A Day in the Life at Maine Camp

The camp day starts before you even open your eyes. You hear the loons first — echoing across the lake like they’re checking roll call. The lake is glassy, the fog still lifting, and for a moment the world feels very small and very quiet. This idyllic start to the day sets the tone for camp life — time, space, and opportunities to have fun, learn, and grow.

Welcome to a day at a Maine Camp.

Morning: Eventually, a bell rings. Or music plays. And someone shouts “GOOOOD MOOOORNING CAMP!” from the PA system or down the cabin row. Kids stumble out of bunks, hair wild, some still in pjs. The air smells like pine needles and lake water and whatever breakfast is being cooked in the kitchen like blueberry pancakes and omelets. Breakfast in the dining hall may start out quiet and then grow louder. There’s laughter, scraped chairs, announcements shouted over clinking silverware. Someone’s excited about their lake swim, their tennis match, or their horse show. Campers are ready to start the day.

After breakfast comes cleanup, cabin chores, and the great daily migration to activities.

Mid-Morning: A couple activity periods into the morning, and camp is buzzing. Sailboats drift out, sails snapping in the breeze. On the fields and courts, games start — soccer balls flying, sneakers thudding, cheers echoing through the trees. In arts and crafts, clay is scultped and paint splatters. At theater, campers are belting out the chords for tonight’s show.

No phones. No clocks anyone’s paying attention to. Time is measured in swim periods and activity blocks, not minutes. The “app-stinence” is golden.

Lunch: By lunchtime, everyone’s hungry. Lake hair, and sunscreen streaks. Lunch might be grilled cheese and tomato soup, or pizza, pasta, and salad piled high. There are inside jokes. Nicknames that make sense at camp. And table chants full of spirit that get progressively louder.

Then comes rest hour — an iconic camp concept. Some kids nap. Some read. Some write letters, play cards or pop-a-shot, or make friendship bracelets.

Afternoon: Afternoons are full of action. Free swim means the dock explodes with energy — cannonballs into the lake, and docks full of friends waiting to waterski, lifeguards watching it all with eagle eyes. Others head off for hikes, bike rides, lacrosse games, woodworking, gymnastics, dance, and more. Cooking, climbing, and archery hit the spot, too.

This is when friendships deepen. Conversations happen while paddling, or walking, or grabbing the afternoon snack, or lying on the grass staring at the sky. There’s space to just be.

Dinner: The light gets softer. The lake turns gold. You can feel the evening coming. Campers show up sun-tired, showered, hungry, and happy, talking all at once about their day.

Evening: Sometimes it’s an all-camp game like Capture the Flag at dusk. Sometimes it’s a campfire, with sparks rising into the dark and songs everyone knows by heart. Sometimes it’s a talent show — funny, fun, brave, and unforgettable. Or a magic show, or concert, or ice cream and dance party.

Night: By the time lights go out, cabins are calmer. The lake goes still again. There’s whispering, giggling, talking about everything and nothing, maybe a homesick moment or two — but also comfort, and the feeling of belonging somewhere simple and good.

Tomorrow will be different. Same wakeup, same lake, but new moments.

This idyllic time in camp, away from screens, school work, and world news, gives campers time and space for fun, learning, and building friendships, resilience, confidence, and independence. These are the best days!

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools: 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 contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.