• First off we have a Discovery Program that is only for children who have never been to camp before. For this camp we shrink the amount of children at camp making sure that we can give individual attention to each child. We have about 6 children for 2 counselors in each cabin. This program, since it is everyones first time creates a level playing feild for everyone. And since we know it everyones first time at camp we are constantly on the look out for homesickness or other areas of concern.
• For our 3 week programs, again our small size allows us to give individual attention to all, with around 90 children (45 gals, 45 boys). Our children are divided by gender and age group. So a cabin of 10 children will have lets say 9 & 10 year olds. We limit the age groups at camp so that we get an even distribution of campers , younger to older. Then each age group will participate in age appropriate activities and adventure trips. For instance the younger girls may take a canoe trip to a nearby island while the older girls may go to the Apostle Islands for 3 days.
• So you can see how Swift Nature Camp meets every age and gender. If you would like to talk more please give us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Discovery Camp is a twelve-day First Timer’s Program offered at the Swift Nature Camp facilities near Minong, Wisconsin. The program utilizes Swift Camp’s highly trained staff at a ratio of two staff members for every cabin of eight new campers. The first time at summer camp will quite possibly be a child’s first extended time away from home. The program acknowledges this by making sure that every new camper will find a staff member on hand at all times. First time campers need to feel special, and the first priority of this program is to foster the sense that camp is there for them and exists for their benefit.
• Prior to each camper’s arrival, the staff studies the informational packet for that person. They learn about each child and gain awareness of specific individual needs. If any camper has medical circumstances or special needs these will discussed by the staff in confidence with the camp nurse. By the time a child arrives at camp, the staff will feel as if they already know that new camper. This preparation is immediately beneficial to the first-time camper from the moment he or she steps off the bus and is warmly and personally greeted.
• The first day of Discovery Camp is Orientation Day. New campers get a complete tour of Swift Nature Camp, including a visit to the HealthCenter, the Mail Box, and every activity area. Every activity is introduced with a discussion about the importance of safety and the basic safety information for that activity.
• Staff members work hard to promote an atmosphere of nurturing and harmonious friendship from the campers’ first day of cabin life. There is a Respect List for all to agree to and sign, and each night will end with a bedtime story. The cabin is the place where community begins. First time campers are gently brought into a sense of connection and community with others who begin on equal footing.
• At Discovery Camp, first time campers are introduced to Swift Camp’s well rounded noncompetitive variety of camp activities. Each morning a cabin’s campers are invited to instruction at two activity areas. These activities include Swimming, Canoeing, Nature Center, Arts and Crafts, Archery, and more. The new campers are encouraged to try new and different activities, giving each of them the opportunity to discover and explore what activities he or she might enjoy and eventually excel in. In the afternoon, campers learn how to make their own choices from the activity board, making their own decisions about which activity to pursue that day.
• Swift Nature Camp aims to encourage each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate environment. The twelve day first-timer program is set up to run the optimum length of time for a first time camper to leave homesickness behind and gain a comfortable sense of autonomy. For many of these campers the greatest first lesson camp teaches them is that they can leave home, return days later and find out that very few things will have changed, especially their parents’ love for them.
• The directors of Swift Nature Camp think it's important that parents know that their children’s first time away from home is in a safe, nurturing and secure environment. As a part of the Discovery Camp’s first timer program, parents are encouraged to visit at any time after the first five days.
• Parents who would like to find out if this is the right first-time summer camp experience for their child are encouraged to speak with other parents who have had their children attend Swift Nature Camp. A list of references is readily available for that purpose. Discovery Camp, a special program for the first time summer camp experience, is finally available to suit the needs of campers and parents alike!

"Good morning," they mustered back.

He asked for announcements.

Nothing for a moment, then one camper offered, "Ryan farts in his sleep."

Giggles.

"Are there any real announcements?"

"But it's true!" the camper insisted.

Another said, "It's Lindsey's birthday Saturday!"

The kids, ages 10 to 16, cheered and descended into chatter. The counselor raised his hand, reeling them back with a simple command: "Listen to your camp family."

After quickly running through the Camp Maplehurst Song ("I've got the Maplehurst feeling up in my head, up in my head …"), the kids headed to a breakfast of French toast, sausage links and strawberry yogurt on plastic trays.

It was an average Camp Maplehurst morning, the details likely forgotten before the last sausage was served (except maybe by poor Ryan). But in the camp family, as the counselor put it, even the ordinary is extraordinary. Every moment matters. Consider: For a few weeks every summer, each camper takes on a few dozen brothers and sisters. They sleep together, eat together, play together, sing together, work together and learn together. They fight and make up. They start figuring out love. They see one another in pajamas and bathing suits. They develop their own vocabularies that allow them to know the differences among the Moose Song, the Beaver Song, the Pirate Song and, when rushed, the Flagpole Song ("This is the flagpole song/It doesn't last too long").

In the togetherness, idiosyncrasies are forgiven. Peer pressure dissipates, or as much as it can at the age of 14. Material things prized back home are made moot. What good is a PS3 at camp?

And judgment is withheld. Don't believe it?

"I don't have many friends at school," said Roberto Soto, 13, of Guadalajara, Mexico. "I like to read, and in Mexico reading is considered nerdy, and if you're a nerd, you're considered an outcast. Here, people are from a lot more places and everyone is open."

Anyone who has been to summer camp knows that the relationships are like few others. Friendships form quickly, intensely and with open minds. Even if camp friends don't keep in touch long-term, what has been shared is long remembered.

One hundred fifty years since summer camp was born, the American Camp Association estimates there are as many as 15,000 summer camps in the U.S., much of the recent growth in specialized camps: music, religious, athletic, etc. Peg Smith, chief executive officer of the ACA, said the camp experience "is probably even more important than it was 150 years ago."

"It is a microcosm of a community," Smith said. "You learn to contribute to that community and to make relationships. Being able to communicate needs and resolve conflict stays with you."

Even the youngest campers realize the difference between what happens at camp and what happens back home.

"There's a lot of drama at school," said Charlotte Thomas, 12, of Short Hills, N.J.

"You get into fights with your friends, but here, you figure it out because you have to," said Anna Stern, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
That was Thomas Cohn's plan when he started Maplehurst in 1955. Cohn, a University of Michigan psychology professor, wanted an outlet for kids built on freedom and creativity not promoted in schools. The camp is particularly popular with kids from Midwestern suburbs and attracts many international campers.

Laurence Cohn, who grew up attending his father's camp, took the reins with his wife, Brenda Cohn, in the 1970s. They deal with issues the elder Cohn never had to address, such as restricting use of MP3 players to afternoon rest time and asking for cell phones at the start of each session.

"The kids don't want to give up their phones," said Laurence Cohn, a psychology lecturer at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "So we ask nicely."

He figures phones get in the way of the real business of camp, namely, being at camp. It's difficult to miss text-messaging when post-breakfast activities include biking, tennis, archery, arts and crafts, model rocketry, basketball, fencing, golf, kayaking, floor hockey, improvised comedy, tai chi and photography. And that's just before lunch.

Campers can program their own time to learn what they like, Cohn said. But that freedom is balanced by the responsibility of cleaning their cabins daily.

"I don't even have to do that at home," said Jordan Correll, of Farmington Hills, Mich.

Leaving usually ends up being the worst part of camp. It happened a few days early last summer for Maud Foriel-Destezet, 16, because of her family's travel plans.

Seemingly everyone at the camp offered Foriel-Destezet a hug, and tears flowed quickly. Her cabin mates formed a circle and took her in, heads down, arms around one another's shoulders, to create a world of sniffling teenage girls in shorts and T-shirts.

"The real world is waiting for you on the other side," said Margot Kriete, 16, of Birmingham, Mich.

A few hours after Foriel-Destezet had left, those same girls were all smiles while performing in the long-awaited camp talent show. Dressed in brightly colored clothes, they lip-synced to a top-40 hit, leapt, giggled and made new memories.

In summer, animals of all varieties are most active and easier to spot. Even in the city you can find a few squirrels in the trees. Carry your flower and bird watching activities into summer as well. Don’t forget to keep you feeder full and water in your birdbath.

Most folks do not see Autumn as the season of harvest and reproduction for nature. With a bag in hand start to collect pine cones, acorns, seeds and other items that can be used for crafts or displayed as is. Be sure to have your child identify each and tell you how it might be used in nature. A bouquet of colorful fall leaves is incredibly easy to create and will give your child a constant reminder of the fun they had outdoors.

Winter may not be the most hospitable season for many, nature hikes can still be incredibly rewarding. Try seeding a spot by picking out a specific area and throwing out seeds, bread, apple chunks or bird feed. Upon your return, examine the snow for tracks then determine which animals have been enjoying your feast. If you continue to supply the same area all winter, you will most likely get the chance to see if your guesses were correct before the snow melts. Remember, most animals are nocturnal so go out after school at dusk.

Don't feel the need to be constantly hiking to enjoy the outdoors. You can entertain your child plant a few early blooming flowers and keep the bird feeders full. A budding naturalist will want to check every day and see what’s new. Make sure to give them a journal to record their finds. Younger children may be happier drawing their finds, while an older child will be happy with a disposable camera to commemorate the changes they notice.

Gardening is a wonderful way to get children outdoors. Keep their attention span in mind while planning the size and number of plants, otherwise it will be extra work on your hands. Vegetables like carrots, leaf lettuce and radishes are almost foolproof, But the most rewarding and fun is getting one or two pumpkin for jack o' lanterns.

For most families outdoor activities are most often done in the summer. Yet, for most parents making the time to get out in nature can be a challenge. Camping is a great way to expose kids to nature, but rather than giving yourself the hassle of planning a week-long trip there are some options. First, just set up a tent one morning in the backyard. Cook your meals outside, fly kites and play tag. When it's time for bed, crawl into your tent and tell stories by flashlight. Second, have the pros help you out. Look for a day or an overnight summer camp that specializes in Nature and the outdoors. For many parents this might seem like a whole new area that they might be reluctant to get involved with, but once you do your research you will find that Summer Camp is so much more than just a break from your kids...it’s child development!
To learn more about Summer Camp visit www.summercampadvice.com

Swift Nature Camp is a Wisconsin Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities while increasing a child's appreciation for nature, science and the environment. They also have a special “first time at summer camp” program that is dedicated to providing kids a wonderful first time experience.
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Start your child on their own thousand mile journey through life today. 

The most important Hint is to remember when looking for things to do in nature is to get OUTSIDE. Almost any indoor activity can be done outside in nature.

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