Preparing Your Camper(s) for Camp

Camp is an exciting and fun filled place – new friends, new adventures, new skills, stories, songs, campfires, games and many other things. Camp is also a very different place for first time campers - different bed, different washroom, different schedules, different food, different experiences and different people. Along with the excitement of all these new and different experiences, there is bound to be some anxiety about some things. Here are a few suggestions you might try to keep the anxiety low and the anticipation high:

• Read over this site with your camper(s). 

• Discuss what it means to have feelings of homesickness – usually campers will feel homesick for the first day or so until they are accustomed to the routine.

• Our mentors are committed to helping campers feel comfortable and campers very rarely go home due to homesickness.

• Discuss what it might be like to live in a cabin with other campers, and how to go about making new friends.

• Discuss the way problems can be solved at camp, including talking with their counsellors.

• Parents/guardians, prepare yourselves to miss your campers while they are at camp, yet know that they are safe, being well cared for by people who enjoy working with children and will always take time to listen.

 What Parents, Guardians and Campers Need to Know

At our 2SLGBTQI-Allies Leadership Camp, we hope that the youth who participate in our programming enjoy an amazing week in our camp community while developing their skills.  At the same time, we recognise that our campers should be given the guidance they need to try new things, learn and grow in a safe and caring environment.  Rather than limit the experiences of campers, we have developed these guidelines to make sure that every camper is aware of how they can participate in making sure that they, their fellow campers and our staff, stay safe and have a great time.