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.
Yes, of course it’s amazing to see your kids after 4 short weeks, give them a 10 minute hugs and shower them with dozens of treats, but it makes our list because it’s a chance for you to really see change and growth in your child, with the gift of perspective and time.
