Learning Responsibility at Summer Camp

Repeatedly this week I’ve talked to moms and dads who are wanting their children to learn more responsibility. One of the key ingredients to summer camp for girls and boys is learning to do more things on their own. Here are just a handful of ways that campers learn more responsibility at summer camp:

They learn to clean the table

After each meal two campers are tasks with wiping down and sweeping under and around their cabin. Campers also clear and stack plates and gather silverware. Campers soon learn that dishes and table cleanup don’t just happen!

They learn to pick up their room

Each day after breakfast campers team up with cabin mates to clean their cabin. We make it fun for them, as their inspector is dressed up in a fun and crazy character. The cleaning checklist for campers includes: floors swept, teeth brushed, outside of cabin picked up, lights/fans/radios turned off, dirty clothes put away, wet clothes on the clothesline, and trunk organized. At our summer camp for girls and boys, this is a healthy regimen.

They learn to brush your teeth

Campers also are responsible for brushing their teeth before bedtime as well.

They learn how to handle conflict

Living in a cabin with 11 other campers your age forces kids at summer camp to get a little uncomfortable and learn to live with other kids not like themselves. Our counselors teach them to go directly to their friends to resolve conflict, as it inevitably happens. What a great life skill!

They learn to steward electricity usage

We believe in stewardship of resources at Huawni, and we ask campers to be aware of electricity usage. This includes turning off fans and lights when leaving the cabin. Occasionally when this doesn’t happen, the Fantom comes to the cabin while everyone is away and hits the master power switch. Of course when campers come back, they immediately realized that someone left the lights and fans on. It’s a fun way to instill stewardship of resources in our campers.

Huawni Parents, how have you seen your child grow in responsibility after coming home from summer camp??