Taking the Pressure Off – Dressing Down For Summer Camp

Check out this guest blog post from Camp Vega Co-Director Emily Courtiss on one of the many ways summer camps allow kids to just be themselves. Every summer I hear the same wonderful sentiments from campers, especially those who have attended camp for several summers. Things like “My home friends are some of my best friends, but my camp friends are like my sisters,” and “camp is the only place where I can really be me.” What is it about camp that gives kids and young adults (and in our camp’s case, girls specifically) the opportunity to form such strong connections with each other? Why is camp such a safe place where kids can “let go” and feel comfortable to discover and be themselves? There are so many answers to those questions, all of which support the benefits of camp for children. It’s a safe place to take risks, make mistakes, and learn new skills in a supportive, caring environment. At camp, kids have to learn to live and play with others, (sometimes for long periods of time!) work together, and learn the values of respect, kindness, and tradition. Not to mention, kids who go to camp in Maine get all this AND a gorgeous environment, surrounded by nature’s pristine beauty. One of the ways all the Maine Camp Experience (MCE) camps provide this positive, magical environment is by encouraging a simple dress code. Whether the camp requires uniforms, like we do at Camp Vega, or not, the emphasis is on simple dress, with excess not allowed. By minimizing or eliminating differences in dress, it allows the campers to truly focus on the core elements of camp, without distraction. It doesn’t matter what you look like or how you dress at camp – there is no pressure to “look perfect,” which is especially important for our girls today (see this Psychology Today article on the subject). Parents who send their kids to Maine camps, whether they require a uniform or not, know that we provide their sons and daughters a place where they can truly be themselves, unplug, and relax, all while discovering who they’re going to become. We can’t think of any greater gift for our children.