Building Relationships Creates SMILE's

I recently saw a video called “Numb” on social media.  It starts out with a young girl sitting on her bed doing her school work with her laptop in front and it continues to go through a montage of her wearing different outfits but still doing her school work in the same place every day.  The video continues and as the video goes on you can see her emotions changing as the sadness, anger, and frustration that start to show. 

Our children are locked into a sort of “Groundhog Day” fog.  The same exact thing everyday and sometimes, even in the same place and the same time...over and over again.  I understand.  I think we can all understand.

Psychology Today found that “the isolation that comes with prolonged social distancing is a heavy burden for children. It can even strain existing friendships. Interactions that used to be easy and fun now feel forced and awkward.”

While all children are impacted on some level, it can be especially challenging for school-age children.

This is why it is more important than ever that we have a place for our children to go and to just be kids.  Play with their friends, make new friends, laugh, and have fun in a safe and healthy environment where they can just BE.  

It is our goal to provide these moments that will help fade this Groundhog Day heaviness that we have all been feeling and fill each camper’s day with memories of laughing and joking and playing with their friends.  

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” ~ Friedrich Froebel

This is what summers should be made of, especially this one.  

This summer is even more important than ever and we happily accept our roles as caregivers/counselors to provide these opportunities and experiences.  

We know that, together with our families and campers, this will be our summer to SMILE!