Posts Tagged ‘American summer camps’

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Dance at Camp

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

A lot is made of sports at summer camp, but most summer camps also offer many programs in the arts. Dance is one such program that is becoming increasingly popular among both boys and girls. Like the many sports available to try, summer camp dance programs give campers the opportunity to experiment with several different dance styles. Aside from the traditional jazz, instruction is often available in contemporary, modern, hip hop, and ballet. In addition to offering instruction in multiple styles of dance, many camps also form competitive dance teams that, like sports teams, travel to other camps to compete in dance competitions throughout the summer. Even if campers aren’t quite ready to audition for So You Think You Can Dance, being a member of a camp dance team is still well within reach.

Because summer camp staff work hard to make their camps a safe environment for children to feel encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and try new things, more emphasis is placed on interest than ability. Many camps create teams for beginners as well as the more experienced. Summer camp dance teams are also the reason many campers find their camp dance programs a great way to pursue a non sports related interest yet still be competitive. Another reason that summer camp dance programs have become so popular is that they provide an outlet to still be physically active in a creative environment. Summer camp is about letting go and not being afraid to act a little bit silly. Dance provides the same disciplinary and physical training as traditional sports yet also gives campers the opportunity to express themselves and sometimes even be a tad goofy through artistic choreography. Dance instruction is often provided by trained dance instructors or college students who compete on their university dance team or are pursuing a career in the field of dance. The availability of instruction in popular forms of dance such as hip hop has also driven the popularity of dance. Dance is also versatile. Even though not every camper has a desire to be competitive in dance, campers enjoy learning new moves in dance class and then using them to choreograph bunk or cabin dance numbers for camp shows or talent contests. They also like showing off their moves on the dance floor during camp dances. Having the opportunity to practice new dance moves in an open, accepting environment such as summer camp gives campers the confidence to continue learning, practicing, and trying what they’ve learned at home.

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Top Ten Camp Sing-Alongs

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

As we head into February and the weather gets colder and colder, sometimes the only thing that can get you through the winter is a camp sing-along. Since everyone loved last month’s top ten, we decided to do another list. To keep the Camp Starlight spirit going, the winter team decided to name the top ten Camp Starlight sing-alongs from last summer.

Top Ten Camp Sing-alongs

10. “Can’t Smile Without You” -  Barry Manilow

9. “New York, New York” – Frank Sinatra

8. “Hello” – Martin Solveig & Dragonette

7.  “Sweet Caroline” – Neil Diamond

6. “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” -by Allie Wrubel and lyrics by Ray Gilbert

5. “Mr.Sun” by Raffi

4. “Bazooka Bubblegum” by Bazooka Joe

3. “The Napkin Song” Jorge Baccio

2. “Friends, Friends, Friends”

1. “Camp Starlight Alma-Mater”

–Scott F.


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What’s in a Summer Camp Meal?

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Continuing with our series about camp nutrition, in this blog we will address one of the most common inquiries made by parents who are considering sending their children to summer camp:  What will they eat? While the food itself may vary from camp to camp, the strategy behind menu planning is inevitably the same—to provide nutritious meals that also replenish depleted energy levels.  One recent critique of summer camp menus is the tendency for them to be heavy on carbohydrates.  Admittedly, camp menus are typically carb-loaded.  This is not carelessness on behalf of camp menu planners.  It’s intentional.  Remember that children are much more active at sleepaway camp than they are at home.  Most parents have heard their child’s sports coach advise players to eat pasta to boost energy before a big game.  The average day at summer camp, however, may involve three or four sports lessons or games, including at least one to two hours of swimming, followed by an evening of fun activities.  It’s important that children eat foods that help them maintain stamina and endurance.

Most camp breakfasts include a hot choice such as breakfast sandwiches, eggs, pancakes, and/or oatmeal.  Additionally, there is often a cereal bar daily as well as a fruit, bagel, and yogurt bar.  Of course, just like at home, there is the occasional donut treat on special days.  Lunch is usually served three to four hours after breakfast and is often the same go-to meals that many children enjoy at home, such as sandwiches, soup, mac and cheese, or pizza.  Although items like chips are often offered when sandwiches are served, Camp Starlight now serves only baked chips.  Most camps also offer a pretty extensive salad bar at lunch as well.  During the afternoon, Camp Starlight has a fruit break during which fruit is distributed.  Evening meals follow the conclusion of the regular daily program activities and a break that allows campers and staff to return to their bunks and prepare for evening activities (usually about four hours after lunch).  They typically include a protein and a couple of vegetable sides. Most camps also offer the same or slightly larger version of the same salad bar featured at lunch and some camps also offer a vegetarian alternative to meals that feature meat as well some sort of alternative, like a pasta bar, for those staff and campers who tend to be very particular about their food choices.  Summer camp dinners also feature a dessert of some type.  On some days, it may be jello, fruit, or popsicles.  On others, it may be brownies, cookies, or ice cream sundaes.  Juice and water are typically available at all meals.  Soda is rarely or never offered outside of special areas such as canteens, which are designated places at camp where children can go a few times a week and enjoy a treat, such as a candy bar, a soda, or, if they prefer, a healthier alternative such as a big pretzel.  Some Camps also distribute a light snack before bedtime while some make one available throughout the day for those campers whose energy levels run low between meals.

Weekly cookouts are as big of a tradition at Camp Starlight as campfires and sing alongs.  Cookouts usually consist of standard backyard barbeque fare—hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and a potato offering of some sort (or baked chips).  Just like at home, food for cookout is prepared on a grill.  The hot dogs and hamburgers are not fried in oil.

One aspect of eating as summer camp that is missing from most campers’ home lives is the opportunity for constant grazing.  At summer camp, with the exception of designated fruit and snack breaks, children eat at mealtimes.  The dangerous combination of boredom mixed with a kitchen in close proximity is removed.  Camp Starlight does not specifically limit portions or helpings but we do discourage campers from unnecessarily wasting food by attempting to eat more than their stomachs can comfortably handle.

Most parents, as one may conclude after reading about what’s in a camp meal, are pleasantly surprised by camp meal offerings.  Some even find that their children’s eating habits actually improve because of summer camp.  The point to remember, however, is that regardless of which foods are served, almost all summer camps carefully plan menus in consideration of activity levels, appeal, schedule, and nutrition.  Decisions concerning summer camp meals are never random but always with healthy habits in mind.

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Visit Us at One of our 2012 Starlight Staff Recruiting Events!

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

It’s officially 2012, and that means the countdown to camp is even closer! As we look ahead to the summer, we at Camp Starlight realize that there is still a lot to do before our campers arrive! Although we have a great number of staff returning for another Starlight summer, one of the great parts about working all year round is the fact that we get to meet almost all the new staff we hire before camp! How do we do this? We travel to THEM! This winter we have over 10 trips planned to meet and interview potential counselors for this season! Around the world in 90 days! As for the next 3 months, we are on the road to Toronto Canada, Manchester England, Puebla Mexico as well as Kansas State and University of Kansas, from there we jet off to camp fairs at Indiana University (Alyson’s alma mater) and Purdue (Patrick’s alma mater and where we first met him!). After that we head to the Pacific Northwest to go to Oregon State University, University of Oregon and University of Washington in Seattle. Also on the docket is a spring trip to University of Texas and a stop-over in Ohio if we aren’t filled by then!

We love the idea of meeting our staff in a face to face interview, and when we speak to them and they get excited you can just feel the energy. For so many, you know automatically it’s going to be a great fit! The veteran staff love when we stop by their campus and are always there to lend help and plan mini reunions. We have also found that we have been able to get a few more staff members to commit to another summer after a stop at their college (and a personal reminder of camp life!). It’s a great way to see old friends, reconnect with counselors from previous summers and meet some of our new staff. We find this works so well for us, and we can feel the buzz already in those places as they get ready for our arrival!

Alyson Lee

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The Camp Starlight Waterfront

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

One of the most popular program areas at Camp Starlight is the waterfront. With two private lakes housing separate boy’s and girl’s swimming areas, the pool, the boating dock, waterskiing,and wakeboarding. there are always fun times going on down by the lake. However, the swimming program at Camp Starlight has much more to offer campers than just a splashing good time. The benefits of learning how to swim and proper water safety are useful for years to come.

First of all, by learning to swim at a young age, children are given the confidence needed to be in any environment involving water. It gives them a comfort on family vacations, school field trips, and they may even enjoy it enough to try water sports. They may find themselves at pool parties or beach trips, and with the ability to swim, they experience a sense of achievement when they are able to confidently spend time with friends and family.

To establish an environment in which children will grow comfortable in their swimming ability, Camp Starlight ensures the waterfront staff is well trained and highly experienced and certified in Red Cross “Lifeguarding” and “Swimming and Water Safety” Courses as well as the Red Cross“First Aid/CPR and AED” training courses. The heads of the waterfronts also meet with their staff to discuss and share tactics in handling swimmer anxiety during lessons and the properly analyzing swimming skill levels to help provide individual campers with the instruction most beneficial to them.  Most importantly to our campers, of course, is the fact that we make sure our counselors down on the waterfront are full of new and exciting games to make swim instruction the most FUN it can possibly be!

During swim instruction periods, a camper can expect to learn a wide range of aquatic skills. Lessons range in difficulty from basic skills, such as treading and floating, all the way to stroke technique development in the four key strokes. No matter the ability level with which the child enters the summer, there is a place for him or her in swim instruction. The best benefit in spending a summer at the Starlight waterfront is that campers will leave the summer with a sense of accomplishment, whether it is their first time to pass the swim test or because they made a personal best time at the Wayne County Swim Meet. And of course that they have an absolute blast doing it!

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Camp is a Summer Home for Nutrition Too!

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Much has recently been made about the meals that our children consume in places such as school cafeterias and summer camps.  A general sentiment that these types of establishments place cost and convenience over nutrition and well being seems to be developing.  In the world of summer camp, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, so dedicated are some summer camps to providing meals and snacks that combat bad eating habits that we’ve decided to dedicate an entire series of blogs to summer camp menus.  In this first blog, we’ll introduce you to the basic concept of camp nutrition and menu compilation.  In future blogs, we’ll discuss special diet, snacks, and the strategy behind the compilation of camp menus.

Most reputable camps offer a deliberate, carefully planned menu to campers and staff alike.  Many camps employ the assistance of nutritionists when planning menus and select food based on the heightened physical activity of campers during the summer.  All of America’s Finest Summer Camps, for instance, offer extensive yogurt and fruit bars at breakfast as well as salad bars at lunch and dinner.  At breakfast, several different kinds of yogurt are available as well as fruit such as oranges and bananas.  Hard boiled eggs, bagels, and cheese are also typically available.  For those with lactose intolerance, lactose free as well as soy milk are often on hand.  At lunch and dinner, salad bars offer everything from basic staples like tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, olives, cucumbers, and carrots to more progressive offerings like garbanzo beans, tuna, and marinated vegetable combinations, along with several dressings from which to complete the dish.  Almost all camps offer vegetarian selections at mealtimes.

Increasingly, special diets are being taken into consideration as well.  With many camp leaders and directors themselves learning to live with gluten allergies and diabetes, camp leaders have looked inward when planning menus and are becoming increasingly sensitive to special diet needs.  More and more, menu options are being added with these considerations in mind.

Planning camp menus is a special challenge for camp directors.  With so many campers and staff dining at each meal, it’s impossible to please everyone all the time.  However, there are other considerations when planning menus.  Children are very active at camp—often considerably more active than they are at home.   Physical activity begins in the morning and often continues into the evening.  Many camp menus have been criticized for being heavy in carbohydrates.  However, there is a nutritional basis in this.  Diets heavy in carbohydrates are recommended for children who engage in heavy physical activity, as carbohydrates convert to sugar very quickly and help replenish energy.  While it’s true that many camp foods are high in carbohydrates, it’s also important to consider that such a diet at camp is also responsibly balanced by ample servings of fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

Food allergies are also a prevalent consideration when planning camp menus.  Nut allergies are the most common, although there are many others.  Since food allergies tend to reveal themselves through various levels of sensitivity, it’s not only important to consider what campers and staff might consume when planning menus, but with whom and what they might come into contact during the course of a summer camp meal.

The preparation of food, particularly food that is fried, is another key target of critics.  The fact is that even though many camps offer such traditionally “fried” fare as hamburgers, french fries, and cheese sticks, many of these foods, when prepared at camp, are not fried.  Hamburgers are often grilled while fries and cheese sticks are typically baked to minimize the use of fatty oils.

In case you have ever suspected that your child’s nutrition takes a back seat to fun at summer camp, we hope this brief introduction has helped put your mind at ease.  And if you’re still not convinced, we invite you to continue visiting this blog as we continue our series about camp menus.

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The Social Network–Summer Camp Style

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

If most Camp Starlight campers were asked to close their eyes and think about camp, their minds would be flooded with memories of times in the bunk, at campfires with their friends, winning a Wayne County game, or shaking their napkin in the dining hall. If you asked most Camp Starlight campers about their world outside of camp, most would likely at least mention their use of technology such as computers, video games, or cell phones. The fact of the matter is the era that we are living in is a revolving door of technology. Almost everything is done by computer, involves the Internet, or can be done from the tiny keyboard on your cell phone. By joining the Starlight community during the summer, campers and staff are given an opportunity to be a part of a real live social network away from computer screens and cell phones.

Summers at Starlight give campers and staff the break from all of the technology, therefore creating camp’s own social network. Instead of writing on a friend’s Facebook wall for their birthday, we cheer as they are called to raise the flag at line-up and then join them for canteen during rest hour! Conversations over text are replaced with face-to-face interaction throughout the day. And boy’s side chants and jeers as the sports’ scores are reported to a rapt audience instead of being read from a glowing computer or television screen.

By no means is technology an unfavorable benefit to today’s society. However, at Camp Starlight, we create an atmosphere all our own where campers can step back from the sometimes consuming world of technology. They engage with others around them, creating friendships and bonding through old-fashioned conversations and shared experiences. These experiences bring life to the basketball courts, at project tables in arts and crafts, while helping others learn their lines for the upcoming show at the Starlight Playhouse, and many more every day. This social network buzzing through the grounds of Camp Starlight is fun and exciting while it is also a great way our campers develop stronger social skills and interact with other campers and staff. Countless memories are created without any form of technology, and it is a nice break from the busy and often times impersonal world in which we live.

At the end of the day, campers climb into bed without worries of charging gadgets or shutting down their computers. They close their eyes and drift off to sleep with the excitement for what the next amazing day at camp will hold for them!

–Patrick

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The Fun Doesn’t Stop after 5PM!

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

It’s January.  The kids just returned to school after their winter break, from which you’re still exhausted.  You’re already thinking about summer.  Entertaining them for two weeks was hard enough, let alone two months!  Maybe it’s time to start thinking about summer camp.  Yes, it’s January.  Yes, this is the time of the year when most of us start monitoring the morning radio and news reports for school closings and delays.  But summer is closer than you might think and now is the ideal time to start choosing a camp.

Summer camps come in many sizes and lengths from around one hundred campers all the way up to several hundred and sessions that last a from a few weeks up to seven.  There is truly a summer camp for every preference and budget.  No matter what type of summer camp you prefer, they all have one thing in common:  the fun doesn’t stop after 5pm!

Summer camp doesn’t just occupy your children during those summer hours when they’d otherwise be at school.  It’s a place that entertains them well into the evening hours as well.  In fact some of the best times at camp happen after dinner.  Sure there is plenty for campers to do during the day; play sports, pursue a hobby, swim, boat, play games, make new friends.  But the evening is when some of the deepest bonding moments of the summer take place.  After dinner at summer camp, children don’t retire to the living room sofa to watch television or flip on the Wii.  There are no cell phones in which to engage themselves for hours playing Angry Birds.  At camp, campers may find themselves taking part in a sing along, acting in a camp show, playing crazy games, or watching a magician or hypnotist.  It could be drum circle night or there may even be a campfire with s’mores in store.  Maybe it’s a swim or a dance party…or both!  It could be a sleepover or a night making special treats or craft projects.  Maybe it’s just a night to chill with the bunk or cabin  No matter what the activity, it’s fun and two words that are NEVER heard at camp: “I’m bored!”

Much of the support for summer camp revolves around the skills children develop during daytime programming activities.  The value in summer camp evening activities is often underrated.  However, a great deal of planning intended to extend camp spirit and tradition into evenings.  Camps employ entire teams of people whose sole responsibility is to plan and execute evening activities and special events that enhance the overall camp experience.  While having fun at their evening activities, campers also continue to learn how to shine as an individual, to be part of a team, and to develop their creativity in ways that benefit them as well as others.  At the same time, some of the most prevalent and pervading summer camp memories are made at evening activities.

An investment in summer camp is not just an investment in keeping children occupied during their summer days.  It’s a 24/7 investment that also includes evening entertainment that further develops the skills that are honed during the daytime.  So now and during their next break from school, when your children proclaim, “We’re bored,” think about summer camp.

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Are You One in a Million?

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

According to the American Camp Association (ACA), nearly 1.2 million people take on the adventure of working at camp each summer.  They come from all over the world and all walks of life.  Some of them are former campers while others have never experienced summer camp at all.  Their educations are as diverse as their backgrounds and many of them choose summer camp over a traditional internship because of the unique, well-rounded work experience it provides.   Whether the winter weather already has you thinking about what you’ll be doing this summer or you’re just browsing summer employment opportunities, it’s worth asking yourself, “Am I  one in a million?” :

  • Summer camp staff come from all over the world.  Increasingly, as summer camps recognize their unique position to promote a global community in a fun, relaxed environment, they are recruiting staff from near and far.   The ACA reports that within the last decade “there has been an increase in the use of international staff to expose campers to different cultures.”  If you live outside of the U.S. and you’ve been wanting to travel to the USA, summer camp is a great way to earn some cash while getting to intimately experience life here.  If you’re an American and a trip abroad just isn’t quite in the budget, you need go no further than a residential summer camp to make new friends from all over the world—and pad your bank account while doing it!
    If you think that being a former camper is a pre-requisite to being a great camp counselor, think again.  Many camp staff members who return to camp year after year never even set foot on a summer camp campus prior to working at one.  Like many of their colleagues, that one step was all it took.  They were won over and continue to return each season.
    Summer camp employment isn’t just for education majors and coaches.  Increasingly, those with majors in the social sciences, sciences, math, engineering, and even medicine and nursing are finding a summer home at camp as an alternative to the traditional internship.  Summer camp provides many unique experiences that one can gain nowhere else, such as a 24/7 commitment and the opportunity to simultaneously work with children and adults in a close-knit family type community.  Summer camp also develops a diverse range of core skills valued by employers today.  As a camp staff member, one must make split second decisions, be an efficient negotiator, use creativity to sell ideas and concepts, resolve conflict, solve problems, be an effective leader, know how to prioritize, be extremely flexible, accept change, and be awesome when it comes to multi-tasking.  If it sounds like a big order, it is.  But almost all who take on the challenge report that it’s also one of the most fun and rewarding experiences upon which they’ve ever embarked.
    If you are an education major or a coach, have you thought of summer camp as an opportunity to build experience working with children ages 7-15?  Working at summer camp develops many of the same skills that are often used in the classroom or on the field.  Many educational institutions view summer camp experience as some of the  most valuable on a potential educator’s resume.
  • How many traditional internships pay you AND provide you with room and board?  In addition to a stipend for the summer, almost all residential summer camp positions offer room and board as part of their employment packages.  What this means to you is that, potentially, everything you earn throughout the summer goes straight into your pocket…or your bank account, as the case may be.  Even if you allow yourself a bit to splurge on sightseeing around the local area (many of America’s finest summer camps are located in some of the most beautiful parts of the country), it’s still possible to take home a substantial amount of cash at the end of the summer.  This is particularly appealing when one considers how much rent and food can add up to over a summer.

If you’re looking for the summer job to beat all summer jobs, summer camp may definitely be your cup of tea.  At summer camp, everyday will be a new adventure that takes you both indoors and out from sunrise to sunset.  There are no cubicles, no computers (aside from computers available for staff to use on their free time), and no time clocks.  And…there are beautiful surroundings, a camp full of campers who depend on you, a slew of challenges you never knew you’d face (and enjoy), and a circle of lifetime friends waiting to meet you.  If you’re one in a million, what are you waiting for?  If you are a college or university student, check your college’s upcoming career fair lineups.  Many summer camps travel to universities to recruit this time of year.  It may be possible to meet the first member of your future camp family in person.  If your college days are behind you or there are no summer camps scheduled to visit your university, you can apply directly through Camp Starlight’s web page.

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10 Ways to Know You are Ready to Get Back to Camp Starlight

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

As the New Year starts, we at the Camp Starlight winter office find that the excitement of Summer 2012 approaching sometimes takes over in rather strange ways! We compiled a list of “10 Ways to Know You are Ready to Get Back to Camp Starlight”.  We’re certain some of you may be having these same experiences:

  • When you hear a popular song on the radio, you get weird looks because you are singing the lyrics to former Camp Starlight Sing songs.
  • You shout “Freeze!” at the family dinner table as soon as you are done eating.
  • You download “Reveille” on iTunes to use as your alarm clock tone.
  • You request raviolis for your birthday dinner.
  • You write “GS” as your elective on your class schedule form.
  • You loudly tell your classmates to “Have a great day!” after saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school.
  • You find yourself humming “Friends, Friends, Friends” as you scan through your summer camp pictures from last summer.
  • You tell your siblings the dress for the day will be shorts and a light top.
  • You stand at your door at bedtime and send your family off to sleep with a Jason Glick “Taps Speech”.
  • When you get off the school bus, you look for someone with a bunk list to tell you where to go.

We hope you find yourself getting more and more excited for Summer 2012, and we  cannot wait to get back to camp in a few short months!

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