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by Bob Ditter
Dear Bob,
We are a coed resident camp that draws campers from mostly suburban locations.
Most of the youngsters who come to our camp do not spend a lot of time
in the “rugged outdoors.”
We are introducing a new outdoor component to our program this year,
which will include mountain biking, outdoor camping and cooking, and an
obstacle course. These activities will take most of our campers out of
their comfort zone, but we want to challenge them in new ways that we
hope will lead to a greater sense of self-esteem.
Our question is, do you have any ideas on how to introduce or promote
the program to kids who may be skeptical? We were thinking of trying it
out on the youngest campers and gradually introducing it to older campers,
who might be most resistant since their idea of camp is well ingrained
and does not include this type of activity.
— Couch Potato Mashers
Dear Couch Potato Mashers,
I want to commend you for thinking about ways to challenge your campers.
Too many children who complain at camp that they “just want to hang out”
end up feeling bored and unfulfilled if left to their own devices. As
I have said before, children don’t always know what is in their best interest.
Your question about how to introduce your program is a good one because
it requires some understanding about child group culture. In other words,
what influences the culture of a child’s peer group and how does one go
about influencing that culture?
Your idea of gradually introducing your new programs to campers beginning
with your newest or youngest charges sounds like it makes sense intuitively,
but I would like to have you consider another approach.
Convince Older Campers First
Most folks who work with children in groups know that younger children
learn from older children. The games, sayings, tricks, and other elements
of child culture are passed on from generation to generation as the little
ones watch and mimic the older ones.
For example, when Walt Disney went ahead with the “Bug Juice” television
project, which features the real camp adventures of thirteen-to fifteen-year-old
campers, they were fully aware that it would be nine-to twelve-year-old
children who would end up watching the series because they knew younger
children watch the older ones. So, while it seems your oldest, most experienced
campers might resist the new outdoor challenge program more because it
does not fit into their current scheme of camp, winning their endorsement
will greatly affect how the rest of your camp population accepts the program.
Burgers and chips, anyone?
The key to winning over your oldest campers is to appeal to the things
they like. For example, think about special foods you could have your
oldest campers eat (or cook themselves!) while out at the program site.
Whether it’s burgers and chips for lunch or steak and shrimp for dinner,
teens clearly respond to food, especially if it is perceived as different
and special from regular camp fare.
Recognize teen leadership
Second, identify those individuals whom you think are leaders among their
peers. Invite them over to your house and engage them in a discussion
of the new program. Ask for their advice about details (food, time of
day, which specific activities they’d most like to try). Teens respond
well when they are included in planning or recognized for their leadership.
If you can excite this group of leaders, you are well on your way to success.
That is because teens clearly follow their most popular group members.
It would therefore be wise to use this unwritten rule to your advantage:
As go the popular kids, so goes the group. You might even show this small
group of leaders (who usually travel together as a pack) a short video
or slide show of what you have planned. Even better, perhaps you could
get a group of them to try out the new activity one weekend before camp
begins. The more fun they have on the course, the more they will talk
it up with their friends. If you woo these teens, the younger kids will
salivate at the chance to do what the big kids get to do. Of course, having
charismatic instructors leading these activities always helps make them
popular.
Dear Bob,
Every year we have groups of campers that just do not seem to come together
as a bunk. Even though these kids are grouped by age, some of them are
more advanced or mature than others and some just seem to want to be in
their own cliques. What do you suggest?
— Worried in the Willows
Dear Worried,
There are three factors to consider when talking about a bunk, cabin,
or camp group coming together. One has to do with something you alluded
to in your letter, the maturity level of group members. The second has
to do with what creates a sense of “groupness” among peers. The third
has to do with setting expectations for yourself as a camp professional
that are reasonable when it comes to the behavior of children in groups
(and helping camper parents do the same).
Determine Maturity Level
Bunk placement is a topic that would fill its own column. However, the
better you size up the maturity level of campers and group them by experience,
the more the group will benefit. Does the child have a best friend? Has
she slept over at a friend’s house before? Does he play with other children
his own age in groups? Does she control the play? These questions will
help you determine what group is a best match for each camper.
Create a Sense of Groupness
Many groups don’t gel because they can‘t identify anything that defines
their “groupness” — something they all have in common. At camp, you can
promote unity in many ways. Create a special trip or experience exclusively
for your cabin group that defines them as distinct from other campers.
Give them a special responsibility, have them go on an overnight, or let
them do a special activity. All of these opportunities can provide the
common ground they can’t establish on their own.
Remember, children will always be children. Girls tend to prefer smaller
cliques, and boys tend to react against boys they sense as immature. We
must accept that these tendencies often don’t fade in just one or two
weeks, nor do they change if we simply lecture kids.
However, camp professionals are in a great position to help children
tolerate the differences within their bunk or group and to provide some
activities (group sings, pep rallies, camp fires, etc.) where the group
temporarily comes together. What influences child group behavior most
powerfully is the culture of the adult group — at camp, the culture of
the staff. If you model acceptance and inclusion and unanimously advocate
for this in the campers, you will have a better chance of broadening the
tolerance of the individual members of your camper group.
Originally published in the 1999 January/February
issue of Camping Magazine. |
