At Deer Run, we are summer camp experts and Macaroni Kid moms agree. You voted us Best Summer Camp! (Thank you!) We’d like to share some helpful info if you are still considering where your kids (or family) will go to camp this summer and some tips for preparing for camp — whether you’re a first-time camper mom or a seasoned one.
Family Camp Flash Sale: 25% OFF your family weekend getaway. Use promo code FAMILY25OFF. Offer ends Wednesday, June 8.
Camp is more than having outdoor fun.
Have you ever thought about camp being more than just a place for kids to spend their summer having some fun? Studies show that being outdoors in a wooded setting is incredibly beneficial for a child’s social skills, mental health, and emotional well-being. At Deer Run, your campers participate in activities and games that foster confidence and communication skills which are useful for relationships, school, or sports. They have a blast trying new things like soaring across the valley on a zipline while braving their fear of heights, reaching and stretching up the climbing tower while trusting their new friends, or hitting a bullseye in archery while engaging in friendly competition. By venturing outside their comfort zones and spending precious time in nature, your camper begins to gain a sense of independence, increase in confidence, and learns the process and value of wise decision-making. Time away from tablets and phones engages them in face-to-face genuine relationships. Good character is formed while they see this modeled from their camp staffers and in meaningful age-graded Bible studies.
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Preparing for the overnight camp leap.
While all this sounds amazing, your camper (or you!) may be concerned about a first-time overnight, away-from-home camp experience. We totally get that! Overnight camp is like a week-long sleepover and can be intimidating for both campers and parents. So, here are a few ideas to help ease the jitters.
- Invite a friend or several friends to come with your camper. Having someone they already know in their cabin group always eases the nervousness.
- Before they head out to camp, get with a friend’s mom to plan a sleepover. Talk to your child about how it went for them. More often-than-not, you’ll find it was a positive experience!
- When packing for camp, hide notes in their suitcase or Bible. Finding an unexpected note is always comforting.
- Send a care package to camp to surprise your child with their favorite snacks, glow sticks, stickers, etc.
- Pack a favorite stuffed animal or book.
- Encourage them as much as you can. Let them know you are nervous too, but there will be lots of fun camp stories to talk about afterwards.
Experience camp together as a family!
If you and/or your camper are just not quite ready to take the leap for overnight camp, then check out Deer Run’s 2-night weekend summer Family Camps and do camp together! (We also have a 3-night Labor Day Weekend Family Camp.) Your family stays in private, upscale accommodations at Deer Run’s Lodge and plays together to create lifelong memories.
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This is an opportunity to get away from the busyness of your regular routine and spend a focused weekend getaway with each other to experience delicious meals freshly prepared by our chef, games, outdoor movie night, crafts, and more plus thrilling guided outdoor recreation (such as axe throwing, paintball, ziplines), and … incredible hospitality in an amazing Deer Run setting located on 150 beautiful, wooded acres.
If you’d like to find out more about Deer Run’s summer day and overnight camps plus year-round parent-child/family experiences, visit us at DeerRun.camp/camps.
Do you have questions? Our guest relations team is happy to help! Just call us at 615-794-2918. You can also reach us via email at contact@deerrun.camp anytime. See you at camp this summer!
