Here’s the latest Greenwood Trails scoop!

Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford, passionately studies human motivation. In 2007, she wrote a book entitled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. We will be intentionally focusing on growth mindset during our 2015 season because we believe that our campers and staff members are all awesome and ready to unleash their talents at Greenwood Trails this summer and beyond. (read more…)

So, we’ve heard from our campers- what do our parents have to say about GWT? “It’s a top shelf run camp.” “We were very happy for our first summer. Coming back next year, longer” “GREAT experience! Thanks!” “Daniel loved everything about his summer” My child’s favorite thing at camp was… “Her feeling of independence and (read more…)

It’s true. I want to shout it from the mountaintops, “I LOVE GREENWOOD TRAILS!” Did you hear that? Hopefully you can feel it when you step foot on to camp- I certainly do: Our staff and our kids love GWT. Why do we love it so much? Well, I thought I’d let our surveys speak for (read more…)

Wish your friends a Happy Valentines Day by making them this heart bracelet!  Send us pictures #advancedfriendshipbracelets

While we’d much rather it be sunny and warm, we can still find a silver lining to a few days in the cold, stuck with the ones you love! This article comes to you from www.livescience.com Frozen bubbles Kids love bubbles. And while summer is typically the time to crack open a bottle of bubbles, (read more…)

Greenwood Trails is hiring all kinds of awesome and capable people! Thinking about being part of our team? Check out this super great video from our favorite Aussie, Caitlin (dance & video instructor and lifeguard extraordinaire), for the top ten things our staff go home with after camp 🙂 Apply here!

What does a day look like for our campers? With so many activities to choose from, our campers are kept busy! To read more about our program, visit Greenwood Trails’ program page. But, to actually visualize the day, see it right here for yourself:

Here is an awesome article written by ACA’s Peg Smith and Andy Pritikin! http://www.acacamps.org/blog/parents-place/summer-camp-social-supplement-modern-society What an amazing world we live in, with more information and connections at our fingertips than we could ever imagine. This brave new world has come with a price, though, as we’ve gradually replaced human interaction with technological interaction. We have (read more…)

Every year, Greenwood Trails strives to make the camp facility a little more beautiful.  This year, we’re excited to announce an upper field makeover!  That’s right, no more divots in the infield- we’re on the up and up!  We can’t wait for our kids to try out our new and improved baseball field! Other big improvements include: A (read more…)

Here’s a great idea for 2015- Buzzfeed calls them “Rememberlutions” and Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of Eat, Pray, Love) calls them “Happiness Jars”. Thinking positively on a regular basis keeps us healthy and happier.  Whatever you’d like to call them, this is a great project for you and your kids as you wait to send (read more…)

Even though you’re not at camp, you can still make awesome bracelets for all of your friends! With Thanksgiving looming, let’s do a holiday bracelet!  Who is up for a turkey dinner challenge? Pattern from www.allfreejewelrymaking.com BEFORE YOU BEGIN your friendship bracelet pattern, know how to make the Right Hand Double Knot. You will also (read more…)

Hey everyone- Kate here! November isn’t just about not shaving (although it’s a great cause). It’s also a month where we are encouraged to think of the things that we’re thankful for. I’m pretty thankful for life in general – it’s a great life. But, when I think about it, my life revolves around camp! (read more…)

On Monday, July 21st it was “Backwards Day”. Backwards Day was a day where everything was reversed! On our normal days the schedule looks something like: Wake up Breakfast Rooster Squads and Kapers Major 1 Major 2 Delaware Time/ Cabin Activity Lunch Siesta Delaware Minor/ Cabin Activity Snack Shack Minor 1 Minor 2 Dinner Evening (read more…)

We were all crying, but don’t worry, it was a good type of cry. We were all sitting in a circle talking about our day and each other. In our cabin we all are really close. We have had like experience and sharing them helps us to understand each other better. This is one of (read more…)

From a counselors perspective, the first few days of a session are both unbearably hard but also the most rewarding. One might ask “how is it so hard?” My answer to that is that it just is. It is really hard to say goodbye to campers that you have gotten the chance to know over (read more…)

Hi Everyone! Even though it’s cold and dreary outside, we are still gearing up for the most amazing summer yet! And this summer, we’ll be celebrating our 5 year anniversary! It’s crazy to think that I’ve known so many amazing people for 5 years already. I am pleased to announce that I will be traveling (read more…)

GWT is celebrating its 5 year anniversary this summer and we couldn’t be happier with the staff who are returning to make this the most memorable summer yet!  Unfortunately, not everyone can come back and because of that, we have SOME positions available! If you or someone you know is interested in working for Greenwood (read more…)

Greenwood Trails wishes you a very happy new year! Can’t wait for summer 2014!

As Halloween approaches, please keep in mind that some children suffer from food allergies that could be lethal, if the wrong food is consumed. Here is a link to a list of candy that can satisfy the nut free sweet tooth: http://www.allergysf.com/safety/candy/nuts/ Did you know that Greenwood Trails is nut free? We take campers’ health (read more…)

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2013/06/06/sleepaway-camp-a-remedy-for-overparenting By Rachel Pomerance June 6, 2013 RSS Feed Print Sleepaway Camp: A Remedy for Overparenting? “What was the sweetest moment of your childhood?” is a question psychologist Michael Thompson regularly asks adults. Eighty percent of the time, he says, they’ll recall a memory in which their parents weren’t present. Why? Because the thrill of (read more…)

http://blog.campeasy.com/ Beneath Amy Chua’s personal struggle in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother lies a deeper ambivalence about learning: What on earth should we do with our children outside of school, during unstructured free time? Chua is at times conflicted but wryly proud of her intense, authoritarian solution, a luxury reserved for high-achieving, high-functioning parents. (read more…)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/22/top-10-skills-children-learn-from-the-arts/ By Lisa Phillips 1. Creativity – Being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives and think ‘outside of the box’ will distinguish your child from others. In an arts program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in 6 different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, (read more…)

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-moment-youth/201301/acts-kindness-key-happiness-children-teens Most parents and teachers want children to be happy. To that end, parents find themselves doing things for kids to make them happy, like buying gifts, taking them for ice cream, playing games together, or helping with homework. Teachers are constantly doing for children too. In addition to understanding the link between knowledge and (read more…)

What summer camp can teach us. by Steve Baskin http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smores-and-more/201112/creating-advantage-in-college Creating Advantage in College Summer camp gives children meaningful advantages in college. Published on December 2, 2011 by Steve Baskin in S’mores and More When I started my career as a camp director in 1993, my mother (the “Silver Fox”) shared the following thought with (read more…)

Greenwood Trails loves it when kids do things for other kids out of the kindness of their hearts. Research now proves that kids who are kind can make them more popular! Read about it here: NPR blog: Random Acts of Kindness Can Make a Kid More Popular After the terrible Newtown tragedy, NBC’s Ann Curry (read more…)

It’s officially hiring season here at GWT!  If you have an interest in working at our amazing camp, we’d love to talk to you!  Please apply at: https://greenwood.campintouch.com/ui/forms/application/staff/App Here’s an article from ACA Camps on why you should work at camp! http://www.acacamps.org/jobs/why-work-at-camp Does this describe you or someone you know? You love the outdoors. You (read more…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIeHffP-aa0

Give the gift that keeps on giving! A fun summer in the foothills of the Berkshires! Greenwood Trails

Looking for something to do this weekend in our beautiful state? www.ctvisit.com has some great ideas! Thanksgiving Comes Early to Connecticut History, a bounty of food and huge parades…it must be Thanksgiving! This weekend, Connecticut offers an array of fun and educational activities to enjoy before your holiday feast next Thursday. Head to Stamford on (read more…)

Our hearts go out to all of those devastated by the affects of Hurricane Sandy. Many of our families were in its path and we hope that they are all safe.

Summer 2013 is just around the corner (and a few seasons away)!  BUT, the GWT team is making plans now to make sure that summer is just as awesome, if not more awesome for our campers, than last summer! Our early bird rates are only good until Monday, October 1!  Eek!  That’s right around the (read more…)

But it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun in Connecticut! Here’s what’s happening around the state this week to usher in Autumn 2012, according to visitCT.com! September 28-30, 2012 Relax and Enjoy the Scenery With the last weekend of September upon us, the cool fall weather has made its way into Connecticut. Warm days (read more…)

The campers and staff have said their teary goodbyes… it must be time to start school! 2012 was amazing- there’s no doubt about it…. but I am really excited for 2013 because it’s going to be amazing-er! Please log on to myGWT to enroll for next summer! Take advantage of those early bird rates!

The counselors had a treat last night- they ate some Mango Pie… or was it as good as they thought?? The mangoes were bad, the counselors went crazy and the only way that counselors were cured was if the campers chased them around camp and got them in to the magic swimming pool. Staff reacted (read more…)

We are excited to welcome our newest campers to Greenwood Trails! Rookie camp is a great time where new campers get to experience a week at the greatest camp around!

B session 2012   Color War, Miss Greenwood Trails, Camplified, Campouts and fun fun fun! Feast your eyes and relive B session with us!        

Our campfire circle is nestled in the woods, a perfect place to have an awesome campfire on Friday nights. Every first Friday of the session, our campers sit around the fire, and our CITs lead songs and skits. This Friday was no exception! The cabins had amazing skits based on Disney movies and we all (read more…)

Well, the boys had their camp out and the girls had their night of pampering last night… while the older boys slept under the stars, the older girls pranked the boys by taking their tables from the dining hall. Guess who had to eat outside in the pavilion this morning? Don’t worry- order was restored (read more…)

How do you spend your Wednesday night?  In a lake, washing paint, dirt, and flour off your body?  That’s how we do it here!  Photos will be posted soon on myGWT of Goldrush! Speaking of photos on myGWT, have you seen pictures of your campers in strange poses?  Well, have no fear- the kids were (read more…)

Today, our campers get to choose their majors for the rest of this week! All of our campers have had some awesome choices already, however with minors such as: roonzball, Hunger Games, Professional Enthusiasm, Ghost Stories, and Aqua shine! The campers have played a lot of team building games as cabin activities and last night, (read more…)

Press play and be dazzled! Aren’t our campers amazing?  

A little rain can’t get the camp down! We’ve had some awesome activities for the rain, including our mud challenge and creek stomping! Last night, camp had Camplified visit! 3 bands rocked out in our Delaware building singing original works and covers. Afterwards, all of the campers were able to talk to the artists and (read more…)

Here’s our fearless leader, Owen, dressed to the nines for the third annual Ms. Greenwood Trails Pageant. Unfortunately, Owen didn’t win but he sure tried his hardest!

Last night was an awesome counselor hunt! Campers ran across camp, searching for counselors who were hiding everywhere! Here’s a picture of our master of Adventure, Mike, as he was found hiding in the rafters of the snack shack! Today is very hot at GWT but we were able to cool down with a quick (read more…)

B session has started off without a hitch! All campers are tasting our activities over the next two days so that majors can be chosen on Wednesday! Tonight, after we ate a delicious meal of ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and corn, we played an all camp version of pictionary! Tomorrow is going to be HOT (read more…)

Today is Sunday Funday! We slept in and ate delicious pastries for breakfast and now our cabins are hard at work on their Halloween costumes! Today’s schedule includes trick or treating, counselor relays, a pool party and a movie night. We love relaxing schedules and man do we need it- we had a great social (read more…)

Tonight at Greenwood Trails, the CITs will be hosting their first social of the season with the theme Mardis Gras! Our counselors-in-training are in charge of decorations, snacks and music at our all-camp event and we’re excited to see what they have in store for us! There was a flashmob at lunch today (lunch was (read more…)

GWT wishes you all a very happy independence day!

It’s the third summer for Greenwood Trails! Over 100 kids are taking part in an awesome summer program this session and they couldn’t be happier! So far, they’ve participated in all of our activities, a reverse scavenger hunt, and Number Games. Tomorrow, majors begin! Check out our mygwt page for hundreds of pictures!

Today is the first day of summer 2012!! Campers will be all sorts of emotions today and our Greenwood Trails staff have been trained to handle all of them. Here’s an article about handling camp homesickness: By: Jess Michaels, American Camp Association NY & NJ School is out and your child is off to camp (read more…)

How to Set Aside Summer Learning Loss by Darrell Hammond, Huffington Post Our kids are falling behind in their reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic and the solution, of course, is more school. Whether that takes the form of summer school or year-round school, we have come to believe that more indoor desk time is what our (read more…)

Still haven’t found the right camp for your child? That’s okay! Below is an article with some tips for parents who are having a tough time choosing. Please know that Rookie Camp is a great way to get your child’s feet wet in the camp world! Our rookie camp is from August 19-24 and it’s (read more…)

Last year, our program director, Emily was proposed to on GWT’s very own stage by her boyfriend, Joe, who secretly came to camp and put on a sneaky disguise to trick her in to thinking that he was Owen. Today, Emily and Joe get married and, although we’ll miss her greatly this summer, we’re very (read more…)

Camp is quickly approaching and our assistant director and boys’ head counselor, Kate and Chris Tucci just moved in to their Greenwood Trails cabin this past weekend!  Their son, Hyatt who is now 4, is having a blast but wonders on a daily basis where all the campers are!   Hyatt can’t wait for them and (read more…)

Summer Camp Safety: Essential Questions Parents Should Ask by: Mary L. Pulido, PhD Kids love summer camp: Day camp, overnight camp, camps for swimming, sailing, hiking, biking, tennis, theatre, outdoor cooking, bird watching and more. Summer camp brings a boost of independence for children. As a child protection expert, it also brings to mind thoughts (read more…)

Mosquitoes and summer go hand in hand at Greenwood Trails (and any other camp on the East coast). Deet is an efficient way of preventing insect bites but some people prefer to repel them naturally. Here’s a great recipe to make your own natural bug spray! Pour 1/2 cup of witch hazel into an 8 (read more…)

We had a splendid time celebrating 50 days until Greenwood Trails and now, it’s time to start mentally preparing your camper for their time at camp. Chris Thurber wrote this great article for first time camper parents. Preventable Suffering Turner, the Junior Division Head, had been sitting with eleven-year-old Robin at the foot of the (read more…)

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, as we celebrate the coolest summer camp around: Session A 2011 Session B 2011 Session C 2011

Lil Riccy has been busy pinning his favorite things to his new Pinterest boards! His boards are filled with everything summer camp from things to pack, arts and crafts ideas, gnome pictures, camp food, tents, and everything in between! Follow Little Riccy on Pinterest! http://pinterest.com/greenwoodtrails/#

Let’s face it- Greenwood Trails is an awesome place to be!  2012 is going to be an amazing summer and we’re really excited to announce our newest activity to camp- Go Karts! Yes, Lil Riccy has tested the Go Karts and he has given his gnome approval to the activity!  So, get your courage on (read more…)

Greenwood Trails is different than other camps- the facility is huge and beautiful, the sense of community is amazing, our counselors are top notch, our activities are awesome… but one thing that is really different about our camp is our Pay It Forward program! At Greenwood Trails, we encourage our campers to get out in (read more…)

There are lots of things to remember when packing for camp. Greenwood Trails campers pack flashlights, green and white clothing, a walking stick, a rain coat, toiletries and so many other things. But, one thing that we ask that you don’t bring to Greenwood Trails is a phone! There are many benefits for leaving technology (read more…)

Greenwood Trails is excited to announce a new addition to our lake this summer: a rope swing! At camp, we’re always looking for new ways for kids to have fun and we’re so excited that this is one way we’ll be doing it this summer!

Mark your calendars! May 11 is right around the corner! And you know what that means?! Yes- you guessed it! 50 days til camp!! Here are some great ideas to celebrating the best holiday ever: Dress as a gnome Show extra respect, integrity, care, and courage Make scones for breakfast Sing the O Lay Lay (read more…)

A camp professional from the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey, posted a great article about why summer camp fosters such meaningful friendships.  Here is an excerpt: Summer camp has always been a place where strong friendships have been made and sustained for years to come. In fact, The American Camp Association (read more…)

http://www.campparents.org/newsletter/0905/article1   Because of Camp. . .® The possibilities are endless By Marcia Ellett For almost 150 years the camp community has had a secret. Not a well-kept secret, mind you, because you can see it in your neighborhoods, in your office buildings, on your favorite TV shows — you can see it at sporting (read more…)

Ninety days left until camp! That’s only 3 short months before the dining hall is filled with laughter and scones and the cup game. Lil Riccy and the gang can’t be more excited to have everyone back for another fun filled summer! In the meantime, there are still some awesomely fun things to do with (read more…)

Watch our winning video here:     There was lots of fierce competition and we’re excited to have such cool, creative kids at camp!

Greenwood Trails wishes you and your families a very happy holiday season!

The summer camp season is almost upon us.  We are welcoming staff into clean cabins for intense training to prepare for the campers arrival. The guitars are being tuned for our new music program. We have plenty to share, but feel free to bring along your own.  The newest building is nearly complete.  If you (read more…)