Types of Camp:
Camps have been going for hundreds of years in the US and are a real North American tradition. Each year millions of children aged 6 to 16 from all over the US (and beyond!) look forward to spending anywhere between 1 to 9 weeks at summer camp. It's their time to break loose - to enjoy themselves, have fun, make friends, try cool new things and get looked after by a lot of people with funny accents!! Life at camp is intense - it's hard work, and in a very short space of time camp becomes your world...and each world is different, because each camp is different.

Location:
Many camps set away from it all in rural areas - that are typically full of gorgeous scenery: many camps will have a lake or pool or some kind of waterfront.

Accommodation:
They have cabin accommodation usually referred to as 'bunks' which are split into male/female and are usually wooden and basic - although some camps may have alternatives - platform tents, dorms or even teepee's!

Food:
OK - it's an important consideration for many of us, and the good news is that as long as you're not expecting 5* cuisine you'll do just fine! Camp food is basic and made to appeal to kids - generally you should expect staples like burgers, fries, and pasta to feature pretty heavily on the menu. You'll also come face to face with US favourites such as meatloaf and sloppy joes! Generally camps do provide a salad bar (although this can be very basic) and if you're vegetarian you should be prepared that there might not always be a vegetarian alternative to the meal served, and you may be left to eat everything on offer but the meat.

Staff:
The good news is that you won't be alone! Generally camps who take international staff hire more than one, and often you'll find you're working alongside other young people from all over the world. Often the core staff at the camp will be Americans who work full-time, and there will be other American staff who come to work just for the summer. Many camps operate a Counsellor-in-Training (CIT) programme which give older campers the chance to help assist in the care of the younger children.

Facilities:
Typical buildings you'll find on a camp are: main office/reception (generally where children check in and any visitors report to), a medical centre/nurses office, a collection of bunks, a camp fire area which will be the scene of many a skit and camp fire sing-a-long, a flag pole (where you'll gather every morning for the raising of the flag) and one very, very noisy dining hall!
Activities: this really depends on the type of camp you're on, but generally camps offer a good mix of sports and arts. Waterfront activities (swimming, boating etc) are always popular and many camps have inflatable 'icebergs', slides and trampolines as a feature of their waterfront area - great fun! Other popular sports are archery, tennis and US sports like baseball and basketball. Some camps offer slightly more unusual sports - circus skills, magic, skateboarding or even surfing! On the art front as well as painting, drawing and even tye-dying. Fine arts are always very popular with skills like ceramics and pottery being high in demand. Many camps also run drama and music programmes - with the camp talent show being the place to be seen!

Campers:
The campers make camp...they bring the life, the fun, the noise, the buzz, the challenge and the reason you're there in the first place!

...and all of this combined provides the setting for a little less conversation and a little more action!

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