Category: Camp Blogs
Building Forts, Friendships, and Futures: How Camp Connects Us to Nature
At Farm Camp, everything we do is outside. We eat outside, play outside, and sometimes even sleep outside! We love that we’re able to fully connect with nature in all the various aspects of our camp lives. During our weeks at camp, we’re not just surrounded by nature, we’re fully immersed. And we can say with first hand experience, the benefits are immense.
At camp we’re able to disconnect from screens and spend more time face to face with one another. We collaborate with each other to complete chores, share our spaces kindly and to accomplish big things (like hikes) together! We spend less time worried about getting to the next thing and instead get to take our days slowly and more mindfully. When children are disconnected from technology their creativity thrives. As stated in an article from the Child Mind Institute, an “unstructured style of play also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways” (1). One of the places where we see this creativity really come out at Farm Camp is at the park.
The park is a big area up in the woods filled with leaves, sticks and huge trees – no playground equipment in sight. Over the decades camp has been running, campers have turned this space into a fort building paradise. Campers often go to this activity with their unit mates and collaborate to create huge forts using just the things they can find on the ground. It’s not only fun and a great way to deepen connections with one another, it’s impressive too! Several campers have turned a bunch of branches and sticks into triple decker forts with fence lines, shelter areas, and places to hide their treasures.
Campers also report feeling less stressed at camp than anywhere else, and they tell us that they sleep better here too! It can be hard to say what exactly is the main cause of these benefits, as there are so many reasons that could be the case at camp. We have long, physically active days and three wonderfully healthy meals. We’re surrounded by friends and get to fall asleep giggling with one another while reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished. We’re reading instead of scrolling. And we’re more aligned with our circadian rhythms; up just a bit after sunrise and asleep an hour or two after sunset. Our campers tell us that they can actually hear themselves think and get to fall asleep to the sounds of frogs at the lake or the tides of the ocean.
In a comprehensive study done by Marcia Jimenez, they found associations “between nature exposure and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep” (3). And in an article by the American Psychological Association they stated; “people who feel more connected to nature have greater eudaimonic well-being—a type of contentment that goes beyond just feeling good and includes having meaningful purpose in life (Journal of Happiness Studies, online first publication, 2019)” (4).
Our connection to nature doesn’t have to be something we just experience at camp. We can go on a family camping trip, go for a walk in our neighborhood park, have a picnic, or take part in a local clean up on earth day. Even just 15 minutes of time in nature per day can significantly improve our cardiovascular health by reducing our blood pressure and resting heart rate (2). Nature is part of who we are and we’re grateful to be able to share our love of nature with all of you. As San Francisco native and beat poet Gary Snyder states; “nature is not a place to visit, it is home”, we couldn’t agree more.
- Cohen, Danielle. “Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature.” Child Mind Institute, 9 Feb. 2016, childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/.
- “How Even Just 15 Minutes in Nature Can Boost Your Wellbeing.” Loughborough University, 3 Jan. 2025, www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2025/january/how-short-time-in-nature-boost-wellbeing/.
- Jimenez, Marcia P. “Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 9, 30 Apr. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8125471/, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790.
- Weir, Kirsten. “Nurtured by Nature.” American Psychological Association, vol. 51, no. 3, 2020, www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature.
Why Chores Are Great for Kids: A Farm Camp Perspective
At Farm Camp, chores aren’t just work—they’re where the magic happens! Every morning and afternoon, our campers roll up their sleeves and take on meaningful responsibilities, from caring for animals to giving back to the community through non-animal chores. Chores are woven into our program because we’ve seen how they build character, foster collaboration, and create a sense of pride in contributing to something bigger than ourselves.
What Chores Look Like at Farm Camp
Our campers start their days with purpose, diving into chores that make a real difference on the farm. Animal chores can include feeding goats, collecting eggs, or cleaning stalls. Non-animal chores are just as important! These can consist of setting the dining tables for meal times, helping sanitize dishes with “bucket chore,” or harvesting fresh lettuce in our garden. Each task reinforces the idea that every role, no matter how small it might feel, contributes to the well-being of our camp community.
The Science Behind Chores
It’s not just us who think chores are amazing—an ongoing 75-year Harvard study backs us up! This long-term research is finding that children who do chores are more likely to grow into successful, happy adults. Here’s why:
- Collaboration: Chores teach kids to work together and be part of a team. At camp, this means they’re not just doing tasks—they’re building a spirit of collaboration that lasts a lifetime.
- Independence: Taking responsibility for chores helps kids become more self-reliant. We’ve watched campers transform into confident problem-solvers over a single summer.
- Self-Esteem: Completing chores builds confidence. When kids see the results of their hard work, they feel capable and proud. Campers begin feeling a sense of ownership and pride as they learn more and become experts at their chore.
- Basic Skills: Whether it’s learning to care for animals or clean up after meals, chores teach essential life skills that lay the foundation for adulthood.
- Work Ethic: Starting chores early instills a strong work ethic that campers carry with them long after they leave Farm Camp.
Making Chores Fun and Meaningful
We love finding ways to make chores engaging! Campers tackle them with friends, sing songs while they work, and even come up with creative systems to make tasks more efficient. These experiences create memories and connections that last long after camp ends.
We’re so proud of our campers and the work they do every day. It’s a joy to see them rise to the challenge and thrive. Here at Farm Camp, we love chores—and we know you will too!
For families at home, incorporating chores can be just as rewarding. Try holding a family meeting to assign responsibilities, creating a chore chart, or volunteering together. These small steps can build strong bonds and teach valuable lessons. Thank you, campers, for all the work you do for our community! We can’t wait to work alongside you again this summer!
Share Kudos, Spread Gratitude!
Welcome to the Farm Camp Blog – a place where the magic of summer never ends! Farm Camp is a vibrant and dynamic summer experience rooted in history, tradition and a deep sense of community. It’s a place where friendship blossoms, creativity thrives and fun is always at the heart of every activity. Through this blog we aim to capture and share the magic of camp life.
From exciting activities and beloved recipes to arts and crafts instructions, favorite morning singing songs and thoughtful reflection questions. We’ll also share the unique traditions and stories that have shaped our camp for decades. Whether you’re reminiscing about past summers or discovering the camp spirit for the first time, we hope this space brings a little bit of Farm Camp joy into your world! Once you’re part of camp, you become part of its history and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you in!
To start us off, in the season of gratitude, we would love to invite you to share ‘kudos’ with your loved ones. Every Saturday evening we run reflections, we all gather as a camp either on the lawn, around our campfire or in the barn. Our teen campers in leadership training (CILTs) often run this programming for younger campers. We invite campers and staff to write a kudo to someone else. This can be gratitude for anything as long as it’s written with kindness! We will then share some of them out loud and distribute the kudos out to whom they are written about the next day. These are written anonymously and always help spread a little love, cheer and sense of appreciation around camp. Here are some examples below!
Kudos to Joey for making me laugh during the whole hike on unit day.
Kudos to Alexi for their really good skit during the all camp campfire.
Kudos to my counselor for making me feel better when I was feeling homesick
Kudos to June for being my best friend.
Kudos to the kitchen staff for always making us really good food.
Some ideas for implementing this on your own would be writing one and leaving it in a loved one’s shoe or jacket pocket so that they find it later. Or you could write a sweet message with a dry erase marker on the bathroom mirror (make sure it’s dry erase before using it!). Or, you could tell this person exactly why you’re grateful for them right this second!
However you choose to express your gratitude is just right because it comes from you. We truly appreciate you taking the time to stop by and read this, and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
-Farm Camp
