Campers

For some it was their first banquet, but most everyone else this was their favorite night of camp, the night when we celebrate with costumes, dancing and a surprise themed party for the whole camp. It’s the Banquet! All of the 9th grader CAs this session planned the party, choosing the theme on the first day, and then designing all aspects of the event from the costumes, to the food, to the skits and dances, and of course the many decorations. Their goal was to transform the dining hall into something completely unique, an unexpected surprise of colorful and festive painted panels, lighting and table decorations.

One Night of Fairies and Shared Creation

The theme for our third session banquet? “Enchanted Hollow,” and it was magical! Stepping through the doors of the dining hall felt like entering a secret woodland glade where fairies live, colors glow, and every leaf and flower sparkled. Twinkling lights, twisty garlands and vines, streamers, and so many fairies made it all come alive.

There were two clans of fairies, the “good fairies” and the “fallen fairies.” They were locked in a struggle over stolen “pixie dust” that could only be settled by a dance-off between the two clans. Along with a regal Queen Fairy and a Woodland Bunny all was resolved with the counselors, dressed as graceful butterflies and fluttering moths, adding charm to the scene. All of these costumes were colorful and unique.

Between the scenes of this tale of fairies in the enchanted hollow, all of the campers celebrated by dancing to high-energy pop songs, laughing and cheering.

Themed Food and Creative Details

In true banquet tradition, the meal was woven into the theme as well. We enjoyed “Tink’s Tots,” “Pixie Berries,” “Dragon Tails,” “Sunshine Salad,” and “Bunny (Rockbrookie) Cookies” for dessert. The silver sugar decorating the Rockbrookies really fit the enchanted theme.

This was another banquet where every painted panel, costume, and skit was a product of hard work and close collaboration by the CA campers and their counselors. It’s remarkable to see how much detail the girls can fit into every surface and moment during the party. Their shared focus and creativity really brought the banquet to life, making it a special experience.

Songs of Farewell

The night ended, as it always does, with the CAs singing to their counselors and receiving songs in return… a Rockbrook tradition that is both joyful and bittersweet. After all the dancing, the laughter, and the celebrating, this was an unforgettable enchanted night. Thank you CAs!

One of the most anticipated culminating events each session at Rockbrook is the Banquet. This is the themed party the CA (9th grade) campers plan and present for the whole camp. It’s a huge celebration with decorations, costumes, specialty foods, music, dancing and skits, all focused on a particular theme the CAs select in secret. They completely transform the interior of the dining hall, covering every inch of wall space with hand-painted posters, adding lighting, streamers and other decorations. They rearrange the dining hall tables to create a dance floor and performance space.

Arriving at the Banquet and finding out the secret theme is part of the fun. For this second session 2025, the surprise was related to professional football. The theme? “Touchdown at RBC.”

Game Day Decorations and Food

The decorations featured football fields and NFL team logos, plus the logos of two “in-house” teams: the White Squirrels and Redbirds. Table decorations included inflated footballs, rings, trophies, Mardi Gras beads, mini foam fingers, football field tablecloths with lines. For food, we ate football game day foods like wings, tater tots, pigs in blankets, and veggies with ranch dip.

Halftime Show and Commercials

The CAs were dressed up in a variety of costumes. There were our two football teams: the White Squirrels and the Redbirds, complete with mascots and cheerleaders. The two teams ran down and had a dance battle, followed by a cheerleader routine. Then it was time for the halftime show featuring girls dressed as Rihanna doing “Umbrella,” Katy Perry with “California Girls,” Shakira performing “Hips Don’t Lie,” and Lady Gaga and “Poker Face.” The big moment was when Travis Kelce proposed to Taylor Swift (which as you know hasn’t happened in real life!).

There were commercial breaks too featuring the Gecko of Geico, Jake from State Farm, and the Aflac Duck. The counselors played referees and did a dance to “Hit the Quan.” In the final play, the Redbirds were down by six points but scored the winning touchdown thanks to Travis Kelce.

The show ended with “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled and everyone enjoying a dance party, jumping and singing with their friends.

Overall, it was a fantastic event… great energy, and loads of fun. Everyone had an amazing time. Thank you CAs!

Today we welcomed to camp a new group of girls, opening both our 4-week session and our first mini session of the summer. As each car arrived, pulling through our drive-thru check-in process, we could see that these girls had been waiting too long, unfairly long, for camp. Most were smiling and eager, feeling that perfect mix of nervous energy and excited anticipation. These girls were ready to get their camp time started!

The Magic of Opening a Trunk

There’s something quietly magical about opening up a trunk on the first day of camp. After the excited hellos while arriving, the songs on the hill at our first assembly, and the first glimpses of the lake or the horses or the dining hall, campers return to their cabins, choose their bunks, and begin to unpack. This first means making beds, organizing clothes, and shoes, and arranging trunks.

Every camper sets up their bunk a little differently. Some start with books and stuffed animals, lining them up on side shelves. Others carefully place their toiletries in caddies, hang up towels on cabin hooks, or string battery-powered fairy lights. Zippered pouches full of markers, card games, friendship bracelets in progress… these small treasures appear, one by one, and find their places. All the while, counselors are guiding the process and answering questions.

Photos from home get pinned up. Favorite blankets are arranged just so. There’s pride in getting it “just right,” but also freedom, because there’s no perfect way to set up a bunk at camp. Each one reflects the personality of the camper who calls it hers.

Cabins Come Alive

As each girl arranges her space, the cabin itself begins to come alive. There’s a buzz of conversation: “You brought that book too?” “Can I borrow your nail polish?” A sense of belonging starts to settle in alongside the duffels and trunks. New friends and old become bunkmates. Cabins become cozy homes.

By the time the lunch bell rings, rustic cabins that were empty that morning are now full of life, laughter, and a little bit of chaos. The session is only just beginning, but already the rhythm of camp has started to take hold. Unpacking may seem simple, just about the “stuff,” but it’s also the first moment of connection: camper to bunk, camper to cabin, camper to Rockbrook.

First session Rockbrook campers have been settling in for a few days now, and it’s just the start of camp! They have already had incredible experiences, including white water rafting, weaving, pottery, backpacking, and many more. One of the best parts of the week is cabin day, which takes place every Wednesday afternoon of the session. 

Planning the Perfect Afternoon

Camp provides the perfect environment for creativity and opportunities for counselors to have fun with their campers. This is especially true for cabin day, because the possibilities are endless! Counselors and programming team members spend hours each week planning special afternoon activities for campers by gathering supplies, workshopping group experiences, collaborating with other counselors, and finally executing plans. Each cabin has different activities tailored to their interests and personalities. When I was a counselor it was always fun to hear what my campers liked and then develop an afternoon where they could all have fun together. It is an amazing opportunity for campers to bond, especially since they aren’t all together as a group in activities during the day.

Counselors usually have the best luck balancing an “active” activity with a more relaxing, crafty activity. This way, there is something for everybody in the cabin that plays to the campers’ different temperaments. Counselors can also come up with themes for the day, including pirates, fairies, mermaids, detectives, animals, or anything that fits with their campers’ unique interests. Campers and counselors can hike to Castle Rock or Rockbrook Falls, go to the mermaid pools, use the lake, use our activity spaces to make crafts, and make special memorabilia to represent their cabin group that year. We are so lucky to live in this beautiful space at Rockbrook, so the possibilities are endless. Counselors and our programming team work extremely hard to pull this off every week, and campers always have so much fun!

The best part of cabin day, in my opinion, is the opportunity to spend time as a cabin group outside of the cabin. Beyond the day-to-day in-cabin routines, there are not many instances where everybody in the cabin is together at one time. Cabin day is one of the best ways to cultivate a positive cabin dynamic and strengthen the camp experience. Connection is the foundation of Rockbrook, and this is just one example of how we build it. 

What’s the difference between camp and school? That’s the question I asked a few campers today as I wandered around camp. You might think that’s like asking what’s the difference between chocolate cake and canned peas, but there’s more to it than just one’s “fun” and the other is “work.” You might also think that these Rockbrook girls wouldn’t have much to say about this, but oh no. They went on and on about what they loved about camp and how it was very different from life at school. They had immediate answers, and some were very thoughtful.

A few of the campers answered with differences about what you do at camp. “At camp I get to ride horses.” “School stops after 8 hours, but we live at camp 24 hours a day.” “At camp I’m outside all the time.” “There are no parents here.” “At camp I have more free time to do what I want.” All true! A sleepaway camp like Rockbrook provides all of these experiences. It offers all of the activities you see on the website, the adventure, crafts, sports and horseback things that girls love to do. They enjoy doing so many outdoor things that are not available at most schools— zipping down the waterslide and through the trees on the zipline course, shooting archery, playing in the creek, and riding horses. And yes, at camp the girls are living together away from their parents, making decisions for themselves, navigating new challenges and experiences without a helicopter or a snowplow to assist. We don’t schedule every minute at camp, allowing the girls more freedom to explore, to meander, and follow their interests. All of this empowers them far more than what school, with its sit-still culture, will allow.

Freedom to Connect Without Phones

A common answer from the older campers I polled was, “At camp nobody has a phone.” One continued, “and that’s a good thing because we’re not distracted and we can really connect with people.” I love this answer! While there are some schools that have restricted, even banned, phone use, the majority of teenagers are spending hours of their day scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. Instead of the real world, with all its messy, sometimes uncomfortable, yet rich and interesting nuances, kids are learning about life through corporate algorithms, sensationalized media, and sanitized snippets. Instead of helping them connect with each other, their smartphones are making them lonelier and more anxious, as Jonathan Haidt has recently written. And kids feel this inherent dissatisfaction when they only have electronic solutions to boredom. Being camp kids, they know it’s not good for them to be on their phones and screens a lot. One camper even said it; “I wish there were no phones at school.” Haidt argues for exactly that— banning phones in school. There’s a lot of evidence pointing to how that would help our kids. Tremendously.

A Place Without Social Pressure

Several campers answered my question by saying, “At camp there’s no social pressure to be someone you’re not.” And, “Rockbrook allows you to be your true self without the fear of being judged.” “Here you have the freedom to express yourself.” School, with its standards, evaluations, and grades, is inherently a competitive and judgmental place where kids must strive for academic achievement, and perform for social recognition. Every school has social cliques that beg the question of who belongs and who doesn’t. Camp is the other way around; “it’s a welcoming and accepting place,” as one camper put it. The people at camp are more supportive and encouraging. Their kindness comes through as acceptance, no matter your looks, smarts or talents. Camp kids feel like they belong, like they’re included, each and every one a part of this community. Camp sets a tone that rises above the uncertainty of self-confidence that defines many school environments.

A counselor put it this way, “At camp I have nothing to worry about.” More than basic necessities, I think she meant social worries, doubts about belonging, fears about not measuring up, concern over being valued despite one’s flaws. None of this is clear at school. In fact, a child’s school experience is often marked by concerns of self worth, plagued by questions like, “Am I smart enough?” “Do people like me?” “Who are my friends?” At Rockbrook, those questions simply don’t come up because everyone is treated kindly, is accepted and included from the very first day. No worries!

Why Camp Kids Are Happier

Another camper answered this question about comparing camp and school by simply noting, “people are happy here.” That might be the biggest difference, and perhaps the true consequence of all the other differences. Kids are happier at camp because they get to do a lot of cool, exciting things, their days filled with surprises and treats that no school can match. Instead of being rushed and overly scheduled, they’ve got time to relax and explore things as they desire. And they’re also away from their technology, interacting closely with other kids and the wonders of the real world. They’re happier because they don’t have to worry about being judged, being included, or having friends who care about them. At camp, they’re not lonely, they’re engaged. They’re clapping their hands and singing, being as silly as possible with unbridled joy. There’s no doubt; Kids love camp.

For everyone I asked, the differences were clear. “Camp life is the best life,” they said with real conviction. School, not so much. Sadly for many kids, school is too often an unhappy place defined by academic and social pressures, anxious feelings, with limited outlets beyond the broken promises made by smartphones. “If only school could be more like camp,” one camper wistfully imagined. I believe it can be, and there are certainly good schools striving to create a similar kind of haven for kids. Meanwhile, there’s Rockbrook: a delightful community where your girls can grow and flourish in the most marvelous ways.

Time at summer camp provides a unique opportunity for campers to rediscover the joy in life’s simpler pleasures. After a few days away from the distractions of screens and electronics, campers start to immerse themselves in experiences that often go unnoticed in their daily lives. Whether it’s savoring a favorite dessert (Rockbrookies!), marveling at a beautiful flower, bonding with the camp dog, or creating a special craft to bring home, these simple activities become cherished moments.

Kids at camp learn to appreciate the beauty of nature, the value of human connections, and the satisfaction of creating something with their own hands. These simple pleasures not only bring immediate happiness but also cultivate lasting memories and skills that will extend beyond their time at camp, hopefully into their lives as adults.

Where Imagination Runs Free

Camp is a place where imagination can run free, and anyone will happily join you in whatever game you’ve cooked up. With all of nature as the playground, we regularly see games of school, babysitting, pretend shopping trips, and so much more! Costumes are worn for no reason (hey, it’s a Tuesday, let’s all wear tutus!) and no one bats an eye at wacky hair, nicknames, or silly hats.

A Five-Star Restaurant in the Creek

For example, this evening at 7:30pm, I had a dinner reservation at one of the finest establishments in Brevard. I was warmly greeted by the host, enjoyed a seat with a magnificent view of the mountains, and was served up a plate of whatever I requested by the friendly wait staff.

This “restaurant” took place in the bubbling creek that runs through camp, and my “dinner” was mud pies of various sizes, decorated with leaves and flower petals. All the while, the campers played the various roles, chattering excitedly about their plans for expansion, hours of operation, and menu offerings. Restaurants are a serious business!

It’s so much fun to watch the campers settling into their authentic and creative selves, being joyful and silly and playful. New friendships are formed as imaginations go wild.

Here at Rockbrook, the shrieks of joy at dessert time, the wild cheers from the tetherball court, and the sweet talk whispered to the chickens show us how quickly kids adapt to camp life and bring their exuberance to the smallest of moments.

As the sun slips behind the blue-green mountains, we all find joy in the slower contrast to the fast-paced, technology-driven world. We slow down and engage with our surroundings more deeply, and look forward to another day full of small joys in the heart of a wooded mountain.

—Miranda Barrett
   Camp Mom, former camper and counselor

“It’s Banquet day!” “Ya’ll, I can’t believe it’s almost time for Banquet.” “I’m so excited for Banquet!” These and other remarks of excited anticipation are what you hear around camp leading up to the special event we call Banquet. It’s the biggest celebration of the whole session, essentially an all-camp party held in the dining hall filled with almost constant singing and dancing, laughing, and a sort of unmatched exuberance and emotion that’s hard to describe.

It’s the culmination of what began on the first day of camp when our CA 9th graders selected a secret theme for the party. They plan and present the entire party, designing the decorations, selecting the dinner menu, and dressing up in costumes to complete the experience. Part of the excitement is revealing their theme to everyone else. Tonight’s banquet was “Under the RB..Sea,” a colorful transformation of the dining hall into an underwater wonderland.

Underwater Wonderland Decorations

The girls outdid themselves with the decorations. There were hand-painted murals showcasing vibrant coral reefs, majestic sea creatures like jellyfish and starfish, and all sorts of colorful fish. There was a sunken treasure chest, a scuba diver, a mermaid, a lobster, a ship’s anchor and even a surfboard. They covered all of the tables with blue plastic tablecloths, and more transluscent blue material in the rafters to look like waves of water. In a few places there were fishing nets hung, with inflated fish and dolphins. Sparkly lights added to the festive feel of it all.

For costumes, a few CAs dressed as mermaids with shimmery skirts. Three were grey, silver sharks. We saw the Nickelodeon character SpongeBob Squarepants and his friend Patrick Star, both of whom live under the sea. We were also excited to have Dory and Nemo play roles. One CA dressed up as a jellyfish using an umbrella and streamers to take on the right shape. Even the counselors got in on the act dressing up as snorkelers complete with masks and fins!

The food was classic banquet fare with clever aquatic names: Sea sponges for an appetizer (mozzarella sticks), Seashell pasta and green coral (tortellini and steamed broccoli) for the main, with tropical fruit kababs on the side. And for dessert, there was an amazing blue vanilla pudding cup with red Swedish fish swimming inside. Along with the candy and other treats on the tables, this was a feast.

When Emotions Bubble Up

Toward the end of the banquet, emotions often bubble up. We see the first tears that come from realizing that this session of camp is soon ending. Especially from the CAs and Hi-Ups, the two groups who grow especially close working together during the session, there was a poignant moment of mixed laughter, smiles and tears. These girls have been through a lot together over the last three weeks, and have grown incredibly close.

What makes a great banquet? We saw it tonight. The dining hall was transformed into an magical environment, and was filled with the kind of friends that felt just like you— so buoyant you can’t help but sing, so joyful you had to jump, so grateful your face hurt from smiling. It was amazing and fun, colorful and loud, and a perfect way to celebrate being together at camp.

At camp the people you know the best are the other campers and counselors in your cabin. You see them on a regular basis. You eat your meals together at the same table in the dining hall, and of course you spend rest hour together, and every evening and morning together going to sleep and waking up in the same space. During the day, however, as each person has their own individual activity schedule, everyone scatters in all directions. As you know, the activity signup process, encourages this kind of self-direction and independence. It’s very empowering for young people to decide for themselves what activities they’d like to take and how to spend their free time throughout the day.

Why Cabin Day Matters

At the same time, we don’t want to lose the special friendships that happen in the cabin groups. If everything is completely individualized, if the campers in a cabin don’t share enough experience, the bonds between the campers in a cabin won’t be as strong. We know having regular times of shared activity like playing a game together, doing an art project together, or just hanging out at the lake together is really valuable.

This is why we devote Wednesday afternoons at camp to a special time for cabin bonding. We have Cabin Day! In the morning, campers spend the last day of the activity rotation in their first and second activity periods. After rest hour though, cabins stick together and participate in a special activity that has been secretly planned by their counselors.

Cabin Day Activities

In the past, we have seen some crazy fun cabin day ideas and every year the staff think of more brilliant things to do with their campers. This week, we had a few cabins at the lake doing the ever-popular Coca Cola Dives! Counselors will toss in some cans of soda (make sure not to use diet sodas—they float!) and lifeguards are on duty as campers dive down to the bottom of the lake in search of a tasty beverage. The work of finding the soda really makes the experience of drinking it that more rewarding, and dare I say refreshing!

Another hit for this week was a garden party! A few cabins headed down to the Rockbrook garden to enjoy the flowers and chickens, while getting crafty and snacking on popcorn and popsicles—the perfect combo!! I even spotted some fancy costumes for the special occasion.

Anything with water instantly makes Cabin Day more fun!!! We had a cabin hike out to lovely Rockbrook Falls, while another cabin stopped short and took a dip in the Rockbrook Mermaid pools, also known as the Mermaid Cove. Another cabin group was drawn to the picturesque creek outside of Curosty (the fiber arts cabin) and used the running water to create beautiful watercolor paintings.

While all of our Cabin Day activities bring creativity and fun, what really matters is that we are spending time together. As Directors travel to different camper parties in the fall, many of our Rockbrook alums still remember the names of every single camper, and counselor, they had in their cabins while at camp. Each cabin makes up a unique and sweet group of people and days like Cabin Day really allows for deep cabin bonding that campers will never forget.

Returning to the idea that camp is “educational” because it provides a life filled with new experiences, I’m again left wondering how it’s educational. I’ve already considered how Rockbrook’s emphasis on community and the quality of our relationships with each other, namely them being guided by strong values of kindness, caring and generosity, creates a context for fostering creativity, compassion, and courage. Camp uniquely empowers children to engage new experiences, to explore and marvel at the wonders of nature, and to build connections with the people around them. We know that camp is a place to grow in all of these important ways.

Asking the Campers

There seems to be more we might say about this. What about the campers? You might not guess it, but they too understand camp as place where they learn things. To understand this, Naomi, one of our assistant Directors, and I wandered around after dinner and asked a few campers what they thought. We asked, “What is something you learned while at camp?” And, “Is there something you learned at camp that you’ll use back at home or later in life?” We asked girls from all the age groups and were pleased to hear what they said about what they “take away” from camp. It’s memories of the fun and a huge set of friends, but also even more.

Here are some of their answers. I think you’ll be impressed.

What Campers Said They Learned

1. “New skills.” Certainly there are many skill-based activities campers try at camp and then find themselves keeping as an interest or hobby. It might be sewing, horseback riding, painting, archery, tying knots, etc. “I learned how to paddle a canoe!” one camper said proudly.

2. “The importance of kindness.” Rockbrook girls know this instinctively. They expect kindess from others just as they aim to be nice themselves. One girl put it like this— “Being unkind just isn’t worth it.”

3. “How to share my space.” This makes great sense when the girls are living so closely in 100-year old cabins. “You have to respect other people’s space.”

4. “Teamwork.” Working together as a cabin group each day for cabin chores, clearing the dining hall table, and evening program skits are good examples of teamwork at camp.

5. “It’s OK to be myself.” This is a testament to the supportive and accepting character of the Rockbrook community, a place where girls can escape the kind of social criticism and judgment they often endure at school, freeing them to be more genuine. The girls feel the difference.

6. “To try new things.” This can take some courage, but here too the support of the camp community, and the enthusiasm for everything we do at camp, makes this a common experience.

7. “To live without my phone.” I love this response! I believe learning to moderate one’s phone use is a critical modern skill, and these campers already understand the importance of that. Good work!

8. “Flexibility.” At camp the girls learn to see the bright side when things don’t always go perfectly, to be open to compromise for the needs of others, and to adapt to the environment of camp despite it being so different from life at home.

9. “How to get along with others who are different than me.” Here too, joining the camp community means meeting diverse people, supporting and encouraging them, and receiving that same friendship in return.

10. “To be more grateful.” There is so much at Rockbrook to be thankful for. From what we get to do, to who we are doing it with, to the beautiful setting where we live— the whole experience inspires us to say “Thank you.” You hear it said out loud all the time.

Aren’t these amazing answers!? It impressed me to hear how these Rockbrook girls, amidst the fun of camp life, also appreciate the good it is doing. They seemed to understand that they were learning and growing in ways they would continue to value later in life. Yay! That’s exactly what we hope happens at Rockbrook. Camp should be meaningful like this.

Perhaps when you pick up your camper you’ll have a chance to ask her what she learned at camp. On the drive home, I think you’ll be impressed by how much she’s grown and understood while here.