Tag: girls camps in Maine

Making Friends at Summer Camp

Posted on by Ali Wight
  • The Power of Friendship at Camp
  • Camp Runoia’s Unique Environment for Building Friendships
  • Empowering Girls Through Decision-Making
  • Structure of Camp Runoia: Encouraging Group Cohesion
  • Positive Influences at Camp Runoia
  • Lasting Friendships and Personal Growth Beyond Camp

If you’ve ever gone to a sleepaway summer camp as a kid, you probably remember nights spent around the fire singing songs followed by late night laughs in the cabin with your new friends. For many, summer camp provides a unique environment for girls to make lasting friendships while also fostering personal growth. At Camp Runoia, an all girls summer camp in Maine, we understand the importance of making friends at summer camp and strive to create an empowering and supportive environment for girls to develop lifelong skills and lifelong friendships!

The Power of Friendship at Camp

The friendships we make in our younger years are often the ones that matter the most. Cultivating healthy relationships is extremely valuable for growing girls as they provide emotional support, social development, and build confidence. At Camp Runoia, we create a safe environment for building connections and summer camp friendships. Camp is a place where girls can bond, feel accepted, and open up without judgment. Girls come to Runoia to enjoy experiences with a diverse group of friends with a variety of backgrounds supported by caring counselors. 

Camp Runoia’s Unique Environment for Building Friendships

The all girls environment at Camp Runoia encourages collaboration, trust, and mutual support among campers. The many shared activities such as group hiking trips, cabin life by the lake in Maine, and team-building exercises naturally form bonds between campers, creating memories that will last a lifetime. We have a powerful group of staff who are committed to guiding campers through social dynamics and empowering them by modeling positive relationship-building. Sometimes, the healthy bonds made between staff and campers are the relationships that have the largest impact on the girls here at camp.

making friends at summer camp

Empowering Girls Through Decision-Making

At Camp Runoia, we understand that making decisions can be challenging, especially for young girls. That’s why we create a supportive environment where campers can grow by making choices for themselves and taking responsibility. From selecting their own activities to engaging with different groups during free time, campers develop confidence, communication skills, and independence—valuable life skills that extend far beyond the summer camp experience. Taking initiative in decision-making also helps girls connect with like-minded peers, fostering deeper and more meaningful friendships.

Our campers design their own schedules in three-day cycles, selecting four activity periods per day. After three days, they choose a new schedule, allowing them to explore different interests each week. Over the course of a traditional three-week session, campers experience five unique activity blocks and have the opportunity to participate in at least one optional wilderness trip. This progressive program encourages skill development, level advancement, and achievement in activities of their choosing, empowering each camper to excel at their own pace.

We take great pride in being a community that empowers girls to advocate for themselves, use their voices, and become agents of change in the world. Through the freedom to make choices and take ownership of their camp experience, girls learn the importance of self-expression, leadership, and standing up for what they believe in.

Structure of Camp Runoia: Encouraging Group Cohesion

Making friends at summer camp can feel overwhelming at first, but the supportive structure and welcoming environment of Camp Runoia make it easy to feel at home. From close-knit cabin groups to outdoor adventures and team-based activities, campers have countless opportunities to form meaningful friendships with the guidance of our dedicated staff. Tackling challenges together—whether it’s hiking a tough trail or completing a group scavenger hunt—fosters strong connections and creates unforgettable bonding moments.

With over 30 summer camp activities to choose from in an all-girls setting, campers can explore their interests and meet others who share their passions, free from outside distractions. Campers live in traditional cabins with peers of the same age or grade, while activity choices are based on individual interests and selected daily. Mealtimes bring the community together at mixed-age tables, thoughtfully arranged by our director team, who take the time to know each camper personally. In the evenings, the entire camp comes together for group activities, ensuring that every camper feels included, engaged, and part of the Runoia family.

Positive Influences at Camp Runoia

Having positive influences and role models is extremely important in a girl’s emotional development. Our staff members serve as excellent role models for our campers, and even older campers can step into this role by mentoring younger girls through our counselor-in-training program. The various activities at Camp Runoia emphasize teamwork, listening, and respecting others’ ideas, which build empathy and communication skills. All-camp activities, performances or creative expression gives girls the opportunity to assert themselves and encourage confidence and self-worth, all while making genuine camp friendships.

staff role model

Lasting Friendships and Personal Growth Beyond Camp

Friendships made at Camp Runoia often extend well beyond the summer, with many girls maintaining lifelong bonds with girls from different corners of the U.S. and other parts of the world. These friendships encourage personal growth for girls in many aspects- emotionally, socially, and mentally. Summer camp friendships and the skills learned at camp set the foundation for future success for campers in all aspects of their lives. Our all girls’ sleepaway camp tucked away in the woods in Maine continues to build stronger bonds and deeper friendships year after year amongst campers, staff and the overall community. 

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Camp Runoia’s unique structure and values create an empowering environment where girls can forge lasting friendships and experience meaningful personal growth. By fostering collaboration, trust, and decision-making opportunities, campers not only build strong connections with one another but also develop the confidence and social skills that will serve them long after the summer ends. With a supportive all-girls summer camp atmosphere, dedicated staff, and a variety of activities designed to challenge and inspire, Camp Runoia is the perfect place for girls to grow, learn, and thrive together. 

If you’re looking for a transformative summer camp experience, we invite you to explore more about Camp Runoia and join us for the next session at one of the best girls’ camps in the Northeast. Whether you’re seeking a girls’ camp in Maine or an all-girls summer camp near you, Camp Runoia offers the ideal setting for friendships that last a lifetime and the personal growth that every girl deserves.

 

Why Camp Runoia Is the Best All Girls Sleepaway Camp

Posted on by Lydia Schuldt
  • Exciting Summer Camp Activities
  • The Best Location for an All-Girls Sleepaway Camp
  • Empowering Girls for Personal Growth
  • Camp Runoia’s Equestrian Program
  • Inclusivity at Camp Runoia
  • Why Choose an All Girls Overnight Camp for Your Child?

If you’ve ever been to summer camp as a kid, you probably understand that the memories made at camp can stay with you for life. There is something magical and nostalgic about summer camp—the smell of the dining hall, the catchy campfire songs, and nights staying up past curfew sharing stories with your cabinmates. These experiences stick with us even into adulthood. Nestled on the shores of Maine’s picturesque Great Pond sits Camp Runoia’s all girls summer camp, where girls have been creating lasting memories for over a century. Discover why Camp Runoia stands out as the best all girls sleepaway camp in New England and what keeps campers and staff coming back year after year.

Best all girls camp friendship photo on the waterfront

Exciting Summer Camp Activities 

At Camp Runoia, the possibilities are endless, with a variety of summer camp activities for girls to choose from, allowing them to create a daily schedule that’s tailored to their interests and passions. From the thrill of horseback riding, to testing precision and focus in archery, or mastering the waves in windsurfing, there’s something for every girl to dive into. For those who love creativity, arts and crafts offer a chance to express themselves through painting, jewelry-making, pottery, friendship bracelets and more. Camp Runoia has a variety of traditional camp activities, but some of the more unique activities that stand out are basket weaving, mountain biking, yoga and stained glass. There is truly an activity for every girl here at Runoia!

The Best Location for an All-Girls Sleepaway Camp

With its sparkling lakes, breathtaking coastal landscapes, lush forests, and vibrant wildlife, Maine truly is the best location for an all-girls sleepaway camp. The natural beauty of the state, paired with the safety and tranquility of Camp Runoia’s campus on Belgrade Lakes, creates an ideal setting for girls to explore their interests and make lasting summer memories. For generations, young girls from around the world have traveled to Maine to experience the magic of summer camps like Camp Runoia—one of the oldest continually operating all-girls sleepaway camps in the Northeast. The peaceful surroundings and the camp’s nurturing environment provide the perfect blend for adventure, personal growth, and fun! Not only is Maine a perfect location for camp because of the beautiful nature, it’s also in very close proximity to major cities such as New York and Boston, which is a short drive for girls living in the city to enjoy a Maine summer at sleepaway camp. 

Empowering Girls for Personal Growth

Making friends at summer camp can feel a bit intimidating for some (including parents!), but at Camp Runoia, we make sure the experience is anything but scary! We know how important it is for girls to build friendships, and we work hard to create a supportive, empowering environment where they can grow and become their best selves together. Through team-building activities, trust exercises, and plenty of opportunities for collaboration and decision-making, campers not only forge strong connections with each other but also gain the confidence and social skills that will stick with them long after summer ends. Whether the girls are singing songs, playing tag or going to open swim together, forming friendships comes easily at camp. With a welcoming all-girls atmosphere, caring camp staff, and carefully curated cabin groups, Camp Runoia is the perfect place for girls to learn, thrive, and create lasting friendships!

Camp Runoia’s Equestrian Program

At Camp Runoia, summer is filled with exciting opportunities for girls to explore, learn, and grow—and horseback riding is one of the major highlights. With a new equestrian arena, Runoia offers campers from beginning to advanced knowledge with an exceptional space to hone their riding skills. Runoia’s equestrian summer camp program teaches that horsemanship is more than just riding. 

To wrap up the summer, Camp Runoia offers an immersive, week-long horseback riding camp, where girls dive deeper into their passion for horses and enhance their riding skills. Runoia also takes part in shows with other camps, both hosting an invitational show at Runoia and attending shows at other camps, which makes the equestrian program stand out amongst other camps in New England. It’s the perfect opportunity for young riders to end their summer with a fun-filled, confidence-building experience that they’ll cherish long after camp ends.

Inclusivity at Camp Runoia

The heart of Camp Runoia is our deep commitment to inclusivity. For over a century, we’ve been empowering girls by fostering a welcoming, supportive community where every camper is celebrated for who they are. With a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, we create an environment where girls from all backgrounds come together to learn, grow, and thrive. Through team-building adventures and personalized experiences, Camp Runoia provides a safe and encouraging space for every girl to embrace her individuality and become the best version of herself. Camp Runoia also has a Diversity Advisory Committee that is continuously working towards making Camp Runoia as inclusive as possible. The committee has a specific focus on reacting to systemic racism in our country and collaborating to craft relevant DEI standards, practices and outcomes at camp. Our dedication to inclusivity at Camp Runoia is what makes it a progressive environment and one of the best summer camps for all girls.

Why Choose an All Girls Overnight Camp for Your Child?

Choosing an all-girls overnight camp such as Camp Runoia offers your child a unique opportunity to grow in a supportive and empowering environment. At Runoia, girls can focus on developing their confidence, leadership skills, and friendships without the distractions or social pressures often found in co-ed settings. With a wide range of activities, from outdoor adventures to creative arts, girls are encouraged to explore their interests, challenge themselves, and embrace their individuality. Surrounded by caring staff and like-minded peers, your child will return home with newfound independence, self-assurance, and lifelong memories. 

We hope that you now have confidence in why Camp Runoia is the best all girls sleepaway camp in New England! From adventures like sailing and waterskiing, group overnight hikes, and excursions to Maine’s most scenic sites, your daughter will have a summer she will never forget.

The Language of Letters: A summer communication guide for families

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

Letters are a love language here at camp, and with our campers’ penpals assigned and so many letters written and sent already, I’m thinking more than ever about the language of letter-writing during the summer.

With hand-written letters as our families’ main portal into their campers’ summer, the writing and reading of them is a more important experience, and more nuanced, than many of us realize.

Read on for a comprehensive guide to communicating with your camper through snail mail this summer, including science-backed recommendations and the do’s and don’t’s of letters.

returning campers share photos with their 2023 letters written to their new penpals!

Receiving a sad or homesick letter

Dr. Tracy Brenner, “The Camp Counselor”, shared something in a recent webinar with the Maine Camp Experience that has stuck with me since. She put emotions throughout camp into perspective for attendees by having us consider the following: how many emotions do you experience in a day, even hour by hour? How about minute by minute? Now stretch that across three weeks or an entire summer. Our campers, staff, and families are all individually and communally experiencing this wide array of thoughts and feelings all throughout the season.

What does this mean for our campers’ letters?

Each letter your camper sends is a snapshot in time and emotion – not just a snapshot, but one of a moment that happened days prior (which feels more like worlds away at camp) by the time that letter arrives in your mailbox. We also need to recognize that along that spectrum of daily emotions, among the good and even the neutral, there are also many which are tough feelings. Working through these emotions are a function and benefit of camp and communal living – not a fault nor error. And here’s the good thing: homesickness is normal and typically mild. In a study of 329 campers, Dr. Thurber reported that about 83% of campers reported feeling homesick on at least one day of camp.

So, if and when you receive a letter with some tougher feelings, you can:

  • take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is natural, okay, and expected
  • ground yourself – take care of your own emotions before writing a response, and call us if you need help in that process
  • reply with encouragement and celebration of their resilience, appreciation for communicating their feelings, and highlighting the good in their letter
  • take it into perspective – was this letter written at a time that was situationally difficult, like their first night away from you, a time when they experienced disappointment, etc.?
  • offer a topic change or a shift in perspective in your response
  • if you have concerns about something serious communicated in your child’s letter, email their Head of Cabin (HOC) or give us a call

How often to write your camper

It is likely clear to our camp families that there is a level of ‘too few’ letters for our campers to receive. Getting no letters while at camp, especially as a new or younger camper, can make children feel anxious about home and their family’s well-being, and can cause feelings of being left out when seeing their bunkmates receive mail.

How many of us also realize that there is a such thing as ‘too many’ letters?

Hear us out – receiving letters daily, especially multiple per day, can potentially turn into an emotional crutch for campers, and make it more challenging for them to truly disconnect and fully experience camp and engage in our community. This can jeopardize some of the biggest benefits of camp: learning to self-regulate, find their own place in a larger community, and practice resilience while being ‘away’. Trust us that your camper will have no shortage of trusted adults in their camp community, and we want to encourage campers to communicate with their counselors, HOCs, and directors when those big feelings come along.

To help your camper feel just connected enough, here are two quick tips:

  • consider sending a letter a few days before camp starts for them to receive on the first full day of camp with encouraging words
  • depending on their age, send your camper to Runoia with a healthy number of pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to write home

What to write in a letter

  • Help your child process those tough emotions with phrases like:
    • “that sounds really tough – I’m so impressed with you for working through that and telling me about it.”
    • “your feelings are normal, and I promise you everyone is feeling the same way or has before.”
    • “you sound ____ (sad/homesick/disappointed/etc.), have you told a counselor or adult about it?”
    • “what have you tried when you feel ____ that has helped you feel better?”
    • “I know if you work through this, you will have so much fun and be more confident coming back next year.”
    • “I am confident you can do this – I believe in you.”
    • “give yourself some more time – the days will start to fly by.”
  • Once you’ve acknowledged your camper’s feelings at the beginning of your letter, move on to asking questions about camp to help her reach a better headspace by the end of your letter. Help your child ground herself when they write their next letter by asking specific questions, like:
    • “what are your counselors’ names?”
    • “who are your roommates, and what are they like?”
    • “what is your favorite thing you’ve done at camp so far?”
    • “what is one thing you’re looking forward to this week?”
    • “what’s one activity you’ve tried and loved?”
    • “what’s one thing you accomplished this week?”
    • “how have you been a good friend to another camper?”
  • Talk with your camper about some go-to coping skills that work for them before leaving for camp, then help remind them of them. This will be unique to each child, but might look like:
    • “the next time you feel that way, tell a trusted adult at camp.”
    • “stay busy – what book are you reading right now?”
    • “how can you relax when camp feels a little crazy?”
    • “enjoy your rest hour today – slow down and write in your journal or make a bracelet.”

What not to write in a letter

If you’ve read our family handbook, you know that we stress just how important it is to never make ‘the pick-up deal’ prior to camp or in a letter. It can be hard to not know exactly how your child is feeling at all times, and certainly even tougher to get an emotional letter. Our instinct is to save the day, but when we resist that urge, we’re encouraging resilience and resourcefulness in our children – one of the main benefits of camp. Here’s a quick list of what to avoid when writing a letter home:

  • avoid writing back immediately if your camper’s letter has heightened your own emotions – let yourself regulate before sitting down to reply
  • don’t write about how much you miss your camper or the family fun she’s missing out on while at camp
  • don’t write about sad family news – if it’s big news, call camp and we’ll create a communication plan together
  • don’t promise anything – promises to pick your child up or for them to call home are not promises you can keep, and only give your child false hope and prevent them from managing their own emotions

There you have it – the language of letters, the Runoia way. There is no perfect formula to letter-writing, and each camper is different, but if you follow these guidelines, you will be supporting your camper to work through their tough emotions, self-regulate, and get the most they can from their short few weeks at Camp Runoia.

And in between each letter you write and receive, remind yourself that there are countless smiles, giggles, and skills gained – so many, your camper can’t fit them all in one letter. Check our photos on your dashboard every few days, keep an eye to our social media and blogs, watch your email for our newsletters – you might catch an amazing experience that she forgot to mention in that snapshot moment of missing home.

And don’t forget that also between each letter, your camper is loved, cared for, and encouraged by our staff, directors, and her community at Runoia!

Love,

Aionur

Resilience at Camp

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

Last month, Dr. Tracy Brenner, “The Camp Counselor”, began a series at the Maine Camp Experience to help guide MCE parents through emotionally preparing for camp, starting with the topic of resilience in the face of homesickness and the absence of parental help.

In the vast majority of introductory conversations with parents of new campers, the inevitable topic of homesickness and preparedness for the camp experience comes up: “How do you help campers through homesickness?”, “What happens if she doesn’t adjust immediately?”

Before diving into explaining our in-depth staff training, our strategies for helping individual campers adjust, and how our social, emotional, and behavioral health specialist provides higher-level support, I always begin by first saying that homesickness is perhaps the most ‘normal’ and expected part of camp. Even the ‘campiest’ of kids experience pangs of homesickness and sadness that can make their way into a letter home, and those letters can be devastating for a parent to read.

But here’s a secret: usually by the time that letter has made it to a loved one’s mailbox, the feelings are three-days old, and those three days were full of smiles, laughter, new skills learned, and countless moments of bravery. Experiencing big feelings can be overwhelming at the best of times, and writing can be an exceptional release of those emotions to the people a camper trusts the most. Sometimes it takes time for campers to feel comfortable expressing those feelings to a friend or adult at camp instead, and be able to save the most exciting news for those letters home.

In the meantime, through all the tough moments, what we do know is that camp builds resilience (in my experience, for kids and adults alike!) Imagine a single day at camp and all of the moments a child will experience – some exciting, some disappointing. Each moment is an opportunity for growth in their resilience. From picking their sail back up after dropping it while windsurfing, to committing to fixing a mistake or rolling with it in an art project, to sitting with the disappointment of not getting their dream role in the play and choosing to be happy for their friend. For kids, these are hard things – but hard things that at camp, they are capable of.

And building that resilience can be exhausting and trying – so don’t be surprised if at week three, you find yourself picking up a quiet, tired kid. In a week or so, they might be ready to open upabout all of their amazing experiences – but be patient, they’ve been building resilience at camp for twenty-one days! And one day, that resilience may just develop to carry them up Mt. Katahdin, challenge them to go to JMG test camp, convince them to try the Oak Island swim, or accomplish something like American Archer, Advanced Equestrian, or Advanced Skipper.

Cultural Exchange: Whatever Way We Can

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

How lucky Camp Runoia is to host friends from near and far reaches – from the east to west coast of the United States, to England, Ireland, Mexico, France, and more. Our cultural exchange from campers and staff alike is one of the magical pieces of Camp Runoia.

 

At one point, driving 8 hours from Upstate New York felt like quite the trip – but now I’ve moved just shy of 2,000 more miles to the west of camp and suddenly that ‘long’ drive is shortened in my mind. As I was putting together my plans to arrive back in Maine early May, I first felt resolved to drive across the country – it wouldn’t be my first time – but realized that instead, this will probably be my first summer flying to camp, as many of our far-reaching friends do.

The theme of camp in 2020 and 2021 really was “whatever way we can”. Runoia had a deep resolve in the past two years to provide a widely needed experience of unplugged escape for both campers and staff. This meant sacrifices to our normal – including not being able to welcome international friends in 2020. In 2021, with some very creative problem-solving from leaders like Jen Dresdow – and some serious willpower from staff – we began to welcome some international friends once again.

Now, as we gear up for round three of camp affected by Covid, we are thrilled to see plenty of countries represented on both our staff and camper lists. Travel plans are coming together for all of us (hopefully!) and we are gearing up to once again hear different languages at camp, share our beautiful state and waterfront with new-comers, and learn all that we can from a summer-long cultural exchange.

From “how lucky we are to be here” in 2020, to “how lucky we are to have YOU here” in 2022!