A positive atmosphere and good memories are a key goal of camp. Here is a collection of ideas and resources to help you along the way. These are suggestions and options for you. Your experience as a youth leader will be invaluable to making this a positive experience. Trust your instincts as you find ways to build relationships with and between the girls.
At the beginning of the week, circle up the girls. Share the fears and hopes that each might have about the week. Start with the hopes, so that each of the girls can share in the excitement and anticipation of camp. When sharing fears, it is important to be honest and also thoughtful. The girls might be concerned about their relationships with each other, so support a brave conversation.
This can be a helpful way to gauge how each of the girls are feeling without expressing specific problems. Ask the group to describe their outlook for the day in terms of weather patterns. It is a fun way to understand where each one is at and allows the girls the opportunity to be a support for each other.
Ahead of time, you can ask the girls to be an expert on a different component of the week. Maybe they know a lot about swimming, or plants/insects. Ask them to share their expertise and allow for a mutual appreciation.
One of the greatest aspects of being in nature is the opportunity to wonder at the majesty of God's creations. Create time for the girls to have these moments, maybe on the trail or between scheduled activities. Solo hikes, meditation and journaling are all great tools for quieting the mind.
Creative writing prompts for teens
After a big or intense activity, take the time to ask:
1. What happened? This is a moment of reflective observation. (Ex: "Alexis twisted her ankle while we were running to the lake and we all came to help her.")
2. So what? Create theories or ideas around the observations. (Ex: "Alexis might have been embarrassed with all of us there." "I was feeling nervous that she might be seriously hurt."
3. Now what? Use the theories to solve problems and make decisions. (Ex: "If one of us gets hurt, we will alert the leaders and allow for the person to have some privacy.")
You can find out more about this process here.
Fast Photo - can also be used as a debriefing tool, capturing fun moments of the day.
Name action - helps you remember names
Name toss - once you get that down, call “scrambled eggs” everyone scrambles to find a new spot in the circle, then play again with the same name pattern.
Trail Games:
Pick a table topic, find a time to ask on the trail
Telephone - have the front or the back of the line pick a phrase or saying and pass it down the line. Have the other end of the line shout it out, see how you did and send back another one.