Why Kids Keep Coming Back to Camp

Summer may be over, but for many campers, camp is never really far from their minds. They may be back at school, back to sports and activities, and back to the routines of everyday life. But somewhere in those busy fall days, they are already thinking about next summer. The familiar songs. The traditions. The people. The places that have become part of who they are.

So what is it that keeps kids coming back to camp year after year?

They know they belong.

At camp, campers return to a place where they know the routines, recognize familiar faces and feel connected to something bigger than themselves. They have a cabin,a community, and a place where they can be themselves.

There is comfort in the familiar, but camp is never exactly the same twice.

They grow up at camp.

A first-year camper may arrive unsure of what to expect. A few summers later, that same camper may be helping a younger camper find their way around, taking on a leadership role or trying something they once thought they couldn’t do.

Camp grows with kids. As they get older, they take on more responsibility, make more choices and discover new parts of themselves.

They come back to traditions they love.

Every camp has its own traditions and rituals that campers look forward to year after year. Maybe it is a favorite campfire song, a special banquet, a Lake Swim, a Color War, a cabin tradition or a camp-wide celebration.

These moments become part of the rhythm of summer. And when summer ends, campers know they will be waiting for them next year.

They come back to people who matter.

One of the most exciting parts of returning to camp is seeing familiar faces. Friends from previous summers. Counselors who made an impression. Staff members who remember them.

Over time, those relationships become part of the camp experience. Campers return not only to a place, but to a community.

They know there is always something new to discover.

Even when campers return to the same camp, the summer ahead can be completely different.

There is a new activity to try, a new skill to learn, a new challenge to take on or a new role to embrace. Camp gives kids the freedom to step outside their comfort zones and discover what they enjoy and what they are capable of.

And sometimes, the thing they loved most last summer isn’t what they love most this summer.

They become part of something bigger.

There is something special about being part of a camp community. Campers learn that they are one piece of a much bigger picture, connected to their cabin, their camp and generations of campers who came before them.

That sense of belonging can stay with them long after the summer ends.

And then there is perhaps the simplest reason of all:

They love being at camp.

They love waking up with their friends, heading down to the lake, singing at meals, cheering during a game, sitting around a campfire and laughing until they can’t stop.

They love the feeling of a summer day at camp.

Kids may come to camp for the activities, but they come back for everything camp becomes to them.

A place to belong. A place to grow. A place filled with people, traditions, challenges, laughter and memories.

And when the summer ends, the countdown to the next one begins.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful Select-A-Camp 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.