Summer is almost here! Are you headed to camp this year? Download our free Packing List printable to prep for camp. Share this download with kids in your ministry so they can get excited about camp, too!
Fun Friday: Summer Camp Packing List
Online Mass Chaos! – A CentriKid Worship Experience
On May 14th, our Lifeway leaders and the CentriKid Team had to make the difficult decision to cancel camps for the summer of 2020. Our top priority is the safety and health of kids, adults, staffers, and members of the communities where we hold camp. But, because our passion is partnering alongside churches to share the love of Jesus to kids through camp ministry, we asked a question …
How can CentriKid still partner with churches and be a part of kids’ summer?
We come to YOU … virtually!
Introducing: Online Mass Chaos! – A CentriKid Worship Experience
At CentriKid, we believe life-change happens in the context of relationships. While you (Group Leader, Pastor, Volunteer, Parent, Bus Driver, etc.) and our awesome CentriKid staff cannot be a part of those relationships and ministry at a physical camp this summer, relationships and ministry is made for the home.
OMC – A CentriKid Worship Experience will happen LIVE on June 16th, 2020 at 6pm CST. You can join us on our page at www.centrikid.com/online2020. It will also be available for you to use at a later time this summer with your group.
What to expect? Worship and fun! Whether you are able to meet at your church or you are still at home, everyone can participate. Through the CentriKid Worship Experience and three additional study sessions, we will dig into Mark 4 when Jesus calms the storm. Like the disciples in their storm, kids may be scared or not completely understand what is going on with the storm of this pandemic. BUT the good news is that Jesus is in control of the storm!
Alongside the three kid sessions, we will provide a parent/leader guide to help guide conversation and lead additional activities. You can access these at the link above.
Join us as we teach kids that Jesus is With Us, Cares for Us, and Rescues Us! You bring the conversation and streaming device. We’ll bring fun and worship. Together, we can have a worship experience like we’ve never done before.
The CentriKid Team is praying for your church, your community, and your kids. We are walking through this season with you and faithfully trust in the Lord and His plan. We CAN’T WAIT to high-five you at CentriKid in 2021!
Help Your Kids Navigate Summer Camp Like a Pro
There are so many benefits for a child who attends overnight camp. They will enjoy new activities led by the camp staff, visit a fun new place, and break up the routine of normal life. The adventures at summer camp bring life-long memories and help children gain confidence and independence. We want kids to hit the ground running so they can thrive in the camp experience, so here are three skills that parents can build now to help their kids navigate summer camp like a pro.
Train kids to start-up their day. Kids at summer camp need to make good use of their time and know how to get going with their day. Mom doesn’t have to put the daily clothes in a plastic bag. Maybe she could guide the selections while packing for camp, but elementary kids can start their day at camp with picking out clothes, brushing teeth, and getting shoes on. They might need a wake-up call from the adults at camp, but practice during the school year with a start-up routine so kids can pick out clothes and get dressed for the day at camp.
Equip kids to eat responsibly at camp. The food at camp is almost always a punchline, but food issues are no laughing matter. For first time campers, going through the line and making selections at a self-service dining hall can be a challenge. For campers with special dietary allergies, they need to be self-aware about safe foods or problematic ones. For all campers, the temptation to eat a whole box of cheese snacks at bedtime will be real … but that’s never a good idea! Before camp, your kids need to practice making choices for fixing their plate and cleaning up their table area, too.
Give kids practice with handling money. Most parents send their kids to camp with some spending money, but for some kids it is the first time they have ever handle money that is theirs to make decisions about. Prepare kids for the restaurant stop on the way to camp, the camp store, and considering the missions offering. I’ve seen kids hand a fast food worker their $20 bill for lunch and walk off, and I’ve also heard about kids who spend all their money on the offering and camp store and have nothing left to buy lunch on the way home.
Parents can role-play scenarios related to each of these at home to set them up for success at summer camp and for normal life. When kids come to camp taking care of these things, the church leaders and camp staff can focus their time and energy on making the amazing camp adventures into life-long memories!
For more on getting kids ready for summer camp, check out these tips for helping kids who are hesitant to stay away from home, and tips for preparing parents to send kids to camp.
Camp 2020 – Registration is Open!
Registration is open for all Lifeway Camps for 2020! Many churches plan their calendars in advance, so look ahead and make sure you get your camp spots reserved now for next summer.
CentriKid Camps and Student Life For Kids dates are online and open for registration, and many of them will fill up quickly. The earlier you sign up, the more options are available to choose from.
For CentriKid Camps, visit centrikid.com
For Student Life For Kids, visit studentlifeforkids.com
No matter the camp you choose, reserve your spot today, deposit free! Deposits are not due until 2020. This way, you can register for camp and confirm your calendar dates, but wait for next year’s budget to take care of the deposits.
Contact us with any questions you have along the way. For more planning tips, if you’ve never been to camp, listen to this podcast Planning for Summer: Why Camp Is Important or read 3 Things You Could Be Missing if you Skip Summer Camp.
Jeremy Echols leads the camps area for Lifeway Kids. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy enjoys reading, watching sports, and all of his daughter’s after-school activities.
Tips for Kids Hesitant to Stay Overnight at Camp
Camp is one of THE BEST WEEKS of the summer, but some kids have never been away from home. We hear from kids ministry leaders who ask about helping young campers get ready for their first time away at overnight camp.
One leader wrote to me and asked:
“I am having kind of a difficult time recruiting because this is the first time a group has gone, our ministry is relatively small right now, and we have a lot of younger children that are hesitant to leave home for a week. If you have any tips, I would greatly appreciate it!”
As a leader recruiting kids (and parents) for the first time, you need to provide as many answers to questions as possible. Anticipate questions and concerns that parents or kids may ask and hold a meeting to talk through it all. An “interest meeting” or “Q&A session” can be a way to discuss camp without parents feeling the pressure of having to sign up or commit to going just by coming to the meeting.
Consider getting parents to go with kids who are nervous about the first time away. I know for some groups that could be problematic to have too many parents, but for other groups that is a key to helping kids feel less nervous and a way to get the needed adult sponsors or chaperones that you need.
With young campers who just haven’t been away from mom and dad before, a test-run might help prepare the families for overnight camp. Encourage parents to find a safe/trusted place for kids to have an overnight (away from home) experience. It might be a couple of nights with grandparents, or possibly some families may want to group up and have a sleepover with some of the girls from the group and another with some of the boys … this could be the type of thing that helps kids have a good time, enjoy their friends, and realize they will survive a night away from home.
More than anything … don’t force it. Take whoever is willing to attend this year and then those who go will come back and help sell it to the other kids for next year. Better to have a smaller group Year 1 than to have a bunch of kids you coerced into going, and they end up having a shaky start to their camp experience.
For more about talking with parents about sending their kids to camp, read “Camp Creates Courageous Parents”
Jeremy Echols leads the camps area for Lifeway Kids. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy enjoys reading, watching sports, and all of his daughter’s after-school activities.