Knitting Camp Girls

“Like your hat Maddie.”

You get to make some pretty cool stuff when you come to camp… like this hat for instance. Maddie knitted it when she first got to camp last summer, and from then on was rarely seen without it. It’s true; knitting has become an increasingly popular activity at camp. The Rockbrook girls are learning that knitting isn’t all that difficult (once you master the basic stitches!), is really a lot of fun, and is so satisfying when you see what you’ve made. It’s the kind of thing that you can then continue after camp at Home. It can become a life-long hobby!

P.S. That’s Looking Glass Falls in the background.

Camp — A place for girls to grow

Back in 1998, Kellogg’s produced a television commercial that, quite unintentionally, reminds us why a girl’s time at summer camp can be so valuable, why it really can fuel tremendous personal growth. The commercial shows a little boy reciting a “declaration” of sorts about what children need.

“We the children need the following:
We need encouragement.
We need to laugh.
We need inspiration.
We need to be read to.
We need to have self-esteem,
Love and security,
Adventure,
Discipline and Freedom.
We need to make mistakes,
Ask questions,
To imagine.
We need to win,
And sometimes we need to lose.
We need to be hugged.
We need family, friends and even foes,
And heroes.
We need nourishment.”

It’s just amazing how camp is one of those unique places that provides almost all of these ingredients. With its wide ranging program of activities, caring staff members, traditions and overall philosophy, summer camp satisfies these needs for children. We’ve often said it at Rockbrook; “camp is a place for girls to grow.”

Here’s the commercial.

Teenagers Coming to Camp

Another important aspect of camp for teens is the many positive relationships they form with other girls, both younger and older than themselves. Take away competition and foster authentic communication instead. Remove self-doubt, and receive genuine encouragement instead. Step from being ignored to a place of listening, respect and care. This kind of summer camp program is just magical for teen girls. Perhaps this helps explain why you hear teenagers talk about “my camp.” It’s that place where they feel the best, feel most connected, and happily themselves.

Camp Girls on the Run

Rockbrook has its own “Girls on the Run” program in the summer. If you’re not familiar with it, Girls on the Run is a national program (with individual local chapters) that helps girls “develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running.” Did you know that Charlotte, one of Rockbrook’s former directors, is one of the coaches for the Brevard GOTR program? Here’s an article about it. The article does an excellent job describing the program and the benefits it provides the girls who participate. You’ll see it’s a great thing to do!

Outdoor Programs for Girls

There’s something really special about spending most of your time outdoors. When you’re a girl who goes to school all day, rides around in a car between things, and maybe lives where the weather is a little “tough” most of the time, it’s a rare thing to be outside. Because it’s so rare, it feels so liberating to have regular outdoor experience, to romp through a stream, feel a warm breeze, hear the sharp clap of thunder, get muddy and just plain explore all the wonders of nature. There’s a lot to say about how this time outdoors is extraordinarily good for us, but it’s perfectly fun too. Summer camp, of course, is one of the best places to find all this. It’s a place where you can recharge and balance out what we’ve been missing most of the year. Just thinking about it, makes us smile with anticipation!