Choosing His Own Adventure
Choosing His Own Adventure
When I was a boy, I was enraptured by a book series called “Choose Your Own Adventure”. I was fascinated with the concept of this book series allowing me to make choices that completely changed the course of the story I was experiencing. While many books allowed me to learn about fascinating people and places, it was a rare find to read a book where I truly got to chart my own course.
Likewise, at Falling Creek, every boy has the opportunity to customize his camp experience in a surprising number of ways. From each camper’s ability to build every day from scratch to the chance to go on incredible adventures throughout the Southeast, Falling Creek’s multi-week sessions provide campers an unlimited combination of fun and growth.
So many options… good thing he can do them all!
Falling Creek campers select their “regular” activity schedule on Opening Day, each choosing six activities to fill out his unique schedule. A camper could choose to take some activities with a friend, a brother or even a cabin mate he just met for the first time – regardless of how he builds his schedule, though, it’s his choice what he wants to do and when he wants to do it.
Every weekday throughout the session, campers are able to change their daily schedules. Many choose to stay in their current schedule, but campers can change any (or even all!) of his activities if he wants to. It’s possible for a camper to do every one of our 22 daily activities over the course of his session if he wants to.
In school, boys have to follow a schedule decided for them, but here they are free to choose to do what they love. I love the way they can try something and if they don’t like it they can change and try another activity. They might love an activity but want to try something out instead, so they can freely change what they do every day.
Santiago Garcia de Villa, Tsuga Line Head, Puebla, Mexico
What if he wants to mix things up?
Great! Falling Creek also has five in-camp special sign-up activities: Blacksmithing, Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Sailing and Woodworking.
When a camper decides he wants to take one of these activities, he signs up to miss his regular activities and spend a whole morning or afternoon in these special areas. It’s not uncommon for a camper to try out several of our special sign-up activities during a session, potentially bringing home an iron arrowhead, a handcrafted woodworking project and a new lexicon of words like tack, heading and tippet.
It’s great to have the choice to do what you want. Sometimes I like to try something completely different to what I normally do, and I’ve had a lot of fun doing that.
-first-year camper Edwin T., Nashville, TN
We hear a lot about “love and adventure” – where does the adventure come in?!
Glad you asked! We think there’s adventure to be found in every one of our activities. We do have a few activities, however, that have adventure right in their name. Our Backpacking, Mountain Biking, Paddling, and Rock Climbing activities train campers on the basics at camp, and then take them out of camp to awesome expedition locations throughout western North Carolina and beyond.
During our multi-week sessions, it’s common to have campers hike to beautiful Max Patch, mountain bike the rugged trails of the Tsali Recreation Area, climb the stunning Main Wall of Cedar Rock, and canoe and kayak through the rapids of the Tuckasegee River.
This kind of Roller Coaster doesn’t have loops
During Free Choice periods, campers can ride the Roller Coaster (not quite as extreme as a theme park coaster, but just as fun!), fly through the air off of our Blob or play pickup soccer in our indoor turf field (known semi-officially as the Thunder Dungeon and less officially as the Kaboom Cavern).
There are dozens more things campers choose from, and none of it needs a sign-up. He can play cards with his friends and then halfway through the period run over to the gym to join an impromptu game of Knockout. Free Choice periods happen twice a day, and they’re the epitome of boyhood freedom.
Every free period, I’ve been going to the Gym. It’s such a nice place to play!
– camper Lee G., Myrtle Beach, SC
Building skills, making memories, forging lasting friendships
Whether it’s in our anything-but-regular “regular activities,” signing up for an incredible adventure, or just relaxing at the beach during Free Choice, a camp experience at Falling Creek is designed to form strong and lasting friendships.
I remember taking almost all of my activities with my friends. Having that choice of activities and being able to take activities with your friends helps form social bonds. My current co-counselor Charlie Friedrich and I took almost every activity together. We became good friends because we spent so much time in those activities that we chose.
– counselor and former camper Gabe Cullens, Atlanta, GA