7 Things We Noticed Visiting Maine Camps This Summer

Each summer, we’re excited to spend time across our Maine camps seeing the camp summer in action. We witness campers having fun, making friends, becoming part of the community, learning skills, and becoming more confident, independent, and resilient. Here are seven things we saw this summer:

• Campers being entertained for hours, all without phones!

Campers happily moved from activity to activity, walking, talking, and laughing with friends. The only “ring” we heard was the bell between periods, and campers were thrilled to be the ones who got to ring it. Even during downtime, campers created their own fun, whether it was playing a game of ping pong or simply spending time together.

• Campers trying things they wouldn’t at home and challenging themselves

We all cheered as we watched a camper get up on water skis for the very first time. It was such an exciting moment. We also watched a camper zipline down the camp’s aerial park after building his skills and confidence throughout the summer. These victories, big and small, happen every day at camp.

• Campers taking pride in their camp and feeling at home

Some of our favorite tour guides were young campers with big personalities. They were knowledgeable, passionate, and eager to tell us about everything from the trips they’d taken to which cabin they were in to the team they were on. They proudly shared how many years they’d been at camp, their favorite traditions and places around camp, and where they were from. Watching them confidently lead us from place to place, it was clear they truly felt at home.

• Campers confidently introducing themselves

Campers were learning to interact. At a couple of boys camps, campers came up to us to shake hands, say their name, where they’re from, and make eye contact. They carried on a conversation as they asked questions: What are our names? Where are we from? It’s a “simple” skill that has become a bit of a lost art with so much screen time. Similarly, at coed and girls camps, campers came over to say hello and excitedly introduced themselves.

• Campers creating and expanding their community

Camp is a community in every sense of the word. Campers live together in cabins, share meals in the dining hall, and make friends with kids from different towns, states, and even countries. We loved seeing flags representing campers and counselors from around the world proudly displayed. Beyond their own camp communities, campers also connected with neighboring Maine camps during intercamp games, brother/sister days, and socials. It was fun to see campers from different camps coming together to compete, cheer each other on, and make new friends.

• Campers taking on responsibility for themselves and others

We noticed so many thoughtful systems that help campers learn responsibility. Cabin contracts, written and signed by counselors and campers together, set expectations for caring for their shared space and one another. Work wheels assigned rotating cabin jobs so everyone contributed. Tag-up boards at the waterfront helped keep track of who was swimming or boating, reinforcing important safety practices alongside the buddy system. We also loved seeing campers deliver mail around camp, a much-coveted responsibility that campers took on enthusiastically.

• Campers expressing themselves, leaving their mark, and beautifying camp

Campers were creating everywhere we looked. We watched campers painting beautiful wooden boards that will be displayed alongside those from previous summers, leaving a lasting mark on camp. We saw rehearsals for theater productions like High School Musical, campers learning guitar and playing drums, and dance classes proudly performing new routines. In art studios, campers eagerly showed us their latest ceramics projects, and, of course, no camp summer would be complete without campers making colorful friendship bracelets.

Every camp has its own traditions, activities, and personality, but these moments were shared across all the camps we visited. They were reminders that camp isn’t just where kids spend their summer. It’s where they discover what they’re capable of, build meaningful friendships, contribute to a community, and grow in ways that often surprise even themselves. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings.

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.