her, the witch helping with spells, and a dance battle to defeat the dragon. Later with the help of the fairies, they were able to return home. Each act of the plot included fun dances performed by the characters.

The fare served also aligned with the theme. They presented “Jousting Sticks” (fruit kabobs, mini corndogs, and mozzarella sticks). The main course was “Dragon Legs” (chicken legs) with “Dragon’s Blood” (gravy), “Medieval Mash” (mashed potatoes) and “Victorious Veg” (peas and carrots). For dessert, there were “Kings Chalice” drinks (root beer floats) and “Fairy Wands” (cake pops). With some candies added as table decorations, this was a feast.

Throughout the evening, between each act of the skits, and while the meal courses were being served, everyone enjoyed dancing and singing along to favorite pop songs. This was a chance to sing as loud as possible and dance with complete freedom with your camp friends. Smiling and laughing like never before, mostly because everyone by now feels so at ease at camp, this was pure exuberance. Whenever a new song came on, the whole dining hall jumped up and danced. It was about as much fun as you can imagine. Banquets are like that, and this was a fantastic example.

You're reading "A Knight to Remember" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

As we go about our days here at Rockbrook, having a blast with all the dress-up shenanigans, singing everyday multiple times, and finding ourselves laughing and smiling more than ever, it’s easy to forget the deep emotional undercurrent that fuels all this excitement. Spend a little time here, among these great girls, and you’ll soon sense there’s something special brewing, something much deeper and meaningful than the fun you see in the photo gallery. I believe it can all be traced to the power of kindness, caring, and generosity that defines our camp community. These positive vibes are what we mean by the “Spirit of Rockbrook.” They are a force that takes hold, brings us closer together, and makes life at camp the haven we all love.

This became especially clear tonight during our closing “Spirit Fire” campfire, the ceremony that’s closed every camp session at Rockbrook since its first in 1921. Dressed in our red and white uniforms, we gathered inside the Hillside Lodge instead of outside in the drizzly weather. We were able to all squeeze inside in front of the massive stone fireplace and its blazing fire, with the girls arm and arm, heads on shoulders, all as close as humanly possible.

The program alternated between singing traditional songs like “In the Heart of a Wooded Mountain,” and individuals standing to reflect aloud on their experience over the session. They poured their hearts out, talking about the friendships they’ve made and the newfound confidence they’ve discovered during their time at camp. One senior-aged camper described Rockbrook as the only place where she’s felt so much love from everyone around her. With emotion in her voice, soon many of us found ourselves choked up and in tears. The speeches all marveled at how good it feels to be at camp, how everyone here is kind and supportive, how you can be your true self without fear of being judged, and how friends made at camp are special.

Tears and softly checked crying became contagious as we thought about our camp days this summer ending and we realized we would soon have to say goodbye. This was our last night together.

Sarah spoke last and expressed her hope that we would recall our time at camp throughout the coming year, that we could find ways to live the “Spirit of Rockbrook” at home— to be a little more kind, more brave, more silly, and an easy friend to those around us. She said she was proud of everyone and how much they’ve grown in the short time together at camp.

The program ends with everyone sharing part of the Spirit Fire by lighting a small white candle. Sarah and the other directors first light their candle from the fire, and then pass it along to each camper’s and staff member’s candle. Ordinarily, everyone would circle the lake, but tonight the rain led us to make a circle of candlelight on the hill. With a little drizzle still falling, we sang a final song before heading to our cabins for the night.

The whole evening was a beautiful celebration of the session, and the joy we felt being here at camp together. Everyone has grown a little and we hope has deepened their Rockbrook Spirit. I think you’ll see it in your girls, and you’ll be proud too.

You're reading "As Close as Possible" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

At times I feel like I’m preaching to the choir when I write these blog posts about Rockbrook. I believe many of the people reading already know that there’s something special about camp, that the girls love it and look forward to it all year long. They already know about the priceless benefits of camp for the children lucky enough to experience it. For something that’s been around this long— more than 100 years! —there must be a power at work. But for the benefit of our new friends, let me preach a minute.

Today, as we opened our second session, this ineffable power appeared again. We could see it on the faces of arriving campers when they popped their heads through the open sunroof of their car. It was bubbling up when campers squirmed in the backseat, antsy to get out of the car and get started. It almost threw off sparks when two camp friends screamed and ran toward each other to hug after being apart since last summer. More subtly, new campers could sense this special power when they met their smiling counselor and immediately felt included in the cabin group. It took very little time for everyone to zip off with a group of friends, eager to catch up and begin exploring the camp.

This power springs from one thing really; it comes from the people at camp. It’s not the fun activities, the adventure trips, the amazing food, or the beautiful camp setting that creates all these feelings. No, camp boils down to the people, to the friendships and positive relationships that are fostered here, and to the Rockbrook philosophy guiding them. Many of the older campers realize this. We could change almost everything else about camp, and as long as our friends were with us, it would still be magical. They will tell you; what they most look forward to about camp is being with their friends.

The first all-camp event provided even more proof of this. We gathered under the big walnut tree on the hill for a quick assembly. As we met some of the key people at camp, learned and sang a few camp songs, and were welcomed to Rockbrook by Sarah, the group seemed surprisingly comfortable and excited at the same time. They were quick to clap and cheer, to jump up and sing louder when their line song began. This session seems to already have that special enthusiasm for camp. And wow! It’s only getting started and is bound to get stronger.

The rest of the day was filled with a yummy homemade mac-n-cheese lunch, swimming demonstrations, name games, camp tours, activity skits, cabin meetings, and selecting activity schedules. It was a good full day. Tomorrow, we’ll launch into all the activities, get out of camp for some adventure trips, clap and sing over delicious scratch-made meals, and continue building the friendships that define this unique community.

It really is true: “There’s a power to camp.” We’re all very excited to dig in and show you what that means!

You're reading "Ineffable Power" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

You may have heard of the special event at Rockbrook called the “Banquet.” This is an all-camp party held at the end of each main session. Our 9th grade campers— the “CAs” —plan and present the banquet, and since it is their project, they also decide what will be the event’s central theme. This is crucial because it is the focus of every part of the Banquet: the food, decorations, costumed performers, choreographed dances, and treats for the campers. Also, the theme is kept secret until the unveiling of the event. It’s just more fun to be surprised!

Today, this session’s CAs picked the theme for their Banquet. As you might guess, 23 girls can think of a lot of different themes, and that selecting one could be a challenge. To narrow down their list, we leave camp— for privacy —and then take a hike, discussing all their ideas, weighing what sounds best for the group. Today we began with about 50 different possible themes, but after an hour of walking and talking, one idea was the clear favorite. It was almost a unanimous decision with everyone pitching in ways to make the theme even better, and getting excited about how they’ll be involved in the preparations. What did they pick? You’ll find out in a few weeks!

Today was also the first full day of camp activities, with the girls fanning out across the camp to tack up horses, snap on a climbing helmet, take careful aim at an archery or riflery target, grip their tennis racket, shape hunks of clay, dip a paintbrush, twist a crochet hook, and so much more. We had the littlest Juniors flying through the trees on the zip line course. All 32 horse down at the barn had at least one rider today. Every craft area unleashed waves of creativity. The girls laughed and learned. They ate their first warm muffin (mint chocolate chip was today’s flavor.). They checked their mail after lunch and relaxed in their bunks during rest hour. This day was moving!

Tonight’s dinner was a picnic on the hill. Rick prepared a hotdog meal for us, including both beef and veggie dogs, buns, homemade coleslaw, pickles, baked beans, and all the condiments. For dessert, the kitchen baked delicious lemon bars. So good! The weather was perfect on the hill with bright sunshine, low humidity and a light breeze. Once the girls had their plates, they spread out to different areas of hill to sit and eat with groups of friends. It was a happy and relaxed scene.

A little later, the Evening Program was a fun all-camp campfire. Here too, we announced a theme and invited everyone to come dressed in a costume. At camp, everyone knows that costumes make anything more fun. Tonight it was a Appalachian Mountain theme, something we call a “Jug Band.” Sarah came dressed as her alter ego “Sayree,” the fiddling, granny with a pet (rubber) rattlesnake named “Fish.” With a guitar, Ukelele, and fiddle playing along, the Hi-Ups helped lead everyone in a program of songs and skits. The campfire crackled and bathed us in wood smoke, while we laughed, clapped and sang into the evening under the big white oak trees nearby.

This was a wonderful way to finish up our first full day together at Rockbrook. I can already tell this group of girls loves camp. There’s kindness and enthusiasm coloring everything. There’s a beautiful mix of familiarity and excitement for what might be new. There’s already a sense of community that, no doubt, will only grow stronger over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned; this is going to be good!

You're reading "Already Loving It" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

On a regular day, the girls wake up around 8am at camp. They get dressed and tackle their cabin chores before making their way to the dining hall for breakfast at 8:30. Today it was a cool 60 degrees when we woke up, so a cozy long-sleeve fleece or sweatshirt felt great. That’s pretty typical of the June weather at Rockbrook.

Some days, however, groups of girls will get up early because they are heading out of camp for an adventure. Today, a group of 36 campers, plus their counselors, met in the dining hall at 7am for a quick breakfast of bagels, fruit, cereal and yogurt. They were a little groggy, but also excited, because they were going whitewater rafting on the Nantahala river. This is by far the most popular trip we offer. It’s open to Middlers and Seniors (5th grade and older) and almost every one of them goes at some point during their session.

We ran two groups down the river today, one before lunch and one after, 84 people all together. Both trips hit the water with clear perfect weather and with boats full of high spirited friends for 2-hours of whitewater excitement. The rapids of the Nantahala all have unique characteristics that make them interesting and fun. There’s Patton’s Run, Delbar’s Rock, The Whirlpool, and the big finale, the Nantahala Falls. It’s a complete blast for girls to come this close to the power and intensity of fast-moving whitewater, to be bounced in (and sometimes out of!) the rafts while being splashed by the cold, cold water of the river. I always say, though, that the biggest reason rafting is so much fun is that you’re doing it with your friends. It’s the social aspect of rafting, the hilarity of being splashed together, the screaming with delight when your boat hits a wave— this creates the kind of fun that’s uniquely thrilling and memorable.

As I watched these trips unfold, taking photos along the way, I was struck again by just how unique this experience is for your girls. It’s not the rafting per se, the specific river we’re on, the RBC guides, or the weather. What’s unique is the fun created by the girls being together. Their friendships, relaxed way of interacting, and their silly enthusiasm amplifies the experience. Rafts from other rafting companies float by silently, while the Rockbrook rafts scream, and wave, and sing, and pose for the camera. There’s almost constant laughter, conversation, and wide-eyed exuberance. The adventure of the rafting itself initiates the experience, but it’s really just the context for the girls and their relationship with each other to flourish. It’s a joy to see it in action.

Something similar took place after dinner when another all-camp Evening Program brought us to the gym. It was time for our “Monster Mash” dance. Our theme for the day was “Not Scary Halloween,” which means “Let your costume imagination run wild!” There was a carton of milk, a hippie, Annie (from the musical), a taco, a pickle, a leopard, a kiwi, several princesses and fairies, and so many things in between. Our local DJ, DJ Marcus, was here with his lights and sound system, and our Rockbrook girls showed up ready to groove. Here too, they created the fun themselves. Together they jumped and sang. They literally let loose— hair, arms and legs flying around in all directions. They encouraged each other, modeled different dance moves, and joined line dances like “Cotton-eyed Joe.” The culture of camp makes being together like this generate energy, fanning the flames of excitement in ways that are impossible to duplicate elsewhere. Camp makes it possible because it encourages everyone here to relax and be themselves, be kids without academic or social pressures. It’s welcoming and relentlessly encouraging. It inclines everyone toward connecting with others, with nature, and with real-world activity. There’s simply a unique power when you combine all of this. And yes, it’s this power that makes anything we do at camp fun. Magic!

You're reading "The Fun Themselves" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

It’s hard to overestimate the amount of activity that occurs in a single day at Rockbrook. It’s even a little mind boggling when you take a detailed look into how the activities, trips, special events, and ordinary moments around camp weave together. Perhaps this multi-layered complexity isn’t surprising when you consider the number of people involved— about 220 campers (almost a record!), 65 cabin counselors (a few more than normal), plus directors, adventure staff members, activity specialist instructors (horseback riding, ceramics, weaving, gymnastics, gardening, woodworking), and all of the support staff in the kitchen, health center, photography, housekeeping and maintenance crews. Every one of these people are engaged everyday, contributing to the community feel of camp, helping and being helped in countless ways.

Go anywhere in camp on any day and you’ll be amazed by the sustained action there. Naturally, the kitchen is buzzing all day long, from 6am when the baker arrives to begin work on the day’s surprise muffin flavor, until about 7:30pm when the evening crew finishes cleaning up and getting things ready for the next day. Likewise for the housekeeping and maintenance crews: they start early and go all day. It’s really true for most everyone at camp. Of course the campers are zipping from one thing to the next, and the staff are teaching and guiding throughout the day. We’re all busy almost all day, from waking up to laying down at night. Life at camp is full! This life is not low-calorie; it’s as rich as it comes.

Recognizing this richness explains why our daily rest hour is so popular. You might expect some degree of resistance from campers who are asked to climb into their bunks for an hour each day, and when they first arrive at camp, there is a bit of that, but once we match the rhythms of camp, everyone yearns for that mid-day rest. Going up and down the hills of Rockbrook, back and forth to the cabin to change clothes (out of riding pants and into your swimsuit, for example), plus the physical aspects of many activities themselves— flipping in gymnastics, climbing the Alpine tower, paddling a canoe, whacking a tennis ball, or shooting a basketball, and so on —all add up to an active morning. After lunch, everyone needs a nap! Counselors and campers alike.

Today was something we call “Cabin Day.” This is when we take the afternoon and allow each cabin group to do something together. Ordinarily, each camper selects and individual schedule, scattering cabin makes across the many activity options. So cabin day is an opportunity for cabin group bonding, enjoying an afternoon together.

The variety of cabin day activities today was impressive. Groups took short hikes on the camp property to Rockbrook Falls for playing in the water, and Castle Rock for soaking in the long view of the French Broad valley. Some had played a series of relay games at the landsports field. Others devised complex protections for an egg drop game. There was a gagaball tournament, an archery clinic, and a diving board trick show. Other groups worked jewelry making into their time together.

A few Junior cabins took trips to a local farm to pick flowers and get up close to the resident bunnies and chickens. They also were happy to learn they would be stopping at Dolly’s Dairy bar on the way home, completing the outing.

All of the Mini session Middlers and Seniors spent their evening enjoying a classic mountain thrill: a trip to Sliding Rock. Almost 100 of us arrived ready to slide. With our lifeguards in place at the far end of the pool, the girls were thrilled to slide two-by-two down the 60-foot natural water slide. The water is 55 degrees, and with the sun setting behind the mountain, sliding was as exciting as it was chilly. These girls too made a visit to Dolly’s. There’s something about a rich ice cream treat that makes it the perfect way to end a night out of camp. Rich upon rich! We all love it.

You're reading "As Rich as It Comes" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Every session, I visit each age group’s lodge during a morning assembly to chat with the campers about what makes Rockbrook different from “the real world.”  Campers right away pipe up that people are kind, everyone is included, and that camp events are a lot of fun.  But when we delve deeper, we talk about how to ensure that people are kind, how it can be hard to be nice to people you live with after three weeks, what to do when we make mistakes, and how important it is to do the right thing, even if it is hard, and even if nobody is watching.

I’m always encouraged at the end of these visits, by the sincerity of the answers. And I love it when I see moments of these chats in action.  Like tonight in the dining hall, when I spotted a senior camper helping our youngest junior refill her serving bowl. Or the middler that I spotted cleaning up cups on the hill after a picnic yesterday.  Or the CA camper who walked a younger camper all the way back to the barn this morning because she forgot to leave her boots there. Each day at Rockbrook, there are a multitude of moments for campers to practice and to develop being a kind and caring person.

The program at Rockbrook is designed to give campers increasing independence. As they grow older, so do their responsibilities around camp, with each step helping the camp run smoothly.  Our leadership program for our 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old campers was developed many years ago, and it is still incredibly effective.  These oldest campers see the direct result of their efforts in the experience of the younger campers, from the silly campfire the Hi-Ups led on Monday night to the sparkling plates the CITs cleaned tonight to be ready for tomorrow’s breakfast.

A former Rockbrook counselor put it this way:

I like to think that we become our best selves at Rockbrook because the people around us believe that we can be our best selves.

One of my favorite things about Rockbrook is how much trust it places in the people who live here. We trust our juniors to get to activities on time, create fabulous skits each night, and even refill food from the kitchen. We trust our middlers to be kind to each other, be role models for the juniors, and to embrace the crazy adventures of camp. We trust the seniors to be real leaders, our CAs to plan an amazing banquet, and our HUPs to make sure we all wake up on time.

From ages six to sixteen, we believe in each other to laugh often, love kindly, and be there for one another. It’s no wonder we find it easier to be our best selves — when two hundred people believe that you can do it, we find ourselves proving them right.

We know the campers can do so much, and we depend on all of them to make each day run smoothly, to help take care of camp and each other. And they do!

You're reading "A Multitude of Moments" by Sarah Reed Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

If you ask most people about what it’s like to be a kid at summer camp, even if they’ve been themselves, they’ll struggle to describe life at camp. There’s just so much more to it than any single account can provide. Photos are better, but they too don’t really do it justice. Photos miss the emotion, the action, the laughter, and chatter of a vibrant group of kids.

Fortunately, we have some video as well. We’re happy to say Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks is again working with us this summer to produce short videos each session.  He came to camp recently and now has his first video snapshot of this session ready for you to see.

Take a look! We love how it captures some of the feeling of camp this session.

P.S. Be sure to have the volume turned up. Hearing camp is amazing!

You're reading "Second Session Video Snapshot" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

There I was walking up the driveway from the lake after taking a dip in the warm sun. I looked to my left and spotted a friendly familiar face peeking out from behind the ferns. I ran over and announced to my friends that I had found the gnome.

What is the gnome you may ask? The gnome first came to Rockbrook back in the 2000s as a fun game introduced by a Hi-Up. She had brought a ceramic gnome to camp and announced after lunch that she was going to hide the gnome and the rest of camp had to find it. Whoever found the gnome was then tasked to share where they found it before hiding it themselves. Since this game started, we have had a few different gnomes (sadly, ceramic gnomes can break easily when dropped.) Currently, we have Lawrence the meditating gnome.

There’s nothing quite like finding the gnome. Out of my nine years here at Rockbrook Camp, this was the very first time I (or anyone in my cabin) had found the gnome. I felt so proud, I couldn’t wait to announce to the entire camp that I had found it.

I recently interviewed a few lucky individuals who also shared the experience of finding the gnome during their camp career. Current Hi-Up Susanna shared, “when a girl in my cabin found the gnome I was very prideful.” When asked how she would feel finding the gnome herself she immediately added, “it would be a sense of accomplishment and completeness to my camp experience.” When asking long time camper/counselor Mary Holland if she had ever found the gnome, with such sadness she said, “not finding the gnome has been a true source of pain for me.” I then asked her what feelings would come to the surface if she had found the gnome. She replied, “finding the gnome would be the best day of my life. All I want is to find Lawrence one day.” Mary Holland, we wish you the best.

When it was my time to hide the gnome I had to focus on what was important to me when the next person found where I hid Lawrence. How tricky did I want it to be? Did I want to make them laugh because of the location he was in (such as placing him in a pipe by the creek?) What area of camp did I want to hide him?

Out in the field, I asked camper Reagan from M7 what she thought was most important when hiding the gnome. She replied, “in a dense area where people may not think to look…but not in a spot where it’s impossible to find him.” Reagan summed it up so well! When hiding Lawrence, he has to be outside of any building, he must be within camp boundaries, and he must be slightly visible so he can eventually be found! Sometimes Lawrence has gone weeks without being found because he was hidden a little too well.

I decided I wanted Lawrence to be found in a serene spot that would make someone giggle when they noticed his little blue hat sticking slightly above the plants. After hiding him, a camper found him later that day on her way down to the garden. I smiled happily as it was her turn to then hide the gnome.

You're reading "I Found the Gnome" by Casey Blair, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

The Sunday schedule at Rockbrook begins with a welcome chance to sleep in. Everyone arrives at the dining hall around 9am, where we enjoy a special treat of donuts along with our breakfast. Later in the morning, everyone changes into their camp uniforms for a flag raising ceremony that includes reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “America the Beautiful.” We all line up around the flagpole on the hill where the Hi-Ups present the flag and raise it. Then, the whole camp silently walks down the lower line to a special area of the camp with rows of benches for everyone to sit. This area we call “Chapel.”

The chapel gathering is not a religious service, despite the name implying that. Instead it’s a celebration of our camp values, camp goals, and more general themes we can all embrace. It provides a chance for us all to slow down and reflect a bit on what’s important about our camp experience. Each week a different age group of campers presents the Chapel program, selecting a theme. Past themes have included, community, adventure, kindness, respect, happiness, and nature, for example. Today’s Chapel theme was “Individuality.” The Middler campers sang songs related to the theme; “This is Me,” by Demi Lovato, was one today. They also take turns speaking about the theme and its importance. One camper today said it was good to celebrate each individual, but “that doesn’t mean any one person is better than another.”

Each Chapel gathering is also a chance for Sarah to talk about the theme. She ordinarily does that by reading a children’s book that is somehow related. Today she read, Weslandia, by Paul Fleischman. This is a story about a boy named Wesley who creates his own civilization in his backyard using a mysterious plant. It’s really a story about the power of imagination and the importance of being true to oneself even if it means being different. The story illustrates how it can sometimes be difficult for kids to be proud of their individuality, but community and cooperation help make it easier. All great themes for Rockbrook!

A little rain during rest hour helped cool things off before the main event of the day: an afternoon color scavenger hunt followed by a color blast shaving cream fight and slip-n-slide! That’s right, three events in one! The first had cabin groups dashing about camp looking for counselors hiding. The groups had to collect “colors.” Each counselor hiding was wearing a specific color, and once found the girls collected that color.

The shaving cream fight that came next was a hilarious blast. Wearing swimsuits, everyone met down at the grassy landsports field. With cans of shaving cream ready, and counselors stationed with colored powder, the girls arrived and immediately knew what to do. Spray those cans and smear liberally on anyone nearby! This quickly turns into a mad, chaotic scrum of splattering shaving cream, squirting foam, and slippery white coatings slowing growing on everyone. Specks of green, pink and blue color added to the scene.

This is less of a fight than a collective event. The girls “helped” each other empty their cans of shaving cream, helped each other with their new foaming hairstyles, and helped each other cover even more of themselves with the spray. Cooperation to make the whole event more fun!

There was fun pop dance music blasting, but you could barely hear it over the shrieks of laughter and chattering go on. This is messy camp fun, the kind of deep affirming silliness that feels great to embrace.

With water hoses spraying, it only made sense to slide down a big sheet of plastic. Everyone was already slippery, so even better! Take a look at the photo gallery to get a sense of just how much crazy fun we all had.

Once again, the secret to all of this, the “special sauce” that makes this so much fun, is the friendship that permeates this community. It’s a widespread kind of feeling too, something that goes beyond your “best friend.” Everyone’s friendly at camp, so everyone’s receiving the positivity of being among friends. You could see it today, as there was no holding back who you sprayed. When you can laugh with anyone, anyone can get sprayed with shaving cream. All so good, and so much better here at camp.

You're reading "A Hilarious Blast" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

One of my favorite things to do at camp is to wander around and find groups of girls happily busy with something, and then stop to hang out with them a while. It’s enjoyable because they are always keen to explain what they’re doing, to answer my questions, and generally to chat about whatever is on their minds. This can happen anytime of the day at one of the tetherball courts, for example. There’ll always be a group huddled around taking turns challenging the winner of the last game. The same is true at the Gagaball arena, at the lake when it’s open for free swim periods before lunch and dinner, at the creek passing by the Curosty cabin, on the grassy camp hill, or one of the many porches around camp.

This happened the other afternoon when I sat down for a few minutes on the dining hall porch where three 10th graders (who at RBC we call “Hi-Ups”) were hanging out in the red rocking chairs. We chatted a bit about camp, but things got more interesting when I asked them how they were handling being away from their smartphones.

Since these were seasoned camp girls who have been coming to Rockbrook for 4, 7 and 10 years, I had a hunch how they would answer. Unanimously, they said they loved being at camp without their phones. They were completely sure camp would be ruined if they had access to their phone. “But, why is that?” I asked.

They explained that they generally have a “love-hate” relationship with their phones. At home, they need a phone to communicate with their friends, but sometimes found its demands on their attention to be “exhausting.” Too often at school, they find themselves in a group where everyone is staring down at their phone and not really engaging very much with each other. Too often, scrolling through Instagram is the way they spend every free minute. One brought up the documentary film, The Social Dilemma, and its argument that social media use is unhealthy for individuals (especially young people) and society. They knew their phones were in many ways “bad for them,” and they didn’t like it, but they still “had to” use them.

Being away at camp, they explained, gave them permission to ignore that glowing screen and that insistent ping they live with at home. Camp allows them to avoid those pressures and instead slow down to connect more genuinely with the people and world around them. Here at Rockbrook, they spend their time actually doing things in the real world, finding real people to talk with, discovering chance encounters, and taking control of their days. “It just feels so good to be here, and being away from my phone is a part of that,” one girl wisely realized.

Smartphone use is antithetical to camp, literally at odds with our camp philosophy and mission. Far more than the allure of curated electronic content, camp is about rich experiences, face-to-face friendships, and the sense of belonging inspired by living in a true community. Through caring and kindness, we are building deep connections at camp, unquestionably more meaningful than the narrow, algorithmically idealized version of things served up by any flickering electronic companion. Smartphones isolate you and are correlated with feelings of loneliness, while camp pulls you into a friendly community.

Instead of marketing polish, camp is a place where we can be messy and explore. Instead of limiting what we experience, camp life has a power to unlock deeper layers of our personality, our sense of humor, creativity, curiosity and awareness of beauty in the tiniest detail. You see, all of this— what we might call a “greater humanity” —blossoms camp, but is undermined by internet technology and social media.

These 16-year-old girls, despite being perhaps the least likely to agree with all of this, in fact model it exactly. They have a personal sense that being away from their phone, and the negative consequences it can cause, plays a major role in why they love camp so much.

Toward the end of our conversation, the girls admitted that when they return home, they’ll likely be pulled right back into using their phones “all the time.” Away from camp, they simply need their smartphones as an important tool. Still, my hope for them is that they’ll recall their time at Rockbrook and realize the tech-free world we enjoy here is not entirely impossible to replicate at home. It won’t be easy, unfortunately, because the outside world provides very little incentive for limiting one’s smartphone use. In fact, it’s just the opposite; there are constant pressures to expand our use of these devices.

At least these Rockbrook campers now understand the benefits of taking a break from the internet. They now know that true companionship doesn’t come through their smartphones. Thanks to their time at Rockbrook, they have experienced firsthand how shallow and ultimately unsatisfying a life lived on one’s phone actually is. They know the good news that there’s much, much more to living than what their phones can provide. Let’s hope camp will motivate them in the future to push past what pops up on their screen.

I’ll say it again. Thank goodness for camp, a special place where children enjoy themselves, experience the profound delight of true connection, learn and grow beautifully.

You're reading "Greater Humanity" by Jeff Carter, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Horses in the middle of camp? This was clearly no ordinary morning, nor an ordinary day. It was the 4th of July! On this day, it’s been a long tradition at Rockbrook— we’re not sure how it started— for the campers to be awakened by the sounds of hooves and shouts of “The British are coming! The British are coming!” With the horses groomed and decorated with flag-patterned ribbons, and all manner of red, white and blue, the riding staff rode up and down the cabin lines yelling for the girls to wake up. Despite rubbing their sleepy eyes, the girls made their way through the morning fog to gather around the flagpole on the hill. The Hi-Ups raised the flag, and everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang “America the Beautiful.”

The British staff members we have at camp this summer found this a little amusing. One said, “uh, we’re already here!” To prove it, they all jumped in the lake holding a tea bag. Hmmm, perhaps as a show of solidarity in the face of all this American patriotism…?

This patriotic spirit extended beyond the horses; red, white, and blue decorations could be seen all around camp. The dining hall was adorned with table decorations reflecting the theme, and campers wore hats, headbands, beaded necklaces, t-shirts, and other items in patriotic colors. The girls joyfully sang their favorite patriotic songs during meals, such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” adding to the usual lively camp songs. There was no doubt that these girls were ready to celebrate the 4th!

We kept our regular Tuesday activity schedule, but with the addition of patriotic colors. American flags fluttered in the wind as girls participated in various activities— zipping through the woods on the zipline course, and sporting stars and stripes as archers, potters, weavers, tennis players, and climbers. The campers even brought the patriotic colors with them on a hike to Rockbrook Falls and to the barns for their riding lessons. Likewise for the group of girls who took a climbing trip to Looking Glass Rock.

During the dinner hour we had a rainstorm come through so we moved inside the dining hall for our 4th of July burgers, fries, and all the fixin’s like lettuce, cheese, tomato, etc. There was also plenty of watermelon to go around, and homemade coleslaw. For dessert, the baker made red, white a blue, swirl cheesecake bars, which we very popular.

The rain stopped just in time for everyone to gather on the hill for an event of silly games. All of the age groups and the counselors gave each game a try. One involved blowing up a balloon and using the air to try and blow three paper cones off the table. Another challenged the contestants to move pingpong balls from one bowl to another using a spoon, but not their hands. There was also a game that involved tossing a pingpong ball and bouncing it off a clipboard and into a bucket. The final challenge was to break open a watermelon using only rubber bands. It takes a lot of rubber bands before the melon explodes! The games involved everyone in a way, as the girls cheered for their friends participating.

As darkness fell, the highlight of the day was our very own Rockbrook fireworks show. We gave out glow sticks to all the girls, and cranked up some dance music to make it even more of a celebration. For the next 25 minutes or so, everyone enjoyed a sing-along dance party, with the girls twirling their glow sticks and cheering with each sparkling blast in the sky. It was an exhilarating way to end a great 4th of July at camp.

You're reading "Celebrate the 4th!" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Over the years, as we’ve welcomed new families to Rockbrook, we’ve often found ourselves cautioning first-time parents to avoid particular pitfalls when they are preparing for camp, and later when their child is here. Just like their campers, parents too can experience a mix of nervousness and excitement when contemplating the adventure of camp. These feelings, despite their best intentions, can sometimes lead parents to say or do something that ultimately undermines their child’s success at camp. Knowing about these common pitfalls, and avoiding them, can really make a difference for first-timers— parents and campers alike.

Sarah Carter, Director of Rockbrook, recently published an article addressing these common pitfalls.

Tips for First-time Camp Parents: 10 Traps to Avoid

She presents ten essential tips parents need to know before sending their kids off to summer camp. The article cautions parents but also gives thoughtful advice about how to reassure campers more constructively.

Attending a sleepaway camp like Rockbrook for the first time is exciting! It’s a big step that empowers children, fosters their independence, and grows their confidence. With these tips in mind, parents will make a real difference in the success of their camper’s summer camp journey.

You're reading "Avoiding Parent Pitfalls" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Just down the road from Rockbrook is a wonderful family farm called the Pucker Up Berry Farm, also known as the “PUB Farm.” It’s owned and cared for by our friends Wendy and Eric Manner. The farm specializes in high antioxidant fruits and berries like elderberries, blueberries and blackberries. It also grows all sorts of flowers and vegetables.

The Rockbrook Juniors take a trip to the PUB Farm during their session of camp. It’s a chance to learn about the plants and animals there and to enjoy the environment. Counselor Lauren Plowden went with a recent group and wrote this account.

“When my campers heard the announcement that we would be skipping rest hour and taking a trip off campus, screams filled the room. As a Junior Counselor at RBC, I have the privilege of taking my cabin to Pucker Up Berry Farm.

This farm is located at the bottom of Becky Mountain and is home to lots of chickens, bunnies, exotic wildflowers, and berry orchards. It’s essential that our campers have the opportunity to explore nature in ways they maybe wouldn’t be able to at home. At the farm, campers can choose to hold the animals such as bunnies or chickens, sample some growing blueberries and enjoy the wildlife the heart of the wooded mountain has to offer.

Every child has the chance to build their own bouquet of wildflowers which we then bring back to camp and use as centerpieces in our dining hall. Bouquet making is a wonderful part of the trip and allows me and the juniors to dive into creativity, colors, and gardening.

My favorite part of the trip was exploring nature with my awesome campers in Junior 5 and seeing them try new things. Of course this trip wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Dolly’s Dairy Bar. We filled our stomachs up with yummy ice cream and sang camp songs all the way home on our hot 80 degree July day. Days at camp are never the same and you never quite know what surprises are in store for our campers!”

You're reading "PUB Farm Trip" by rbc, originally posted on Rockbrook Summer Camp. Connect with Rockbrook on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.