Our Summer Camp Program
We believe the full summer experience allows for the most learning & growth, with time for relationships to develop and for children to test out newly learned skills. Robindel is primarily a full-summer sleepaway camp program. For those unable to commit to a full-summer experience, we offer a limited number of spaces in our CR Half Experience.
Our highly organized and structured program is designed to give campers a well-rounded camping experience with exposure to many activities. As girls get older they have greater choice in their daily schedule.
Camp Groups
Camp is divided into three divisions: Juniors (entering 1st through 5th grade), Inters (entering 6th & 7th grade), and Seniors (entering 8th through 10th grade). Each division has a Unit Leader who acts as a liaison between campers, staff and parents. Unit Leaders truly get to know each of their campers, spending time with them both in the cabin and at activities. Our low staff to camper ratio allows us to understand and tend to the individual needs of each girl.
The Robindel Experience
The unique setup of our camp property allows girls to travel between activities on their own, without ever being out of eyesight of a counselor. When the bugle rings to start and end activities, campers grab what they need for their next activity and head out the door. Girls walk to activities while chatting with friends, often stopping to give a hug to friend in another cabin. Very quickly, our campers learn the rhythm of the days at Robindel and are able to make their way between activities with an awareness of time and a responsibility to stay on schedule.
Junior campers travel as a bunk for five activities per day, and have one elective period each day. Intermediate campers travel as a bunk for four activities per day, and have two daily electives. Senior campers receive individually made schedules each week based on their personal preferences.
The Tag Board: A Great Place for Choice
Our tried and true Tag Board is simple, organized and bursting with options. Each junior and intermediate camper has her name on the board, organized alphabetically within bunk groups. Names stay in the same place all summer long, so it’s easy to find.
During meal times, campers are called up to the Tag Board to sign up for electives. Girls look at the activity choices available, clearly noted by the tag names, and place the tag of their choice onto the hook by their name.
Third period electives are selected at breakfast and sixth period electives are selected at lunch. Activity choices are constantly changing, and the order in which campers are called up to the Tag Board also rotates.
Camp Sisters
All Junior campers (as well as new campers of any age) are assigned two older camp sisters. This special relationship is established in the spring and is often based on geographic location. Older camp sisters are encouraged to meet their younger sisters in person before the summer. Younger sisters enjoy learning more about camp from their older camp sisters, and they often travel to camp together.
While the age difference between an older and younger camp sister seems significant during the camp years, many camp sisters end up being “sisters” far beyond their summer camp days. Camp sisters becoming lifelong friends is the Robindel norm.
Birthdays at Robindel
Camp birthdays are a camp-wide celebration. The festivities start well before the birthday girl wakes up as her bunk mates prepare her special Robindel birthday shirt and her name is displayed outside of The Lodge so that everybody in camp knows who is celebrating a birthday. The birthday girl wakes up to a “Happy Birthday” message over the loudspeaker! Three meals a day means three opportunities to have the entire camp break out into “Kings and Queens and Bishops too” as they cheer and clap. We host a fun birthday party in The Lodge for each camper’s birthday - here she can open her “birthday package” from home, play some games, and enjoy a birthday cake with friends!