We all know it -- change can be hard.
Transitions at camp come in all sizes, and helping children enjoy a stress-free camp experience means paying attention to transitions in a meaningful way . A camper’s schedule changes a little every day as they visit new activity areas, they have different daily lunch choices, and they have new camper friends in each week’s session. Transitions can also be BIG, like finally being old enough to join Drama, or Ceramics Special Program, or joining Summer Fenn for the first time, or spending your final weeks before “graduating” at age 15. No matter the size, they all need to be honored.
Setting expectations is a huge part of managing transitions for our campers. We post our weekly menu and schedules for families on the website, we give a clear outline to campers about what their day will be like each morning, and we review their elective choices with them well in advance of the actual “choosing”. Giving time and space for campers to process and make their own decisions gives them a role in setting and managing the expectations for the day.
Regular follow- through on those expectations also makes transitions easier for our campers. We recognize that in their familiar home lives and at their familiar schools, kids may not even blink when things don’t go as planned, but given all the transitions and new-ness that happens at camp, we know it’s even more important to deliver on what children have come to understand about their experience here. The small details matter, and we work hard to make sure that campers’ expectations are met. When we tell a camper, “Don’t worry, we’ll find something you like for lunch”, you better believe we’ll find something your camper likes for lunch. It makes all the future expectations about lunch time worry free, and maybe that camper feels at ease enough to try something new!
Engaged play and interaction during transitions is another way to make the day go smoothly. Our counselors have an entire repertoire of “en route” activities, so that even moving from place to place is fun and interesting. Yesterday I saw one group giggling while traveling in a circle of high-5s to their activity block, while another group played a hilarious game called run and yell (run for as long as your voice can yell and then freeze- see who gets the furthest each run until you make it over to the pool!). It not only staves off homesickness-which rears its head most during transitions- but it organizes children’s energy and attention to keep them ready for the next activity.
With thoughtful attention throughout the camp day, transitions can be a constant opportunity for campers to succeed, rather than a source of distress or worry. And as successes build, we see the results in happy, smiling, high-fiving campers all week long!
Looking for summer camp? Summer Fenn offers an award-winning day camp program in Concord for boys and girls age 5-15. Registration is now open!
More information online at www.summerfenn.org
Summer Fenn Day Camp
516 Monument St
Concord MA 01742
(978) 318-3614
Email summercamp@fenn.org
