Camp Culture Secret Tips

We missed seeing your kids at camp this summer and we are all still home… A LOT.

With a preschooler and three elementary kids doing distance learning and working from home I can relate to parents with a lot on their plate. The last thing we need is another list of things to do. But we can all use a little inspiration as we persevere at home during this pandemic. Camp is full of fun and excitement so we want to share with you some “secret tips” of camp culture so you can sprinkle excitement into your routine at home. Enjoy!

Put away the screens and do something out of the ordinary to make a fun memory and laugh together. At the store, let everyone pick a dessert topping and build an ice cream sundae at home together. Get glow sticks and tape them on the kids in the shape of a stick figure. At dark, go outside and dance to music. Take a video so you have a memory to share with other families!

The best conversations happen during daily routines. Bath time, bedtime, dinnertime or drive time are great opportunities to connect with our children. Lean into these times by turning down the music in the car or starting bed time earlier to allow for more conversation. Try these.

You don’t have to go around the world. Go on a Ninja Scavenger Hunt around your neighborhood. Add challenges like: who can balance on one foot the longest, skip around the lawn, do 10 push ups, 25 jumping jacks. Have each person invent a mannequin pose and see who can do it the longest without moving. Do a takeout progressive dinner where each family member picks one place to go. Write “appetizer, drinks, main dish, sides and dessert” on pieces of paper and let everyone pick one out of the pile. They get to pick the restaurant they want to go to get their course.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. We all need our kids to read for school. Why not read the Bible together as a family? Start with the Book of Proverbs or one of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Let each kid take turns reading. Did you know that Netflix has the movies of the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Watch one together as a family and talk about them. Make it fun by giving them a lollipop or their favorite treat while you read or watch together.

With a pandemic it can be complicated to connect with friends and family. Do something silly. Call someone you know and randomly sing “happy birthday”. Laugh together and then ask how they are doing or how you can pray for them. Get sidewalk chalk and draw encouraging notes or pictures on a friend’s driveway. Ring their doorbell, jump in the car and drive away before they see you.

These camp-style experiences can create memories for your family and build connections with others, especially during a pandemic.