How Junior Camp Works - New Camper Blog Series

Age of Girls

Girls at our Junior session are younger than the campers attending some of our other sessions, with Junior Camp only having girls who have finished 1st – 4th grades. Because of this, and because so many of our Junior campers are new, we spend a lot of time making sure that all of the girls know what is going on, where to go, what is next…and we remind them often! You can picture it a lot like the start of school in some ways: we go over what to do, and then practice what we tell them after every meal, every program, and every class. Because of the repetition, our Junior campers pick up on the routine quickly and feel like “old camp pros” in no time.

How the Day is Structured

Our Junior schedule is very similar to the schedule for our other sessions, but we do make a few changes to suit the younger age of these campers. You can see our Junior schedule on our Explore page. Campers take fewer classes in a day, but girls enjoy a longer stretch of time in these classes compared to our other sessions. Junior campers also go to bed slightly earlier than our other sessions (much needed with these beginning campers after a busy day!).

How girls schedule

Junior campers don’t schedule! Due to the shortened timeframe, Junior campers sample a wide range of our best camp classes. Campers will attend classes with their cabin group and try everything offered at least one time (with favorites like Waterpark experienced more than once). This set-up has been ideal for Junior campers – there is less homesickness (you’re going to classes with your cabin group, uppers and lowers together!), more excitement (you get to try so many different classes!), and less confusion (no getting lost when you’re going with a pack of people!). You can see some of the wonderful classes offered during Junior Camp on our Scheduling page.

How Classes are Structured

Because our Junior campers visit most classes only one-time, that one-time visit is a true delight. Our staff become experts in teaching the very best class possible and make sure the girls jump right into doing the activity (after reviewing a few safety guidelines, of course). Girls attend 5 classes a day and each class lasts for about 55 minutes.

How Girls Eat in the Dining Hall

Campers will be assigned a table in the Dining Hall and will sit at that same table for the entire session. Each table has 1-2 counselors and 6-7 total campers. All campers will have at least one camper from their cabin at their table making sure they have a buddy right from the start. We eat family-style at camp, and you can read more about how that works on our Food page.

After Dinner Activities

At Junior Camp, girls experience our very best Evening Programs! Campers will have a mix of activities where they will watch and cheer on their counselors and friends (like talent shows and Banquet) combined with activities where they will be active participants in the program (such as Lip Syncs and Carnival). We will talk more in another blog about packing for our traditions (coming in April!), but just know that girls love having a mix of fun costumes available for these events. You don’t need to bring many, but throw in an old Halloween costume, dance recital outfit, or some other fun dress-up attire that you have.

How Girls are Placed in Cabins

Campers will be placed into cabins by grade so they can enjoy time at camp with girls that are their same age. Just like our other sessions, we do our very best to place campers with girls who have also requested them. We want everyone to be thrilled with their cabin placement! Make sure to fill out our Cabin Request form (available now!) so we know who you’d like to be in a cabin with this summer; if you want to be with your Penpal, make sure to request her! Also, be ready to meet new people. We have so many new campers at Junior! Everyone wants to make new friends in their cabin group. You can read even more details about cabin placement on our Cabin Requests page.

Church at Junior Camp

Sunday is our second day of the Junior session. We want our campers to dive into classes quickly so the girls acclimate to camp life. However, we also want to celebrate the Lord’s day with a Sunday church service. At Junior, girls will enjoy a shortened Church service after breakfast before they start their morning classes. Girls do not need a dress or skirt; they will wear their normal camp clothes as they will run off to their first day of activities.

What it Feels like at Junior Camp

Junior Camp is a true delight! With the younger age of the girls and with many being new, these girls just exude excitement and enthusiasm about absolutely everything. It makes camp fun! The girls are excited for the next thing and can’t wait to try their class options. The staff are energetic and thrilled to be at camp! This makes for a wonderful camp experience. The structure is similar to our longer sessions as well, making Junior Camp a great entry into Greystone. The only difference in the feel at Junior compared to our longer sessions is that we are intentionally tailoring the session to suit these younger, newer campers. These girls love it!

Anything Else to Know

As we near the summer, we will email you often! These emails will have updates, reminders, and quite a few “don’t forgets!” as we near the summer. One big thing: check the weather in the week leading up to Junior Camp. In late May and early June in the mountains, it will be chilly in the mornings. Girls sleep in cabins with screen windows, so be ready to throw in another jacket or blanket if it is looking like the temperatures are on the chilly side.

What other questions do you have about Junior Camp? Reach out and let us know! We can’t wait to welcome so many of you to Junior this year.

August families, get ready for next week where we will delve into these same questions for our two-week session…stay tuned! See you then!