Packing for Camp in 5 Simple Steps
Step 1: Download and print the CV Clothing and Equipment List and Joe Camper.
Posts tagged with summer camp
What It’s Like: Crossing Your First Portage
For most kids, a summer at camp will be their entrée into a number of firsts. Some campers will catch their first fish; others will go sailing for the first time. And for nearly all kids, camp will give them an adventure-filled wilderness experience unlike anything they have ever found in school. Perhaps no greater camp “first” holds more significance and lore than crossing the inaugural portage. On a literal level, a camper’s first portage is likely a fairly nondescript strip of land connecting two lakes that are probably more captivating and mysterious; most young campers are mesmerized first and...
The Bent-Shaft Advantage
Efficient Paddling For most of us at camp, canoeing means sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying nature’s beauty. But for some paddle enthusiasts, speed and efficiency matter more than anything. That’s why we’re sharing a quick review of efficient paddling techniques.
10 Tips for Preventing Homesickness
This summer, many first-time campers will get their first taste of independence at camp. For most, it will be the first time they’ve spent longer than a few days away from their families. Being away from home can be difficult. Especially when you’re a kid. So, it’s no surprise the American Camp Association (ACA) reported that in 2018, 83% of campers experienced homesickness on at least one day of residential camp. However, our camper survey in 2018 recorded about half that figure. Experiencing homesickness is part of growing up. Still, with a little preparation, parents can help to minimize their...
A True Well-Rounded Education
Don’t trust the gradebooks.
The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition Begins
The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off today and hearts were racin’, muscles were pumpin’, and legs were stretchin’. The Woodsmen is a competition that dates back to the early 1950’s, when President John F. Kennedy said that “physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” President Kennedy’s famous words resonated with the whole nation, and as a result many of today’s mainstay fitness competitions emerged from this Golden Era of physical fitness. The Youth Woodsmen is a fitness competition between the...
Wise Words From Our Past
In the 1980’s Camp Voyageur’s founder and director Charlie Erdmann wrote an article in the local Ely Echo. We believe his words are as relevant now as they were back then, and would like to share them with you. Here is the word-for-word article:
"7 Ways to Maximize Misery" (WARNING: Sarcasm)
Uhhh, so what is this about? I’ll stop with the click-baiting. The purpose of this post is to share a video which I feel speaks to some tendencies in not just teens, but in many of my own peers, that can become reinforced as habits that ultimately undermine our own happiness. It follows closely the work of psychologist Randy J. Paterson, who wrote the book “How to be miserable: 40 strategies you already use”. By necessity, summer camps intervene Many of the points addressed in the video are simply impossible at camp. You live and eat with your peers everyday,...
The New Case for a Tech-Free Summer Camp Experience
Given the historic precedence of computers and the internet and how integrated technology has become in our children’s modern education, spending a month or two away from screens is a much bigger commitment than it used to be. In fact, if I had to describe the largest cultural shift in the last decade, it would have to be that what we consider “normal” amounts of exposure to screens and computers has perhaps tripled in length. But taking this even further, I’d argue that for our kids, the internet is much more than just a tool. It is increasingly becoming a...
Youth Woodsmen Mid-Season Update
The Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off a few weeks ago and it’s time for a mid-season update! The Woodsmen measures campers’ fitness levels when they arrive at camp and at the end of camp. Fitness tests included curl-ups, shuttle run, v-sit reach, half-mile run, pull-ups, and push-ups. The results of the first session are remarkable! Over a span of only 24 days, campers improved significantly in nearly every statistical category. Campers’ half-mile run times improved, on average, by over 20 seconds. One camper even improved his half-mile run time by 1 min 35 seconds! By the end of the session,...