100 Years of Experience: Letter Writing
The next blog in our “100 Years of Experience” series is all about Letter Writing. In the age of instant digital communication, which most of us have utilized to the maximum this past year, letter writing may seem like an archaic form of communication. But seeing as letter writing is the main form of communication between campers and their families/friends during the summer, we are here to help remind you how to use this classic camp communication.
Before You Get To Camp
Writing a letter may be an all-around unknown for many campers, especially for those coming to camp for the first time this summer. A good first step to take before sending your camper to camp is to go over letter-writing expectations with them. Some expectations we recommend going over include how often your camper should write a letter, what information your camper should include in their letters, and how to address an envelope, but you may want to send some pre-addressed envelopes as well.
There are also materials you can send with your camper to help set them up for letter writing success. Pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes are a good way to ensure your camper’s letters will be sent to the correct locations. There are also plenty of great fill-in-the-blank style letters that you can send with your camper. They’re easy, fun, and great prompts for communication over the summer. You can get these types of letters at many locations, including Ross in Highland Park.
How Letter Sending Works at Camp Chi
You can expect your camper to send two letters per week, at minimum. Once a week campers send a postcard we provide and also write a letter to enter our Letter Lotto once a week (where a winner from each village is selected each week to win a special prize!) We encourage campers to write home more often than this minimum, and you can set the expectation of how often your camper should be writing home before coming to camp.
Campers’ letters may contain a variety of information such as what activities they’re doing, what meals they’ve enjoyed, and who their new friends and counselors are. It is not uncommon for parents to see phrases such as “I miss you” and “I wish I could see you” in letters from their campers. Don’t worry, it is totally normal for campers to feel this way! Writing home can bring up feelings of homesickness for some campers. If you think this may be the case for your camper, talk to them before camp about how it is okay to feel this way. It is important to note that this feeling almost always subsides quickly, and campers are happy the rest of the day. If you ever have concerns over the summer, you can call your camper’s Village Leader and discuss it with them.
How Letter Receiving Works at Camp Chi
There are two main forms of letter receiving for campers at Camp Chi. The first is a good ol’ fashioned handwritten letter sent through the postal service. Campers absolutely love being able to open an envelope and see the handwriting from a loved-one back home. Receiving a letter from family and friends can make a camper’s entire day, and we love seeing the looks on their faces when they open and receive their letters! Remember, letters generally take at least 3-4 days to go through the postal service.
The other way you can write to your camper is by sending an email through your CampInTouch account. Emails are printed out in black-and-white and given to campers and are a faster alternative to writing a traditional letter. Emails and letters are both delivered to campers at lunchtime every day.
Hopefully you’ve found this installment of our “100 Years of Experience” helpful. We still have more blogs to write and knowledge to share, so be sure to stay tuned!