Going to camp can be the highlight of some kids’ summers. But what if you didn’t to go to sleepaway camp as a child? Or if you were one of the lucky ones, perhaps you’ve been yearning for those glory days. More summer camps for adults are popping up to fill that void. Ayisha Jaffer attended one in Wisconsin to see what was driving campers to pack their bags and bunk it for the weekend.
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As I get older, I find it gets a little more challenging to find care-free connections with other adults. I try to give myself permission to celebrate my inner child.
What better place to be a kid again than summer camp?
I had never been to camp as a kid, so I decided to try it as an adult. After I unpacked my bags at Camp Halcyon in Wautoma, Wisconsin, I was whisked off to orientation where we learned about earning participation pins.
“We offer buttons, little pins for every activity that you go to,” said a counselor at orientation. “It’s kind of like Pokémon — you try to catch them all.”
I talked to one of my fellow campers, Beth Haskovec, about some of the pins she’s acquired so far in her time at camp.
“I have a pin, it has a bottle of champagne and a little chicken nugget that kind of looks like one of the California Raisins,” said Haskovec, pointing out her participation pin.
“We did a pairing with chicken nuggets from McDonald’s and champagne. It was really fun! We tried a couple of different champagnes — prosecco, cavas — and ate a bunch of chicken nuggets and just got lit,” she laughed.
Campers at Camp Halcyon revisit the classic camp activity, archery. (Courtesy of Ayisha Jaffer)
Another pin you can earn is cookie decorating. Camp Counselor Sarah Keller works at Rocket Baby Bakery in Wauwatosa sand brings her talents to the table each year to teach campers this delicate art.
“It’s just like drawing, so you’re imagining your pastry bag is like an inch and a half away from the paper. You’re going to practice on your bag a little bit,” Keller explained.
I’ve earned my cookie decorating pin and that’s one of the new skills I’ll be taking back with me when I get home from camp.
But what about the childhood classics?
“We did archery, which was really fun because I hadn’t done it in like 20 years,” said Haskovec. “I loved all the dance parties. The rave and the Homecoming dance were super fun. Unless you’re going to a club, you don’t really get to do (this) in adult life.”
Campers get dressed up for a nighttime Homecoming dance at Camp Halcyon in Wautoma, Wisconsin. (Courtesy of Ayisha Jaffer)
Haskovec touches on something so true. As adults, life tends to get busy and maybe some of us aren’t at afternoon raves as much as we used to be.
So why is that important? What draws people to go to an adult summer camp? To get answers, I turned to Camp Halcyon’s director Ian Nixon, who talked about a meaningful interaction with a camper.
“I was hauling equipment and a camper stopped me and she said, ‘I need to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Sure, what’s up?’ She said, ‘This is life-changing. I’ve been going through a really, really hard time personally in the last few years and I’m coming back. I didn’t know I needed this, but I need it.’ Yeah, we got to create these experiences for people,” said Nixon.
Putting in the effort. That seems to be the key theme here — not only to make a great camp experience, but also to create new human connections.
Smores fixings are ready for campers near a campfire at Camp Halcyon in Wautoma, Wisconsin. (Courtesy of Ayisha Jaffer)
I ran into another camper who keeps coming back to do this: Jaye Kidd, who’s been to Camp Halcyon eleven times.
“Once you come to camp, it’s a good environment to practice (making connections),” said Kidd. “And you’re like, ‘Wow, people really are nice once you introduce yourself and get to know them.’ And you’re like, hey, maybe the other people at work or the other people in my neighborhood… once you introduce yourself to them, you realize this is not as hard or as stressful as I thought it would be.”
I like the notion that if we believe others want to create those connections, it might be easier to jump the hurdle of social anxiety. Also, maybe being in the right environment — like around the campfire — might make it easier to connect.
“It’s a cool way to mesh with a new group of people, especially after we’ve bene in the pandemic forever and stuck inside,” said Kidd. “It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Our time around the campfire is evidence of a new community being built. Before leaving camp, I caught our camp director, Ian Nixon, one last time.
“I want those authentic experiences. The only way to get that is if you let go of all the outside fears and you come here and you be yourself,” Nixon said. ” I think the most important thing about coming to camp as adult is putting yourself out there.”
Campers spell out “CAMP” at Camp Halcyon in Wautoma, Wisconsin. (Courtesy of Ayisha Jaffer)
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MUSIC: “Welcome to Camp” by Orange Jacket
