What Happens at Camp Skywild?
We know that sending your child to summer camp can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if it is your first time. We’re here to ease some of those anxieties and make sure our camp families know what to expect. Here is an overview of how our camp is structured and what you and your child can anticipate:
What will my camper be doing?
When your child attends camp, they’ll get to experience so many wonderful things. We give each camper a well-rounded camp experience where they’ll be able to participate in traditional summer camp activities like archery, nature exploration, arts and crafts, fishing, and swimming, mixed with activities that encourage campers to step out of comfort zone and try new things like the zip line, climbing tower, and giant swing. We operate under the “challenge by choice” philosophy where campers get to decide the extent to which they participate in the activities. At each activity zone, we have opt-out options for campers who’d rather swing in a hammock, read, build lego creations, race to stack the most cups, make a friendship bracelet, color, or challenge their counselors in a board game. While we encourage participation at all activities, we understand that some things aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. In the evenings, we come together as a group and have all-camp activities, which typically look like solving a big mystery, completing a challenge with your cabin, or singing songs and eating s'mores around the campfire. The underbelly of everything we do at camp is centered around friendship and togetherness.
Where will my camper be living?
We bunk campers into small groups of 4-7 campers per cabin. The cabins are typically categorized by age, gender, and information collected from the camper profiles; we try to be very intentional with who we think would be a good fit together. Additionally, we aim to have a 1:2 staff to camper ratio, so there will also be 3-6 adults in each cabin, depending on the size. The cabins are quintessential summer camp cabins, with bunk beds and cubbies. Campers will need to bring their own bedding (sleeping bag and pillow or sheets to fit a twin sized mattress) and are encouraged to bring things that make bedtime comfortable/ feel more like home (stuffed animals, books, special blankets, etc.). We know that sleeping someplace new isn’t always easy, so we make sure to make the experience as comfortable as possible for our campers! We give every cabin box fans for white noise, night lights for dim lighting, headphones/ earplugs for light sleepers, and it’s not uncommon for counselors to play soothing music before lights out. Aside from where the campers are sleeping, our camp also has private bathrooms and showers. It is a requirement for campers to be independent in toileting and showering, however, we can assist the process with visual/auditory prompting if that’s what your camper needs.
How does Skywild care for individual needs?
At Skywild, we try to get to know the campers before we even meet them. Our application process is lengthy on purpose. It takes most families about an hour to apply, but we gather so much useful information from that process. After reviewing our camper applications, we usually schedule a virtual meeting with new families if we have any questions or want more information about how to best accommodate that individual camper. We also require first time families to attend one of our pre-summer open houses with the intention for new campers to get the lay of the land, and meet some people before camp begins so that they are as comfortable as possible before they arrive at camp. With our 1:2 staff to camper ratio, and fleet of support staff on our Director team with various levels of expertise, we make sure that everyone feels supported while they’re at camp. At Skywild, we put our counselors through an intensive staff training and make sure they’re equipped with visuals, whiteboards, timers, and other resources that make camp as accessible as possible. We also make time for the counselors to review the camper profiles before the campers arrive, so that they know what to expect and how to best serve the needs of the campers in their cabin. Just as we intentionally bunk campers together that we think would be a good fit, we do the same with their counselors.
More on the Skywild Philosophy
Questions?
If you have any questions about camp, or would just like to chat about if this is the right opportunity for your child, please don’t hesitate to email/call/text Kristin
kristin@campskywild.org
(443) 907-8288
