I'm just looking for a normal sleep away camp where the counselors make efforts to get all the kids to integrate, where there are many other kids who didn't come with a best friend, and the vibe is not super girly (not into princessy things, dance, sparkles, doing hair or make up). Extra points if there is an animal/farm/nature center and kayaking. Thanks

The majority of camps are not that rustic. If the camps are in the woods, bugs are kind of unavoidable. Most camps have cabins with showers with hot water and flush toilets. I'm sure there are a few camps that are more rustic but most of them aren't. Parents aren't going to pay a lot of money for their kids to be in a tent for weeks at a time. The only time my son stayed in a tent was the one night his cabin hiked to a campground on the camp property. That night, they slept in their sleeping bags under tarps in case of rain. They cooked out over a fire. That was one night out of 13 nights. If your daughter wants something else, you might look for camps on college campuses. They tend to be sports camps but I know CTY camps through Hopkins are often at college campuses. Maybe some boarding schools have camps that use their dorms too.

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by rustic? I think most sleepaway camps are pretty outdoorsy if that's what you mean by rustic. What fun activities are you looking for? Most of the camps I looked at and took tours of had mostly the same activities.

OP here...Rustic sounds like the shelters are more primitive. DD likes bugs, but doesnt want to sleep with them (or snakes, daddy long legs, or bees or geckos). She doesn't want to cook food on a fire every night or set up a tent. Would want a cot and a cabin with real flush toilets and sinks.

What do you mean by rustic? I think most sleepaway camps are pretty outdoorsy if that's what you mean by rustic. What fun activities are you looking for? Most of the camps I looked at and took tours of had mostly the same activities.

Any other suggestions for camps that aren't necessarily "rustic" but just typical camps with fun activities -- but very welcoming to kids without buddies?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Camp Rim Rock is very girly though. They like to sit around brushing hair and such. So my tomboy DD found. Camp Cody in NH is great.

Oooo....brushing hair would not be a good fit for DD...definitely not into girly things...not a tomboy, but more of a science, nature, animals, space and kayaking girl.

Any more suggestions?

Based on this, Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies in West Virginia.
They have all of this except maybe not kayaking. Very attuned to making everyone part of the group. Backpacking trip each session, river day, science nature creative fun. Rustic. Great staff. Each camper also does a mini science or nature project of their own design, under the guidance of a staff member assigned to mentor the project. Depending on interest it could have an art component or be wildlife observation or creating their own compendium of salamanders or wild flowers. Very fun upbeat spirit there.

Seagull and Seafarer

Well my DD did not sit around brushing her hair at CRR. Too busy swimming, playing soccer, riding a horse, running around in circles.

For boys, there is Falling Creek Camp in NC. I think there were only 2 other boys from the state of Maryland (out of 250+ campers) in the session my son attended last summer. There might be a few more boys from VA but the vast majority of boys are from the south (NC, SC, Georgia, etc). They also won't put more than 2 kids from the same area in a cabin together and if boys want to request a cabinmate, both boys have to make that request. Awesome camp all around!

Anonymous wrote:Camp Rim Rock is very girly though. They like to sit around brushing hair and such. So my tomboy DD found. Camp Cody in NH is great.

Oooo....brushing hair would not be a good fit for DD...definitely not into girly things...not a tomboy, but more of a science, nature, animals, space and kayaking girl.

Any more suggestions?

Camp Rim Rock is very girly though. They like to sit around brushing hair and such. So my tomboy DD found. Camp Cody in NH is great.

Camp Arrowhead in Lewes, DE

Camp Letts. DS went solo for first time. First thing he said when he got back is that he wants to go for two weeks next year. Don't think anyone in his cabin had a buddy.

Camp Rim Rock. My daughter went alone the first time and had a great time. I think there are people who know each other from home and I also think there are people who go to the same session in camp every year. However, I think the counselors and the camp leadership does a really good job a promoting inclusiveness and steering kids together who seem to have common interests.

DD just got back from camp and although she had fun, she thought all of the girls in her unit had buddies (i.e. came to camp with a friend). She did not have a buddy.

Can you recommend a camp for girls and boys (would plan to send DS in the future) where there are a lot of kids who come to camp without a friend? I'd want a camp where the counselors are really atuned to bringing everyone into the fold (including introverted kids) and not just letting kids stick in cliques.

How does Hidden Meadows or Twin Creeks rate on creating a community?