Our campers spend the entire session with the same small group of friends and counselors. This consistency allows campers to form strong bonds of friendship, trust, teamwork and loyalty that are a part of the "Roughing It Spirit" & our Community of Respect!

Roughing It is a group centered program for children and teens. Campers develop group living skills through working and having fun together as a camper group. Our group centered approach is the central tenant of our philosophy and is the reason we offer four-week sessions at Roughing It. It takes four weeks to build the dynamics of a positive camper group and repetition over this period of time assures skill development and promotes lasting friendships and interest in the outdoors and activities learned at camp.

Campers who attend Roughing It Day Camp range in age from 4-16 years old and are in camper groups based on their age, and grade. Camper groups for 1^st through 8^th graders are gender specific, and our youngest campers (preschool, pre-k and k) as well as our oldest high school campers, Campers In Leadership Training (CILT,) are in coed groups. At Roughing It, each age group has their own dedicated camper group and their own adult counselor that remains with them throughout each day and throughout the summer.

Each camper group has at least one adult group counselor and a maximum of 15 campers. Roughing It has an overall 4 to 1 camper to staff ratio when all staff is included. Junior Counselors who are eleventh and twelfth graders also assist with the youngest camper groups. Our adult counselors set positive guidelines and build strong supportive relationships with the campers in their camper group encouraging every child to reach his/her potential. By participating in a wide variety of camp activities together over longer camp sessions, each camper group builds lasting friendships, team spirit, and a caring community.

Creating a Community of Respect the Roughing It Way

Respect and personal responsibility are what we call “The Roughing It Way.” This is an integral part of everything we do and a key reason why Roughing It is unique when compared to other camp programs. At the beginning of each camp session, Campers, together with their group, decide on a group name, create a group flag, and Code of Living. Groups discuss the value of respect and the benefits of following rules. After this discussion, campers come up with a unique "Code of Living" that is their groups’ rules to live by while at camp. All members of the group sign and pledge to follow their group’s code of living which constitutes the foundation of a great community and the start to building strong friendships and group cohesiveness. Campers find the Code of Living to be a great measure of individual growth towards becoming a more effective, contributing group member. Below, we have included some "Codes of Living" that have been created by past camper groups:

Group Building & Teamwork

Many of the campers’ favorite activities provide opportunities to help them develop the social skills necessary to work and enjoy camp together. Group counselors are trained to lead group building and team leadership activities starting on the first day with name games, “get to know you” activities, and other activities designed to create a strong group dynamic. One of our long-standing traditions at Roughing It, secret forts and flags, helps campers build group loyalty and esprit de corps. Campers select a group name and make their group flag. Each group sets out to find a secret fort somewhere around the reservoir and hide their flag in the fort. Campers keep an eye on their fort and flag while trying to find other groups’ secret forts and flags throughout the summer. In addition to great camp traditions that provide strong community and loyalty, the wide range of camp activities also promote teamwork as well as individual skills. Encouraging friends, working together and building skills and friendships are all plentiful every summer at Roughing It. Take a look at a typical camp day and the programs and activities catering to the age and ability of our campers as they grow at Roughing It.

See a Typical Day at camp and what activities are New For You at camp as campers get older.