Creating Awe at Camp

Is awe essential to our happiness? Are we creating and perpetuating a society that lacks awe? These questions are being asked as we further examine how our built environments are changing. Time magazine and Psychology Today reported on a 2012 study that shows how “awe-inspiring moments” actually help us to perceive time as moving slower, which is acknowledged as having a positive effect on our otherwise fast-paced life. After viewing awesome (that is, awe-inspiring) images, volunteers reported feeling “more patient, less materialistic, and more willing to help others.”

“Awe can rock our world, making us reassess our beliefs and revise our theories of how things work,” writes Dacher Keltner, the psychologist who conducted the study, which you can read about here and here.

This is of particular interest when we look at how the children of today experience childhood in comparison with children from previous generations. Take, for instance, their experience of the night sky. Unlike the older generations alive today, many suburban and urban youth have not had the experience of standing in utter and complete awe of the night sky, due to invasive, pervasive light pollution. Having specialized in preserving and harnessing natural beauty for the public’s consumption for well over a century, many national parks are beginning to recognize the value of offering programs and activities specifically centered on the wonder of the night sky.

Much like the National Park Service, many camps focus significant portions of their program on embracing the natural resources surrounding their camp. When it comes to awe-inspiring moments, camps are in a very advantageous position – and more camps could benefit from structuring programs around the endlessly renewable resource that is the night sky. Why? Because current estimates suggest that 50% of kids born this year will never see the Milky Way!

Integrating nighttime nature programming into your camp curriculum is limited only by the amount of light pollution present at your camp. While camps located inside or near metropolitan areas might have little control, camps in more remote areas can make a dramatic impact upon the amount of light that they emit – which has a direct and converse effect upon how visible the night sky is for their campers. Examples of a few simple changes to help reduce light pollution are: using full cut-off light fixtures, only lighting the areas of camp that need lit at night, and using timers or motion-sensors to ensure that lamps turn off when not needed. As an added benefit, implementing practices that reduce light pollution also reduce electricity bills, representing significant monetary savings for your camp (while also being a great sustainable initiative).

So, camp directors, please structure a little more “awe” into your (surely) already awesome programs. It will help instill a stronger sense of wonder in your campers, aid the development of their imagination, and, if nothing else, give them the impression that their experience at camp is passing slowly. And what kid doesn’t wish that camp would move just a little bit slower?

More Trees Please

Outdoor professionals have known for a long time, that spending time outside is beneficial to kids in many ways. For years, research has provided compelling evidence of the need for today’s kids to spend more time outdoors.

Outdoor professionals, as well as past campers, past staff members, or anyone who has been involved in the camping industry can attest to the value of the outdoors. A recent study helped to show this long-known fact to the rest of society. The study looked at the NDVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or, in layman's terms, a measurement of vegetation density. The study measured NDVI around 905 elementary schools in Massachusetts. The results showed significantly higher test scores in both math and English in areas with higher density of trees.

"It shouldn’t be surprising anymore that green spaces make us happier, healthier, and just generally better, but every time a hard finding on the topic pops up it seems incredible once again. Just being near nature is enough to bump up kids’ grades—though we’ll need more data to back this up, it probably can’t hurt to head out and look at some trees any chance you and your kids can get." - Levitan

As the next generation continues their education, one thing is clear: there is a growing need for outdoor education. Whether it is camping out under the stars, identifying trees, or learning about the water cycle, camps offer unique opportunity to teach kids about nature - in nature. As the research regarding the benefits of time spent outdoors becomes clearer (and that today’s kids are losing touch with nature), more and more schools are looking to camps for outdoor education opportunities.

Many camps and organizations are listening and responding to these schools' calls for programs. Take the current “Camp Moves Me” movement sponsored by the American Camp Association for example. It is, according to the ACA’s website, the “first ever, nationwide, fundraising effort aimed at celebrating the spirit of camp while raising dollars to send more children to ACA-accredited camps across the country.”

Does your camp have an outdoor education program? What could your camp offer to nearby schools or after school programs. Perhaps it is a simple as allowing schools to use camp property for an outdoor lab field trip, or perhaps as structured as a weeklong outdoor education experience. Whatever it is, camps are in a unique position to continue to serve youth beyond the summer months.

To learn more about starting your own Outdoor Education Program, check out this guide from The Oregon Community Foundation here.



Levitan, Dave. "Green Space Makes for Better Students." Conservation RSS. Conservation Magazine, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

Summer Camp in the Digital Age

“Unplugging” kids at camp is a hot topic in today’s summer camp conversation. The research is clear: The amount of time kids spend in front of computer and television screens is higher than ever, with few signs of decreasing. What does this mean for kids at camp?

There seems to be two schools of thought on how technology effects summer camp. One side makes the argument to completely “unplug” kids while at camp -- banning cell phones, digital cameras, tablets, and any other technological devices in order to create stronger communities. As technology is now a critical component of our daily routines, this has become a more daunting task than ever before. In a recent Apple promotional film, the Apple Watch is presented as an intimate extension of the wearer, and as seamlessly integrating technology into everyday life.

While many feel that technology at summer camp undermines the foundations, of camping traditions, other camps embrace technology as part of the camper’s world. Many camps allow some technology while banning others (such as not using wi-fi enabled devices) as a happy medium. Representing this school of thought on this matter, Jason Miller, in his article “Time to Rethink Technology at Summer Camp?” suggests:

"We would be fooling ourselves to believe that technology can be totally barred from camp. In the second decade of the 21st century, electronic gadgets are everywhere. As time goes on, however, a completely screen-free summer may be unavoidable. Striking a healthy balance will be a recipe for success.”

While technology use at camp has certainly increased, this is merely a portion of a long-standing discourse on the importance of "getting away" from society to gain some perspective on one's own life and the surrounding world. In the epilogue to her 2006 book, A Manufactured Wilderness, Van Slyck illustrates this interaction between the conceptual intentions of camp and modern life:

“Summer camps may have positioned themselves in opposition to the fast pace and artificiality of modern life, but the cultural landscape reveals that these manufactured versions of the wilderness implicitly worked to support and maintain modern culture.”

Perhaps the same can be said for the argument of assimilating technology at summer camp. As a built environment, the summer camp landscape will continue to grow and change in response to today’s world. What does this mean for the future designs of summer camps? It seems that they will continue to grow and change in order to adapt to campers' needs in the digital world. In order to be successful, summer camps must integrate the realities of today’s world into the camp landscape and experience.

Loose Parts

For years, camp has offered campers a chance to reconnect with nature and enjoy activities, something often lost in the busy schedules of today’s kids. Take Family Camp on Lake Kanawaukee in Harriman State Park New York for example, where

"dozens of families spend the entire summer here — some for generations — renting rustic cabins and pursuing the same activities across the decades. Despite the social upheavals of the 1960s and the technology revolution of recent years, tradition holds fast… timelessness seems to be the point. Potato sack races on the Fourth of July give way to the canoe regatta in early August, then a square dance”
- Foderaro, "In a New York State Park, a Rustic Summer Camp for the Whole Family" Aug. 22, 2014 The New York Times.

However, according to the ACA, trends in camp programming are changing. The ACA 2013 Emerging Issues Survey reported that camps are adapting to the evolving interests of campers. The study shows that camps are adding programs in areas such as Adventure Programs, Family Camp Programs, Nature/ Environmental Education Programs, and Gardening Programs.

Today’s camp programming is certainly far from the “ad hoc affair” of early camping where campers were “absolutely free to do anything they want to do.” as described by Van Slyck, in A Manufactured Wilderness. According to Michael Thompson, a psychologist, author, and camp consultant, “The loss of time for free, undirected play in everyday life is one of the saddest facts of modern childhood.” Thompson goes on to suggest that perhaps camp is the place where free and undirected play can become a reality.

How can the camp landscape continue to meet the evolving interests of the camper while providing the child with the chance for the unstructured play they need? Camp Vanderkamp in Cleveland, New York seems to be onto something. They have created “an intentional space where imaginations could soar.” This space is filled with “loose parts” such as a boat, crates, logs, rope, and stones. The theory of “Loose Parts” originated in the 1970s from architect Simon Nicholson. The idea that the “loose parts” are the start of the creative process.

What can your campers create with your camp’s loose parts? Forts? Castles? Faraway lands? The possibilities are endless, perhaps all you need to do is give campers the “loose parts” and they will create the rest.



Thompson, Michael, Ph.D. "The Impact of the Loss of Free, Undirected Play in Childhood (And What Camps Can Do About It)." Parents & Families. American Camp Association, 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2014.

Van Slyck, Abigail. A Manufactured Wilderness: Summer Camps and the Shaping of American Youth, 1890-1960. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2006. Print.

The Magic Tree House

The Tree House at Sanborn Western Camps

I recently watched an episode of Tree House Masters in which they claimed to “capture the essence of summer camp in a design…” I am not sure I agree, but they did create an awesome tree house complete with a rock wall, archery targets, and, of course, bunk beds. While the show is entertaining, this also got me thinking about how the tree house relates to summer camp.

Camp is about instilling a sense of wonder and appreciation for the great outdoors. And, in a way, so are tree houses. The way in which these spaces instill this appreciation is through teaching what the great outdoors are about.

What are camps teaching? If you have read anything about the value of camp recently, you have probably heard the argument for camps teaching "21st century skills". Often referred to as the “Cs” : Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration. Many camps have their own take on these skill sets, but the general principles are the same. Camps argue that these skills are crucial to youth development, and are not being taught in the traditional education system.

“Skills like curiosity — one’s drive to know, sense of wonder, and ability to stand in awe — need to be embraced and not squashed by premature demands for compliance. Imagination must be protected and encouraged. The desire to investigate, inquire, question, and study will need to be valued, both at work and home. These precursors will be critical to our future success as individuals, communities, and a country. And, they can all be found in a quality camp experience. “  –Peg Smith "Camp and 21st Century Skills: Oxymoron or Ideal?" 

So how do we cultivate a landscape to teach these very skills? The idea that the traditional education environment is not providing the skills needed for the next generation of leaders is nothing new. Charles Eliot, former president of Harvard University, wrote in 1922:

"I have the conviction that a few weeks in a well-organized summer camp may be of more value educationally than a whole year of formal school work.”

To return to the parallels between summer camps and tree houses: both idealize the child’s sense of wonder. Roper Mountain Science Center Association recently hosted a competition to design and build the ultimate cool green tree house to foster a child’s imagination. These designs captured a space that teaches wonder, something that the camp landscape should strive to create. (The design finalist can be seen here!) Many camps have capitalized on the playful nature of camp with great tree house designs. Take Camp Twin Lakes in Georgia, for example. Opened in 1993 to serve children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other challenges, the camp's treehouse - known as the “Wild Side” - is nothing short of magical. To see more photos of tree houses at summer camp click here!)

The Wild Side Tree House at Camp Twin Lakes

A well-written camp blog post from North Carolina's Green River Preserve recently quoted poet Mary Edgar:

“Youth sometimes outgrows the thrill of surprise, or assumes a blasé attitude, while adults often lose completely the glory and luster which wonder gives to life, and it becomes for them dull and monotonous. Yet there are many fortunate individuals who continue to experience all through their lives the adventure of living. They behold a universe so vast and amazing that the only possible response is an attitude of surprise and expectancy.”

The post goes on to articulate the sense of wonder in youth… something that camp designs strive to create and inspire in campers each and every summer. Whether it’s camps or treehouses the goal is to design a space that instills a sense of wonder and eagerness to learn in the next generation of campers.


Smith, Peg. "Camp and 21st Century Skills: Oxymoron or Ideal?" Parents & Families. American Camp Association, 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

Back to Nature...

“Not that long ago, summer camp was a place where you camped, hiked in the woods, learned about plants and animals, or told firelight stories about ghosts or mountain lions. As likely as not today, "summer camp" is a weight-loss camp, or a computer camp. For a new generation, nature is more abstraction than reality. Increasingly, nature is something to watch, to consume, to wear—to ignore. A recent television ad depicts a four-wheel-drive SUV racing along a breathtakingly beautiful mountain stream—while in the backseat two children watch a movie on a flip-down video screen, oblivious to the landscape and water beyond the windows.
A century ago, the historian Frederick Jackson Turner announced that the American frontier had ended. His thesis has been discussed and debated ever since. Today, a similar and more important line is being crossed.”

- Excerpt from Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods.

Summer camps in America trace their origin to many different social forces interacting together. The end of the nineteenth century was dominated by a movement to preserve what wilderness was left, and to reacquaint one's self (and one's child) with nature. This was no doubt made to seem pertinent by the declaration, in 1893, that the American Frontier was closed. This marked the end of an era. In a few short centuries, we had explored the entirety of this expansive country -- a national journey that had been romanticized in countless dime novels and tall tales that drifted back across the trails to the folks back east. This romanticizing of wilderness and the West would grow like a wildfire following 1893, and this was perhaps most apparent in the number of summer camps that sprang up around the turn of the century.

Let's take a look at how some of these social forces created the landscapes of summer camps. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, and the Grand Canyon National Monument were established. This same feeling sparked the influx of summer camps across the country, with the majority of camps in the East, (the most industrialized region), fewer in the Midwest, and very few in the West. Author Van Slyck reports in her book A Manufactured Wilderness, that many camps were built on “reclaimed” farm land “scrubbed clean” of its industrial use to return it to its original wilderness.

This “return to original wilderness” was concentrated in boys’ camps. Girls’ camps were not widely established until the 1900s, some 20 years after boys' camps started cropping up. With time these theories changed, and so did the camp landscape. Camp became less about turning boys into men, and catered more to the individual needs of campers through facility comforts (such as more permanent facilities), skill development, and attention to the overall well-being of the child. Summer camps began to develop a more complex landscape of the tools needed to create a successful summer camp. According to Van Slyck, before 1930, few camps - private or organization-based - were touched by professional design experience.

Now fast-forward 100 years to today. Once again, there is a push for the preservation of nature and a focus on its social benefits on our society, especially in our children. Richard Louv’s book warns of the negative effects of raising children without access to nature. Louv is pointing out many similarities between the closing of the frontier and, to use his words, the “last child in the woods.”

In today’s world, the camp design is critical to the functionality and success of the camp. While there are several newer specialty camps as Louv references, majority of traditional camps in existence today were built before 1960. Many of today’s camps are the very camps Van Slyck mentions as being built 100 years ago on reclaimed farmland.

Can a 100 year-old institution be the solution to today’s societal issues with our children? With the right tools, we think yes! A master plan is a logical roadmap for implementation of operational, program and physical development goals, and is a useful tool for ensuring that your camp creates an environment that helps your campers connect with the splendors of nature. Additionally, a Master Plan's planning documents are an ideal resource for generating funding and attracting publicity, as the process forces you to define exactly what your camp is all about in the present, and where you want your camp to grow in the future. And the community involvement that having a demonstrated plan for your camp generates encourages a strong sense of ownership. Overall, investment in a master plan highlights issues – both current and anticipated – and presents tangible, achievable solutions to make the most of your camp’s future.

In today’s world, master planning is common among camps. From one perspective, this might seem far from the original intent of the “wilderness of camp.” However, upon closer inspection, it does not seem that far from the original camps that “reclaimed” land to create a new “wilderness.” Van Slyck called it a “Manufactured Wilderness.” Manufactured, yes. Effective? Also yes. 100 years ago, camps provided a solution to the closing of the frontier. Today, it is once again camps that can provide the solution to the problem of the 'last child in the woods'.


Ayres, Van Slyck Abigail. A Manufactured Wilderness: Summer Camps and the Shaping of American Youth, 1890-1960. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2006. Print.

Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2005. Print.