The Roughing It Blog

Roughing It News

Ornament Tree Hike & Holiday Family Fun

Spend this holiday season with your family having fun in the outdoors, making easy, homemade crafts, and trying new , delicious recipes! Lafayette Reservoir Ornament Tree One fun option for a great holiday activity for your family is going to see the beautiful Ornament Tree at the Lafayette Reservoir! This

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Roughing It News

Gratitude, Family & Fun!

The Season of Gratitude The holiday season is a special time of year filled with family, friendship, laughter, and fun. It is also a great opportunity to think about and share what we are truly grateful for this year. The act of sharing what we are grateful for can be

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Ready For Camp

Beat The Heat Days at Camp

  Hot weather days at Roughing It are called, Beat The Heat days. On the high temperature days, camp schedules and activities may be modified to provide campers and staff additional time to rest, recover and have water breaks in the shade. This may include:  Planning more active activities in the earlier

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Roughing It News

Holiday Fun – Ornament Tree Hike & More Family Activities!

  The holidays are a great opportunity to spend quality time with family! Here are some of our favorite holiday activities found locally at the Lafayette Reservoir or doable from your home!  Outdoor Holiday Activities    Lafayette Reservoir Ornament Tree Come see the beautiful Ornament Tree at the Lafayette Reservoir! 

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Roughing It News

Camp Recipe: Apple Crisp

Cooking outdoors over an open fire is a camper favorite during the summer. However many of our cooking techniques can also be done in home ovens and the recipes are great all year long. Our Dutch Oven Apple Crisp is one we especially love to share during at Thanksgiving. Fall

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Roughing It News

Gratitude Activities for Families

Gratitude is an such important life skill to practice with our children especially during challenging times.  This is something we do at camp with kids of all ages. While practicing and teaching gratitude can be done all year long, this season offers many opportunities to get creative in those efforts.

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Ready For Camp

Take a Hike to Explore Your World and Improve Your Focus

Spring has sprung and the weather has been getting warmer, it’s a great time to get unplugged and take advantage of all the parks and trails the Bay Area has to offer.   Did you know that hiking can also help your brain? The article “Doctors Tell Us How Hiking

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Roughing It News

Favorite Camp Activities Families Can Do At Home

Being cooped up in the house all day can make anyone stir crazy, so it’s really great and beneficial to spend some quality time with your family! Here are lots of fun things for your kids and family to do together at home or outdoors that are perfect for spending

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Roughing It News

Fruit Tart

This easy, no bake, fruit tart is a camp favorite and a simple recipe to make at home.  Gather up your campers and make some delicious tarts together, using whatever fruit toppings you like!   SUPPLIES: Small Dixie Plates Zip-lock Bags Large Bowl Mixing Spoon INGREDIENTS: 2 packs Graham Crackers 3

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Roughing It News

Gratitude Practices For Families

As we head into the busy holiday season, it’s a perfect time to pause and think about what we are truly grateful for this year, and to share with each other our thanks for the small and large blessings that are so abundant all around us. Thanksgiving is a perfect

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Roughing It News

Many New Adventures Await You in Summer 2020!

We are gearing up for summer 2020 and have added new adventures to keep your campers happy and healthy at camp!  Keep reading below for more details!  More Trail Rides!Explore new trails out on the “Back 40” and group trail rides for beginner through advanced riders. Learn to ride the trail

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Roughing It News

Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving upon us, now is the time of year when people start to reflect on everything they are thankful for.  Although this is the season to be grateful for what you have, gratitude is something that is great to practice all year long. Research studies show kids and adults

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The Value Of Summer Camp And How To Afford It.

If you’ve ever attended a summer at camp, you probably already know how great an experience it is. A summer of fun, learning in ways different than the classroom and making memories to last a lifetime are all ways that summer camp transforms a child over the summer. Benefits of

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Priority Registration is Open for Summer 2019!

News for Summer 2019 Priority Registration Savings NOW – Nov 15! New! Program and CampPlus Additions New! 2-Week Day Camp Sessions Hi Camp Families! We are excited to kick off our 47th summer of camp by offering more ways to have an amazing summer outdoors. As we continue to enhance our

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Roughing It News

Take Camp Skills To School

“… a few weeks spent in a well-organized summer camp may be of more value educationally than a whole year of formal school work” – Charles W. Eliot, 21st President of Harvard University, in his 1922 treatise on education A summer at camp provides a unique learning experience and opportunity

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Getting Children Unplugged and Outdoors this Summer

There are a variety of real, tangible benefits for a child’s well-being when they are outdoors, unplugged and connected to nature and to the real world all around them. Providing these opportunities for children was one of the paramount reasons we founded Roughing It Day Camp in 1972.

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Why We Love Camp – Hear from our Campers, Staff, and Parents

It’s always heart-warming to hear from campers, staff, and parents about how much they got out of their summer.  We love the stories of campers learning how to swim, riding a horse for the first time, catching fish, climbing that steep hill to their secret forts, finding the daily D’junos,

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Tips for Choosing the Right Summer Camp for Your Child

January is a good time to begin looking for the right camp for your child! Many programs are just opening their registration so parents still have time to do their research. We are happy to offer some suggestions and resources for parents based on our 46 years of experience in

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10 Things You Get at Camp that You Don’t Get at School

Significant Time Spent Outdoors – Apart from the fact that they are more likely to engage in healthy forms of play that will stimulate exercise, unstructured play time spent outdoors is beneficial for their creativity and development. Exercise and Physical Activity – Outside of school, camp provides precisely the kind of opportunities for kids

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Riding the Bus to Camp

Camp starts as soon as the campers step onto the bus- with lively camp songs, games and skits, campers are transported in a fun and safe environment.

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5 Important Questions to Ask Camp Directors

Summer is still a few months off but the warmer spring days are beginning to beckon us outdoors to enjoy and appreciate the amazing nature burgeoning around us! While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind right now, many of us are beginning to think about

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5 Great Reasons to Send Your Child to Summer Camp

Camp is a great way for your child to spend their summer!  There are countless benefits to sending your child to camp that will last them for the rest of their life.  Ann Woods, Director of Roughing It Day Camp, shares how camp can positively contribute to children’s development, based

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Roughing It Camp Tours – Spring Dates

Come see camp on January 15, January 27, Febuary 11 or Feb 19! Camp Tours are a perfect way to see camp, meet the Directors and ask any questions you may have about Roughing It. Check out our schedule of upcoming tour dates or schedule a personal tour at time that

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What is so Valuable About Summer Camp?

Summer Camp is a special place for campers and staff to grow, learn, and create lasting friendships during the summer! Here are some of the many reasons why camp is such a valuable expereicne for young individuals! 

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