Going to a sleep-away camp is very exciting, and you may find yourself having lots of different feelings about it.

You will hopefully be looking forward to the summer and feeling excited about it. You may also be nervous, or even a little scared at times. This is perfectly normal and something that all of our campers have felt at one time or another. Here is some information on what you can expect during your first days at camp. 

PACKING

Your parents or guardians will help you pack. They will have a list of the things that you need to bring with you. You should also think about bringing some photos of your friends, family or pets with you, along with a favorite stuffed animal. These things will help you feel at home while at camp.

ARRIVAL

People get to camp in two different ways. Some people will drive to camp, and others will go on the bus from NYC. If you get the bus you can expect the journey to take 5-6 hours, and you will be seated with some of your cabin mates.

Once you arrive at camp you will be met by one of your counselors. Everyone will check in with the nurses and quickly get their heads checked for lice. You will be able to drop your bags and look around in the cabin, and you can give your counselors your preferences for where you will sleep.

Once everyone has arrived, counselors will assign beds, and you will unpack a few people at a time. When you’re not unpacking you will get a tour of camp, and will be able to play some games with your new cabin mates. Once everyone is unpacked we will eat supper together on the dining porch (you will be sitting with your cabin-mates). After supper, we will have an all-camp meeting where you can meet the rest of the staff, and get to know the general rules of camp, before heading back to your cabin for bedtime. 

THE FIRST DAY

The first full day starts with breakfast on the dining porch at 8am, followed by another short meeting to finish off rules and talk about the schedule. Then you will have 4 scheduled activity periods with your cabin throughout the day. You’ll have 2 in the morning (with 30 minute ‘recalls’ of free time in between) before we have lunch at 1pm on the dining porch. You will then go back to your cabin for Rest Hour (quiet time in the cabin to read, write letters and relax). In the afternoon you will have 2 more activity periods and recalls before supper at 6pm. The evening activity on the first day will be a Staff sing - you’ll get to sit back, relax, and sing along with the staff!

THE FIRST WEEK

During the first week, all cabins will get to choose a name for themselves and perform a short skit in the theater, while the rest of camp tries to guess their name. You will also get to go on a hike with your cabin group, play a giant game of capture the flag, try a whole bunch of activities, and make some new friends. 

After the first couple of days you will be able to receive calls from your parents/guardians during meal times, and you’ll write and receive letters. It is very likely that you will feel homesick during the first week of camp. This is a very normal feeling and is a natural part of going to camp. Your counselors and cabin mates will be there to help you through those times.

We are very excited that you will be coming to camp Killooleet this summer and can’t wait to see you. If you have any questions you can ask your parents/guardians. If they can’t answer your questions then you can ask them to send us an email to ask us! See you soon!