Camp Takajo’s first visiting day of 2015 is in the record books. We enjoyed unseasonably cool temperatures in the low seventies with partly sunny skies. We were only impacted by rain for thirty minutes during lunchtime. I couldn’t help but be moved by witnessing the warmth and pride of our visitors as they shadowed their loved ones from activity to activity throughout the day. For the great majority of people, visiting day is an amazing experience. It’s a reconnection with your “pride and joy,” an opportunity to witness all of the amazing activities that your son has experienced and meet the dedicated men and women who have committed their summer to working with your child.
Without overstating the obvious, visiting day can be an emotional and fatiguing day. The sheer challenge of navigating around our facility with your son from 9 AM until 5 PM, compounded by the emotions of reconnecting for this defined amount of time could be exhausting.
For some children visiting day could be equally challenging. Our campers are engrained in a routine, and visiting day throws several children into a bit of a tailspin. On many levels, our campers know where they are supposed to be and have grown accustom to taking direction from their counselors. However, instinctively, they can’t help but revert back to being your children, which takes them completely out of their rhythm.
We recognized the importance of getting back into a camp routine at the end of this emotional day. Tonight, while parents drove up the camp road wondering how their child was adjusting, our amazing counselors started leading cheers in the dining room and got all campers engaged. (Click the link below to watch a video clip.) In camp, participation and engagement are some of our greatest tricks of the trade. After an evening of organized play, we took a deep breath, reflected on our day and set our sights on tomorrow.
Video: Camp Takajo Campers Singing after Dinner
