Quality Downtime at Maine Camps

When we at Maine Camp Experience saw this photo of camp friends enjoying S’mores by the lake, it caused a visceral reaction, a yearning for a peaceful simple happiness, and this poem came to mind:

No better way 

To while away the day

Than eating S’mores with Maine Camp friends

Throughout the year – we’re running, running, running. Running to get to school. Running to get to practice. Running to get to the game. Running to get to the dentist. Running to get to the tutor. And the list goes on with nary time for a breath, let alone time to stop and smell the roses.

With Maine Camp summer now less than two months away, we are SO excited for kids to have downtime. It’s not to say that the days and nights aren’t full of fun activities, trips, events, and traditions; however, there is downtime when kids can decompress. And the downtime is quality time.  At camp, without computers, TV screens and social media, campers’ downtime is spent appreciating nature, enjoying human connections, learning, growing, and exploring.  

Maine campers enjoy downtime at rest hour after lunch where they can just hang with their bunkmates playing games in the cabin like cards or MadLibs, writing letters, making bracelets, or just resting. There’s some downtime at afternoon snack when campers can gather for a treat and enjoy a moment of pause. There’s downtime after the day’s activity periods end and campers are getting ready for dinner where they can play some ping pong or shoots some hoops on a Pop-A-Shot. And there’s downtime after dinner, before the evening activity. There’s a little downtime after evening activity when campers may have cookies and milk, talk about the day, or read a book before retiring for the night. Even during activity periods – while many are very active, there’s also time to chill like while sailing on the lake or while enjoying S’mores at a campfire.

So, as you’re calendaring field trips, finals, graduations, and more, know that if your child is a Maine camper, s/he will soon get some quality downtime they’ll relish.

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.