The Cozy Comforts of Maine Camp Culture

Winter is well underway, and for those of us who live in colder climates that means it’s the perfect season for bundling up at home to watch a movie with friends or enjoy a great book. However, just because winter might be the ‘coziest’ season in the real world, that doesn’t mean life at camp is devoid of cozy comforts. A day at a Maine Camp Experience (MCE) camp might be filled with fun-filled activities – whether it’s splashing around in the lake, or playing sports in the sunshine – however camp also provides plenty of opportunities to embrace their ‘cozy’ side and get nice and comfortable. When you’re packing for a summer spent at camp, it’s imperative to include at least a few favorite pairs of pajamas – at camp, “evening-ware” has a totally different meeting, and a night at camp just isn’t complete without your favorite jammies. At the MCE camp I work at, the girls truly love fuzzy pajama bottoms and slippers – however, there might not be a clothing item that’s as popular as the onesie. These girls love the onesies that have the camp logo on them (though, let’s be honest, campers love anything that has a camp logo on it), as well as the animal-themed onesies that have the added bonus of being hilarious in addition to extremely comfortable. While onesies also have some popularity among boys, I’ve found that flannel bottoms often take the crown as the most popular pajama item – they can show their fandom by wearing bottoms with the logos of their favorite team, though a traditional plaid or patterned bottom is also always a good bet. However, what you’re wearing is only part of what it means to be truly cozy – and at MCE camps, there are ample opportunities to really settle into this coziness. Movie nights and other low-key evening activities provide one opportunity to get cozy, and provide a great way to stay warm on a rainy evening. At the MCE camp I work at, campers oftentimes wear their pajamas to breakfast, which can present a nice way to comfortably ease into the day – and on particularly chilly mornings there might also be hot chocolate in the dining halls, which makes a cool day something to get excited about. However, my personal favorite cozy camp staple is nightly milk and cookies. Milk and cookies is a part of the culture at many MCE camps, and is one thing I look forward to on a nightly basis during the summer. At my MCE camp, each night after campers return to their bunks to put on their pajamas, they then return to the “cookie porch” and line up to receive a fresh-made cookie and a cup of milk to wash it down. There really is no better way to cap off the evening. One lucky camper might even select the “bonus cookie” – this is a cookie randomly selected by the staff beforehand, and the camper who chooses it gets an extra cookie that night. Once milk and cookies is complete, it’s time to turn in – and there’s nothing quite like wrapping yourself in your warmest camp blanket and settling in for a beautiful evening in Maine. We can’t wait to get back to being cozy at camp! — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our  website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.