sleep away camp Archives

Posted on July 20, 2017October 17, 2017 by creativenavadmin

The Gift is Camp

If you are like many camp parents, it is easy to get caught up in the Visiting Day hoopla. When did Visiting Day go from bringing ritz crackers and spray cheese to window shopping through endless Instagram photos of gifts and baskets and cellophane-wrapped camp-themed goodies? Visiting Day fever is a real thing that parents can catch (and it seems contagious)! It’s even in the news.

As you pack up your cars this Saturday and head for the hills of Honesdale, please remember that the real gift IS camp. It was only just 4 weeks ago that you shipped off your camper with trunks full of clothing, new camp swag and the promise of an amazing summer. Your campers have not forgotten how lucky they are. They are well-fed and enjoying canteen, dippin’ dots, birthday cake, milk & cookies, and trip day treats! They are sharing their clothes with their groupmates (which means they have 10x the clothes they even need!). They are learning how to spend unstructured time, unplugged with simple games, tetherball and jacks. They are busy cherishing every moment they have at camp with their summer family. They are also learning through our community service that not everyone gets this incredible opportunity. And most importantly, they know none of this would be possible without the amazing gift of camp that you already gave them.

So bring up some of their favorite comforts from home (maybe a NYC bagel or some Dunkin Donuts…you can leave the sushi behind!). And remember the day is really all about one thing. It’s not about toys, or bunk gifts (which we don’t allow), or endless amounts of candy (that they won’t have time to eat). It’s about your camper showing off THEIR camp, their friends, their counselors, their experience. It’s about seeing Towanda all over again through the eyes of your camper. It’s about pride, love and a taste of home. It’s about getting a peek into their world and then walking away for them to experience the best that is yet to come. And it’s about knowing they are growing, learning and ready to take on the next 3 weeks.

As you drive away on Saturday afternoon, you can feel amazing knowing that the best gift you gave your camper wasn’t wrapped in cellophane… it is the gift of camp! It is the gift that keeps on giving!

~Stephanie, Mitch and our entire terrific staff

About Camp Towanda:

Camp Towanda is an independent, traditional, co-ed sleep-away camp in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It is privately owned, operated and directed by Mitch and Stephanie Reiter (who are celebrating 28 years as owners and directors). For 95 years, Camp Towanda has continued to define what camp should really be. Our program offers state-of-the-art facilities, an excellent and professional athletic department, waterfront, extensive arts, drama and adventure programs, and special events. We are highly regarded and respected as an industry leader and are involved in giving back to various organizations throughout the year. Camp Towanda is accredited by the American Camp Association and a member of the Camp-Alert-Network, Wayne County Camp Association, Camp Owners and Directors Association and the Pennsylvania Camp Association.

Posted on August 5, 2015 by camptowanda

Olympics 2015- Breakout!

This is it- Camp Towanda Olympics 2015! Get all the details from Mitch’s email to our parents this morning, describing the scene at Camp Towanda, starting at 3:30am! Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team!

Time: 3:30 AM

I’ll try my best to capture what transpired; perhaps you even caught some of it on the live camp cam if you dont sleep!

A few “on a need to know basis” personnel assembled at four different points at key locations around our 235 acre complex; connected through special coded radio channels. The truck moves in and out the darkness of the night, a pyramid is assembled near The White Rock. Simultaneously, the Generals slither to their starting points, get into costume and the Camels unload from their carrier (they came from Wisconsin).

Time: 5:59 AM
All ready, all get into place and at exactly 5:59 AM a special, extra loud, remix of REVEILLE, THE GOAT ALERT ALARM, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE AND WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN blasts the campuses over the P.A. system.

Screams, cries and shrieks bounce across campus; the kids come running out of their bunks at dawn in their pajamas, bewildered. They see a camel surrounded by a harem of Generals walking through campus.

The boy camel entourage catches up to the girl camel entourage at THE WHITE ROCK, only to discover there is a huge pyramid situated on the Infirmary Lawn.

The music continues to blast; the horns shreek and the head Judgie, Bob Miller declares: THIS IS IT Towanda, OLYMPICS 2015!!!!”

And with that, a door opens on the Pyramid and four generals emerge with the team banners!

The Blue Pharaohs Vs The Red Snake Charmers!!!!

The generals are announced, the camper captains are announced, the lieutenants and the sergeants. They all come running towards the Pyramid which was flanked by the Camels!
The bewildered look and disbelief that there were camels on camp was great!

After much more excitement and team meetings, everyone went back to the bunks, to wash up and get ready for Olympic lineup and then breakfast!

Another team meeting, coaches prep and at 10:30 the activities start; I’ll be on the GHOST COURT.

Feels like a complete day already and we are pumped to get more in. The breakout was incredible and the games have begun!

The excitement of the end of camp hasn’t even peaked; but wow, oh wow—it is feeling oh so great!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by camptowanda

Wet Hot American Fun!

Week one was off to a very wet but wildly fun start at Camp Towanda. We made the best of the weather, creatively using all of our indoor facilities to the max and the campers and staff didn’t miss a beat. Our Towanda ponchos and rain boots have gotten their fair share of wear and mud GHOST is a new activity here at camp!

Even though it has only been a week, the camaraderie, smiles and friendships are as if we have been together a long time already. We have been appreciating the rare glimpses of sunshine, soaking in the fun of kickball, volleyball, basketball, free swim and more! And when the showers rain down on us, we have been seeking cover at indoor basketball, ping-pong tourneys, lego room, old-school board games, treehouse challenges, gaga, indoor arena soccer, Arts & Crafts, dance, Culinary with Chefs Ben, Hannah and Judi, gymnastics, martial arts, play rehearsal, zumba and more. And while the fields dry out we have managed to play lacrosse on the tennis courts because, why not!? We have enough to keep us busy. Rain doesn’t get us down one bit- we are “water resilient”!

Our evenings have been filled with Towanda favorites like talent shows, open mic night, Towanda Open (dizzy bats, pudding pie in the face, messy fun!) and Unique Entertainment Game Show to name a few and capped off with Under the Lights for our Upper Camp and milk & cookies for Lower Camp. We celebrated the July 4th long weekend with our annual traditions of breakfast on the lawn, Campapalooza outdoor concert, record-breaking attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records (this year the entire camp with stuck together with Chinese finger traps), a day of sunshine filled co-ed activities, luau, BBQ and fireworks set to 1812 Overture! The first week really did end with a bang!

Stephanie and I and the senior staff (Head Counselors, Camp Moms, etc.) spend the bulk of our day out there…in the trenches, managing, observing, directing, participating…at eye level…getting into it. Knowing your kids and their counselors so we can successfully guide and direct them towards a successful experience here at camp.

We are not in the office, we do not carry cell phones or technology with us…we are in the moment with the campers and staff. We break the cliques, we balance the group, we foster a brotherhood and sisterhood…the road to achieve that isn’t easy, but we have the tools here to be successful…things happen here that just can’t happen anywhere else! Just take a look at our oldest campers- The Dorm & Club!

By now you have probably received the first wave of letters…that’s what we call “old news”! You may need to read it, take a deep breath and then go out to dinner! We are on it!

Let the excitement, activities, skill development and games continue! Thanks for trusting us to do what we do and thanks for making the tough parenting decision to let us do it!

Check out the first official highlights video of the summer! Friday Nite Flix Week 1: Wet Hot American Summer Edition: FRIDAY NITE FLIX

Quote of the week: “Wow! Cannot believe how much rain you guys have had but glad to see that it cleared up . Watching the FNF this week it seems that the rain has not managed to dampen the spirit of camp. That’s amazing. The kids all look like they are having a fabulous time. Very impressive given the weather conditions.” – Camp Parent

Posted on July 14, 2014 by camptowanda

“Tell me more, tell me more!”

We’re into the third week of camp (WOW!) and camper phone calls have started!!! Hopefully your calls are the recharge YOU need to make it thru the next 12 days until you see your camper IN PERSON! Many of you have told us that your campers were eager to get back into the action and on with their day after your calls (like you were interrupting something more fun going on!). Kids! Their letters may be vague, but happy, and we can understand that as a parent, you want to know MORE.

Like our campers, my net takeaway at the end of each day are feelings of pride, spirit and camaraderie and overall happiness. For them it’s sometimes hard to remember the exact activities they did during the day, the intercamps they played in, and the options they selected…because at the end of the day, they tried something new, felt great about themselves, made new friends and are ready for more. That’s what they remember and that’s what I remember. Because that’s the magic of camp, and what makes it SO different than every day life at home. The focus shifts from what you did TO how you feel and your overall experience and growth.

Some of you have asked for more specific intel about your campers’ daily lives from our counselors and Group Leaders. At Camp Towanda, we strongly believe in keeping our staff focused on being involved in camp and do not want to distract them with reporting to the parents back home. We recognize other camps do this. It’s just not our philosophy or culture. This is not to hide anything from you. This is to keep our staff focused on your kids and running camp. It is literally NON STOP action here from sunrise to sunset (and then after dark). However, there are several things we think may help you feel more connected:

There are a list of activities on our website and a typical day schedule. All our campers get involved in these activities and you can talk to your child and their counselors about them on phone calls and Visiting Day. Like all the traditional sports, Outdoor Adventure, waterfront, Gaga, Ghost, Arts & Crafts and more! Zumba is a big hit too (with the girls and boys!)! We change our schedule daily and no two days are alike!! Seriously.
Subscribe to our iCal from the App. It tells you exactly what the evening activity was for the day and scheduled trips. I try to convey the essence of these activities in my emails, but you can get the gist from the pictures (which are always posted within a day or two of the event).
When you come up on Visiting Day, you can take a peek at THE BOARD in the center of camp, which has info on group schedules, tournaments and daily life.
Follow our Blog– a couple times a week, we update the blog by translating my nightly emails into ‘English’, helping give you a sense of the week or a special event like Olympics. General to camp, but sometimes more specific than my emails. Enough to help you talk to your camper about it.
The pictures…while your child may not always be in a photo, they do communicate what is going on at camp, the activities, and the crazy fun we are having! #refresh
The Live Camp Cam! You can literally see what’s going on at camp! You can find out the weather and see the center of camp! Of course there’s a very good chance you won’t see your child, but you will see camp.
Use our exclusive CT checkbox stationery. These are questions that speak to the activities, food and fun you can only find here! Available in your Campminder Docs.

We understand it’s hard to go from being SO involved in your child’s day-to-day activities to feeling disconnected…BUT at the end of the day, we promise your kids are participating in a wide range of activities (literally all of them on our website), competitive/intercamp opportunities, evening activities and more! But most importantly, they are growing, maturing, and feeling great about themselves.

Kids are kids…and not always the best communicators! They are busy immersing themselves in life here at camp…which can sometimes leave them at a loss for words, and indescribable feelings…and that’s why we call it MAGIC.