Last Blog Post of the Year

It just doesn't seem right to write a last blog when there have been so few.  But this is a week of resolutions, so this is a resolution to change.

Resolutions come in 3 forms: thoughts, written, and shared.  As one progresses through the three, the likelihood of commitment increases.

So, here it is, written and shared, a resolution to blog more in the coming year.  There is so much that happens every single day at Meadowbrook, as part of the Meadowbrook family, you should know about it:  staffing, training, facility improvements, program development, and on and on and on.

We resolve to keep you posted.  Please do the same.  And Best Wishes to everyone in our Meadowbrook Family for a Healthy and Happy 2013! 

All our Best - Roz, Jed, Rich, Marty & Everyone at Meadowbrook Country Day Camp! 

Working at Camp

Next Sunday, I will have the privilege of presenting at the NY/NJ American Camp Association's (ACA)  Teen LEADership Conference in New York City.   As I was researching information for my presentation, I came across this article at Suite101.  It was published last May, but it is as applicable today as it was last year and it will be for years to come!

Top 10 Summer Jobs for Teens

No less than 4 of these Top 10 Jobs are taking place at Meadowbrook each and every day of the Summer:

- Camp Counselor
- Sports Camp Counselor
- Lifeguarding
- Child Care

Most importantly, Teens (and other Young Adults) who work at Meadowbrook gain the valuable life skills that Susan Carney points out in her article:

Communication Skills
Problem Solving Skills
Ability to Work as Part of a Team

And that is just the start!

Do not underestimate the benefits of working at Camp...just ask anyone who has done it!!

See you at Camp!

Summer Camp is More Than Fun!!

We tell parents all the time that Meadowbrook is amazing fun....but it is really much more than that!

This article from New Jersey Family Magazine points out some of the important benefits of attending an ACA Accredited Summer Camp like Meadowbrook!

• Children who participate in summer programs...are less likely to have a significant summer learning slide and lose the academic gains they made the previous year in school.
• Camp also enhances a child’s physical and emotional well-being. Activities build social skills, teamwork, and independence, which contribute to stronger self-confidence and leadership abilities.
• Kids who go to camp with friends they already know feel comfortable from the get-go and can launch into activities right away. For other kids, the joy of making new friends and developing social relationships might be more rewarding than the activities.
• Nearly 75% of campers try new activities they were initially afraid to do.

Check it out and let us know what you think:  Summer Camp is More Than Fun!

Summer will be here before you know it...if you haven't registered your Children for Camp this Summer, now is the time!

See you at Camp!!

In 2005,  Richard Louv wrote what we consider a hallmark book called "Last Child in the Woods."  Since that time, we unfortunately have fewer children in the woods then we did just 7 short years ago. 


We strongly believe that camp is the anecdote to many of todays issues, and Nature-Deficit Disorder is certainly one of them.  As Louv write in his book:  "Kids who do play outside are less likely to get sick, to be stressed or become aggressive, and are more adaptable to life’s unpredictable turns.."  What better reason could there be to make the commitment to send your children to Camp this Summer?!


Here is the article from yesterday's New York Times discussing the perils of Nature Deficit Disorder.   


NYT Nature-Deficit Disorder


Enjoy the article, and feel free to share it and comment...Only 87 days 'til Camp!