The Beauty of Free Choice at Camp
One of the things that sets Falling Creek apart is the opportunity for free choice throughout the camp experience. Boys are able to be independent and choose how they want to spend their time at camp, from their daily activities to the trips they go on. At camp, boys of all ages can practice making their own choices each day, with no right or wrong answers.
Some campers choose to try unique activities they can’t do at home, while others fill their day with their favorite “main sport” from home so they can get a step ahead. Some campers pick activities based on the camp friends they want to spend time with, while others branch out to new things because they know camp is a safe place to try something for the first time. While it’s sometimes hard to decide what activities to prioritize during the session, the good thing is that there’s no wrong answer - with 4 weeks of non-stop activities and trips, we can pack a lot in!
“There you are!” I heard a group of boys exclaim to their friend. “Come sign up for climbing with us!” they said, before all rushing off to join the trip together. The beauty of the trip sign-up process is that when there’s a trip that sounds interesting, the boys can leave their daily activities behind and sign up for that out-of-camp adventure. Once they return, they’ll plug back into the activity schedule in camp.
Under the Dining Hall after breakfast, Graham was prepared for his morning trip to the sailing docks on Lake Summit. Graham went to 2-Week Camp last year, and said he decided to come to Main Camp this year because there was more time for going on trips. “I want to go on climbing trips,” he said specifically, but was already taking advantage of the many different sign-ups available. After his morning of sailing, he had already lined up a fly fishing session at the Green River in the afternoon!
Yesterday was only the first full day of Main Camp, but there were already opportunities to join adventure trips! We had backpackers going on a day hike to the “top of the world,” mountain bikers hosting a ride in Dupont, and rock climbers going on 2 trips to Gilbert’s Rock. There were also “preps” happening in all the adventure activities, which go over the basics of the activity and begin the trip process. Boys can choose to pursue any trips they like, working up to more challenging trips through their progressions. As the session continues, there will be even more opportunities for boys to participate in trips outside of camp, or choose new ways to challenge themselves.
The opportunity for free choice isn’t limited to the out-of-camp adventures though. Campers are able to select their schedule of 6 daily activities on Opening Day, and can change that schedule throughout the session if they find they want to try something different. After breakfast yesterday, Will was excited to be heading to the F.A.R.M., and I asked if he enjoyed being able to choose what he did each day - “That’s the best part about camp!” he replied. Urijah was planning his daily schedule and couldn’t wait to get started in activities. “I just got here and it’s already so fun!” he said. He planned his activities with a specific Ranger progression in mind. “I signed up for archery twice a day, because I want to get Ranger and I’m really close!”
After three activity periods in the morning and again in the afternoon, campers have another option to choose what they want to do for an hour of free time before lunch and dinner. These “free choice periods” are an opportunity for boys to enjoy less structured activities like free swim, playing in the Gym, playing games or catching up with friends under the Dining Hall, fishing, or reading.
With many boys having highly structured school schedules, sports practices, and extracurriculars at home, having the chance to choose what they want to do every day can be a rare gift. For the month they’re at camp, they get to decide what activities they want to participate in, based on their own interests and goals. This freedom of choice is important for building responsibility, time-management skills, and independence - but more importantly it’s far more fun and rewarding when you participate in activities that you enjoy!
Yesterday we had our first group of cabins going out on their Cabin Overnights in the many shelters around camp property. The other group of cabins played Team Building games, and will be going on their overnights this Saturday. (We’ll be telling you all about these overnights in an upcoming blog!) The weather was perfect last night for the overnight groups, and we’re looking forward to another beautiful day at camp today!
