Raising Kids at Camp | by Jackie Eichhorn
Many people tell me on a regular basis how lucky we are to be raising our children at a summer camp, and we could not agree more! Although they sometimes strut around the property like they own the place, we know that they are experiencing childhood in a completely different way. Kevin and I both grew up in the Chicago suburbs, riding bikes and playing outside until the streetlights came on. While we don’t have paved roads or streetlights at camp, our kids are raising chickens, fishing at the pond, walking to the lodge for hot cocoa, going on horseback rides, working at the shop with Dad and meeting hundreds of new friends each year! They get to experience nature in all its glory as they participate in camp activities year-round.
While the pandemic brought on new challenges for Camp Koinonia, we were fortunate enough to be “locked down” in a 111-acre camp. In the summer of 2020 Kevin had reinvented the camp as a family experience since we weren’t allowed to have summer camps. We spent a lot of time at the pool, pond and playground, and I remember one time Miles came home very sad after spending time at the basketball court. I asked him why he was upset, and he said something like “I keep making friends at the playground, and then they leave.” We talked about how lucky he is to make new friends each week from different cities and states, and since then he has turned into quite the young camp director, greeting campers and telling them about his favorite camp activities.
This past summer our two sons had the opportunity to attend overnight camp through Cascade Camp Cedarbrook for a week. I thought we were crazy to send our 6-year-old to sleep in a cabin for 6 nights without us, but since I could see his cabin from our kitchen window, I knew we would be okay. And when our 8-year-old would see me at a meal at the lodge he would barely take the time to say, “hi Mom!” I knew he was having a blast. The boys learned how to build rockets, survive in the outdoors, make new friends, build a fire, and most importantly strengthen their relationship with God. They came home singing songs and talking about Bible stories that they had learned at camp. What an awesome experience for them and for us.
Our kids also had the chance to attend a few weeks of our new summer day camps this past summer. They loved meeting new friends and spending time with old ones, and of course hanging out with their favorite counselors Moose, Goose, Rooster and Toucan. They came home completely exhausted each day, and usually missing a sock or lunchbox. They enjoyed swimming lessons, making ice cream, the bounce house and crafts and the yurt, but their favorite part of the day was morning chapel. Each morning the counselors would sing songs, perform a skit, and teach a Bible lesson. Once again, my kids came home each day singing a song and talking about what they learned at camp.
I could go on and on about how our children are so lucky to live at a camp and enjoy the freedom of the outdoors, but I think our favorite part has been watching them strengthen their bonds with each other and with God. We are able to spend a lot of time together as a family, which gives us more opportunities to help them in their faith (and ours too). We go to church each Sunday, pray before meals, and blast Christian music as they rollerblade around the house (when you have gravel roads you get creative). We are truly blessed to call camp our home. The next time you visit feel free to ask our children what they love most about camp- they will probably talk your ear off!
