Cozy Campers
I believe that summer camps are some of the most magical places on earth. As a lifetime Girl Scout, I grew up going to resident camps every summer, singing songs, eating s’mores, and sleeping under the stars. I have made countless friends at camp, some of which are still my closest friends to this day. As a kid, I would excitedly wait for 51 weeks for that one week a year I could escape everyday life and be back in my home-away-from-home. Throughout college, I have spent the past 3 summers working at Girl Scout camps, inspiring young campers, and gaining some of the most meaningful experience of my young life.
I have experienced and seen firsthand the benefits that camp can have on a child and am a huge advocate of camp, especially residential camps. Residential camps, as opposed to day camps, are often a child’s first experience of staying away from home and family for an extended time. This can be a scary idea for kids and parents alike. Many parents and families don’t know where to start in how to prepare their child and themselves.
Having a lot of passion for summer camp and wanting to create a project around that love, I thought it would be really important to focus on this issue of MESH in young campers, especially in campers that are going to camp for the first time. There is no cure-all for camper homesickness or a method to prepare a child for camp 110%, but I wanted to create something that would help prepare first-time campers and their families, and help them feel more prepared. Something that would help a camper’s MESH while away from home.
I decided that for this project, I wanted to create a camp starter kit for kids going to camp for the first time, keeping practicality and quality in mind.
Instructor: Abby Guido
