Be You: You’re One of a Kind!

BE YOU Week 1: You’re One of a Kind!

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever thought about how amazing it is that there is no one else who is exactly like you? You are unique, original, and one of a kind!

This week for our BE YOU theme, we’re focusing on what you like best about yourself. It may sound strange to think and talk about what you like about yourself. It may sound like bragging or being overconfident. But it’s really important that instead of always telling ourselves and thinking about our faults and what we don’t like about ourselves that we take time to think about what we do like.

Watch the challenge online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8tPrYhEoHQ

This week’s #GACbeyou challenge

Journal or share with someone else (can be a parent, sibling, or friend) your answer to this question:

Focus on your the inner qualities — personality traits and talents — that you like best about yourself.  

Here are some examples of personality or character traits that you might especially like about yourself:

Kindness – You think about others and do acts of kindness.

Enthusiasm – You get super excited about things – and get other people excited, too.

Grit – You stick with things even when it’s hard.

Sense of Humor – You make people laugh.

Gratitude – You thank others and think about things you’re grateful for.

Honesty – You tell the truth, even when it’s hard or you get in trouble for telling the truth.

Brave – You courageously speak what you believe, even when your opinion is unpopular.

Compassionate – You think about others, feel pain when others are hurt, and take action to help.

Leader – You influence others to act in a positive way.

Loyal – You stick by the side of your family and friends and stay loyal even when people are going through hard times.

These are just a few examples of character traits you might really like about yourself. There are many more!

Here are a few talents you might really like about yourself. How would you finish this phrase: “Something I like about myself is that I’m great at ……”

Music (playing an instrument, singing)

Sports (playing soccer, running, ping pong)

English, science, history, or another subject

Painting, photography, drawing, sewing, making friendship bracelets.

Writing

Reading

Doing magic tricks, riding a unicycle, playing chess, etc.

There are so many different talents and skills each person has. What is something you are good at that you really like about yourself?

GACspiration

Want to be inspired? Print out this week’s GACspiration and post it on your bathroom door or mirror (just like at GAC)!

Activity Ideas

• Get together (in person or online) with your family or a group of friends. Give everyone a chance to share one thing they like about themselves.

• Create a longer list of 10 (or more) things you like about yourself. You could make a list of as many things you like about yourself as how old you are. So, if you’re 14, write 14 things you like about yourself.

• Share with one of your parents, siblings, or a friend something you like about them and ask them to share something they like about you. You’ll both feel happier after the conversation!

Resources

Be You!

#GACkindness: 30 Days of Kindness

Will Kellogg on Growing Grit and the First Attempt In Learning

Celebrating Strengths

Sunshine Parenting Podcast Ep. 28: Focusing on Our Kids’ Strengths

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS

Talking With Kids About Camp Being Canceled

For some of our campers and staff – especially for those who have been counting down the days to their session and anticipating getting back to their favorite place on earth – the cancellation of GAC 2020 is yet another loss in a year that has already been full of loss. This pandemic is leaving no person or place untouched.

We are aware that the cancellation of camp makes an already difficult time even harder, and we had really hoped not to have to cancel all of our summer sessions. We know how beneficial camp would be for our community this summer.

We are committed to providing resources and support to our camp families during this difficult time. We will continue to stay connected to our camp community, and we will share resources with you. We will also encourage our campers and staff to continue practicing GAC’s values.

Specifically, we will be encouraging our camp families to:

• Unplug and connect face-to-face with family members and others you are sheltering with.

• Get outside and experience the awe of nature.

• Practice kindness.

• Practice positivity and encourage others.

GALA (Gold Arrow Leadership Academy)

For those families who are interested in having some GAC connection and growth this summer, we are offering a four-week virtual camp program with consistent groups and counselors. The groups will meet three times per week for four weeks.

For more information, visit:
GALAMS (6-8th grades)
GALA (9-12th grades)

Resources for Parents

Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. has many helpful videos and resources for helping us and our children through this pandemic. The video below is particularly helpful as we help our kids process their disappointment over cancelled summer plans.

Sunshine talked with Tina on her podcast several weeks ago for this episode:
Ep. 136: Showing Up for our Kids during COVID-19

As you communicate with your kids about the cancellation of camp, expect that your kids may be upset. Psychologist and educator Dr. Christopher Thurber recommends that you don’t try to give advice or problem solve right away. For many kids, there isn’t a substitute for camp. Dr. Thurber recommends we let our kids sit with their grief for as long as they need to and we give them the space to talk about their feelings.

Grieving the Loss of Summer Camp: Concepts for adults to understand before talking with kids

Sunshine talks about validating kids’ feelings in this video:

Maintain the foundations of wellness & promote kids’ mental health

Dr. Thurber also recommends we make sure our kids are eating and sleeping well and getting exercise.

For more information on the “Triumvirate of Good Health,” listen to the interview Sunshine did with Dr. Jess Shatkin, a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who leads the educational efforts of the NYU Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, about promoting our kids’ mental health.
Listen to Sunshine Parenting Ep. 124: Promoting Mental Health with Dr. Jess Shatkin

Dr. Thurber has some new resources for parents to help debrief with kids about their grief about the cancellation of camp and other important events this year. You can download this PDF with his talking points, and you might want to also watch Dr. Thurber’s 9-minute video “Way Worse Than a Rainy Day” with your camper to help you with your communication. Activate your subscription for Dr. Thurber’s video and other resources at prep4camp.com. Use GAC coupon code GOLDARWP4C at check out (we have pre-paid for our families to access these resources). Instructions are included below.

Step 1:  Click here to access the “Way Worse than a Rainy Day” video by Dr. Chris Thurber
Step 2: Click “Get Access Now”
Step 3: Select “Prep4Camp” under “Choose offer”, then click “Continue” (no payment is required!)
Step 4: Fill in your information to “Create an account”
Step 5: On the right side of your screen enter GOLDARWP4C for the “Discount code” and click “Apply”
Step 6: Click “Complete” in the center of your screen and wait 5 seconds for the site to redirect you to the “Way Worse than a Rainy Day” video

Talking Points with Children & Teens

It’s not all about COVID-19.
Although the pandemic has dominated the news and our lives, plenty of kids are coping with stressors far
greater than other people’s getting coronavirus. Don’t assume that a young person’s social-emotional distress has anything to do with COVID-19. If a child is upset, try: “I can see you’re upset. What’s bothering you?”

It’s hard to talk about silver linings.
For some young people (and adults, of course), there have been positive aspects to spending more time at
home, more time with family, and more time alone. Try asking an open-ended and two-pronged question,
such as, “What have been the best and worst things about the past few months?” to allow for positives.

Be direct and avoid euphemisms.
When children are coping with death, euphemisms such as “went to sleep” can be confusing. Little kids might take what you say literally and start to fear bedtime; older kids might feel like you are too uncomfortable to have an honest conversation. Be direct instead. It’s OK to say, “There won’t be on-site camp this summer.”

Expect wide-ranging emotions and behaviors.
Grief does not follow a predictable course, nor does it feel or look the same in everyone. It can come and go in waves. And just because kids look OK does not mean they feel OK inside. Check in periodically without obsessing. Remember that it’s healthy for a grieving person to laugh, have fun, and participate in activities.

Probe and process the memories.
The young people you care for miss different things about camp, so it will feel supportive to ask, “What will/do you miss the most about camp?” Resist the urge to suggest the important memories. And remember that not all kids prefer to express their grief verbally; many want to draw, journal, or talk with peers instead of you.

Cancellation is not death.
There are two important points here:

(1) All but the youngest children understand that death is final, but everyone knows that something that is cancelled could—in theory—be reinstated. Expect kids to argue, reason, and want to discuss how camp could be un-canceled. That’s a normal, healthy way to come to terms with the finality of a decision.

(2) Remember that as much as we are all grieving cancellations, camp is ultimately a “nice-to-have,” not a “need-to-have.” At some point, gently share some perspective about how cancellation is an unselfish way to keep other people healthy. Offer hopeful messages about summer 2021.

Psychologist & Educator for Kids & Camp Families
@drchristhurber Around the World.
Prep4Camp.com Copy only with permission. © 2020

What Campers are Grieving

According to Dr. Thurber, there are some common things kids might be grieving, including:

• The loss of the face-to-face communication, interaction with people, the opportunity to form lifelong friendships, and the chance to reconnect with their best friends in the whole world.

• The loss of the “camp vibe,” the culture of positivity and fun and the kind way people treat each other.

• The loss of the physical contact that is a big part of camp – the high fives, hugs, and fist bumps that fill our camp days.

• The loss of some of the specific, fun activities campers only have the chance to do at camp.

• The loss of the beauty of the camp setting and the positive memories that being at camp evokes.

• The loss of the opportunity to relax, have fun being goofy, and be free from the stresses of school, competitive sports, social media, etc.

We hope your camper will be back with us in 2021, when we will all be even more grateful for our time together at camp. In the meantime, we hope you’ll stay connected with us and participate in our online events this summer and live events (GAC Runners events, GAC Parties, etc.) next year.

How to make a GAC Face Mask

Hey Campers,

Here are two different ways to make a no-sew face mask. Use a GAC t-shirt or bandana to show your GAC spirit while you keep yourselves and others safe. Send us pictures of you in your GAC face mask,  and we’ll share here and on social media! Use #gackindness as your hashtag.

Have fun making masks!

P.S. Remember, you can still smile and be friendly, even behind a mask! Practice kindness every day!

Instructions for No Sew T-shirt Face Mask

Time lapse video of Sunshine making a Happy Campers t-shirt face mask

And Sunshine wearing the finished t-shirt mask:

The bandana version

Step by step instructions with illustrations: https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie

Time lapse video of Sunshine making a GAC bandana mask

And Sunshine wearing the finished bandana mask (Please send in your pics so we can add them!!)

At assembly, Sunshine talked about why we wear face masks during this pandemic. Here’s the graphic she talked about from Worry Proof M.D.:

12 Stay at Home Tips

Want some stay-at-home tips for your family?

We’re all spending a lot of time at home these days during COVID-19, and it’s good for our mental and emotional health to mix things up once in a while.

Here’s a recap of the ideas Sunshine’s been sharing at our virtual Afternoon Assemblies!

#1 Participate in 30 Days of Kindness

Focus on others by doing small (and large) acts of kindness, and it will make you feel better, too!

#2 Mail a hand-written letter or note

Everyone LOVES getting a real letter in the mail. Collect the random cards and stationery from around your house (or in your camp supplies). Next, write a postcard, note, or letter and mail it to a friend, relative, or even a stranger (see ideas in 30 Days of Kindness)! You might even get one back, which is super fun!

Many kids do not know how to address a letter. Take time to learn, and you’ll be all set for writing letters from camp!

#3 Learn to cook something new

What’s a favorite recipe you want to learn how to cook? Take this time at home to learn how to cook something (or several things)! Cook the recipe three times, each time doing the cooking more independently.
Step 1 Cook the recipe with your parent.
Step 2 Cook the recipe with your parent supervising, but you doing all the cooking.
Step 3 Cook the recipe on your own. Let your parent relax while you cook!

Here are a few moments of video of Sunshine supervising (Step 2 above) her 16-year-old making this POMEGRANATE HABANERO SHREDDED BEEF RECIPE:

Bonus: Send us your favorite recipe and/or create a video tutorial of how to make the recipe (see Joss’ below):

#4 Clean out your game/puzzle cabinet(s)

What’s even in there? Go through your games and puzzles. Find a favorite or two to get out to play as a family. For ones you no longer use because they are for younger kids , create a stack to donate to another family or neighbor. For ones with missing pieces, recycle, use for creating a craft, or put in the trash.

#5 Make a list of 10 things you’ve been wanting to do

With school now online and extracurricular activities, sports, and in-person social time with friends limited, we’ve got some extra time on our hands. This is – for many of us – a new situation. And it can feel uncomfortable having so much down time. Try writing a list of 10 things ranging from random “to dos” to things you’d like to learn. This can include books you’ve wanted to read, hobbies or crafts you’ve been interested in trying, a musical instrument you’d like to learn to play or practice playing more, learning sign language, or anything else that comes to mind for you! You can try to include things that include:
• Something physical (train for a 5K run, do a daily plank, try an online yoga class)
• Something creative (friendship bracelet, crochet, painting)
• Something social (call or write a letter to a friend)
• Things you haven’t had time for (a book you’ve wanted to read or movie you’ve wanted to watch)

Then, take the first step. Start reading the book or research how to do the hobby.

#6 Sort your books by color

Do you love books and reading? Take some time to organize your books. Create a beautiful shelf by organizing your books by color!

#7 Move some furniture (or create a little quiet space just for yourself)

To make your home feel a little different, move some furniture around a bit so that it feels “new.” Or, create a little space for yourself on a cozy chair or on some pillows in your bedroom or a closet or room that doesn’t get much use. Put some of your favorite “quiet” activities in a basket or box there – things like mazes, coloring supplies, books to read, or crafts to do.

#8 Call or FaceTime a friend

Now that you’re an expert on Zoom and other online meeting platforms, organize a get-together with a friend or group of friends. To make it even more fun, have a theme like “crazy hair.” For a fun activity, get a game like Yahtzee that you can play together by each having your own set of dice! Or, play “Name that Tune” or “Pictionary.”

#9 Make family dinner like a campfire

Pretend you’re at camp around the campfire and you’re the counselor. Lead a discussion like counselors at camp do! Have every family member share their high, low, and hero of the day or ask a question that everyone answers.

#10 Brainstorm (as a family) things you’re interested in doing together for fun

• • Nature walk: identify birds, build a trail
  • Movie marathon: pick an actor and watch all the movies with that actor in it
  • Puzzle competition with another family

#11 Make a list of things to organize or spruce up in your room or house

#12 Find things to laugh at

Laughter makes us all feel better. Find funny memes and videos to share with each other. Even better, tell a joke or create a funny song or skit and share it with your friends at GAC so we can use it at our upcoming assemblies and campfires!

What are your tips for stay at home activities? Share them with us!

#GACkindness: 30 Days of Kindness

#GACkindness

Hi Camp Families & Staff,

Since we have more time to spend together (virtually) and with our families at home this month due to all of our extracurricular activities being cancelled, we thought we could work on a challenge together. We’re calling it 30 Days of Kindness. We’ll be talking about kindness in our Afternoon Assemblies and Virtual Campfires throughout April.

Want to join us for 30 Days of Kindness in April?

All you need to do is commit to doing 30 kind acts during the month of April. You can participate as an individual or as a family!

Here are ideas of what you can do:

• Commit to doing at least ONE daily kindness (DK) each day in April. These can be small acts of kindness or big ones – an encouraging sticky note to a parent or sibling or a bigger project. You can do the same thing every day – like writing one thank you note or text each day – or you can pick any combo of different kindness acts.

• Consider doing (alone or with your family) a bigger Weekend Kindness Challenge (WKC). We’ve included suggestions on the April Kindness Calendar.

April Kindness Calendar

Here is a printable version of our April Kindness Calendar! In addition to the Kindness Calendar, you can find ideas of people to write notes of appreciation to on our printable Kindness “BINGO” board! Keep track of how you’re spreading kindness using our printable Kindness Tracker! Also, here are some printable GACspirations to keep you inspired to spread kindness!

Daily Kindness (DK)

Follow along on our April Kindness Calendar for some ideas, or create your own kindness ideas you can do from home.

How many acts of kindness can you do this month? There are 30 days in April, so if you do one kind thing each day, that’s 30 ways to make yourself and others happier this month! If you miss a day, you can always do two acts of kindness on another day to catch up. And, if you go over 30 acts, all that means is that you’re spreading even more kindness to the world, which is a good thing.

Weekend Kindness Challenges (WKC)

Since on weekends we tend to have more time, we’ve saved some more time-intensive kindness ideas for the weekends in April. These are just suggestions. You can come up with your own kindness ideas, too!

WKC #1: Offer to Help Elderly Neighbors or Friends

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has free printable, “Hello, Let me know if you need help” cards. Distribute them to neighbors who may need assistance and offer to get them supplies when you get your family’s.

WKC #2: Send a Care Package or Order Essentials for Someone

Order essentials to be delivered to someone who may be in need during this time. This may be someone you know personally, or a place that you know thrives off of donations. Another option is to create a care package for someone who you know is working extra hard these days like a medical professional–again, this could be someone close to home (maybe your own family member!) or someone across the country.

WKC #3: Celebrate Earth Day (April 22)

With your extra time this month, you can celebrate Earth Day indoors by going through your belongings and donating any clothes or toys in good condition. Keeping these items out of landfills is a great way to celebrate this year! Other options that you can do throughout the month include washing dishes by hand, have a zero-waste lunch day, and sort trash and recyclables. There are additional ideas at Let Grow.

https://www.earthday.org/2020-teach-in-toolkit/

WKC #4: Plan a Virtual Celebration

There are many important events that are coming up in your friends’ and family members’ lives that we don’t want to forget just because we can’t celebrate how we usually would. Pick an upcoming event such as someone’s birthday, an anniversary, or a surprise thank you celebration and start planning! One thing that you can do is contact all of the person’s loved ones and ask them to send you a video, a message, or a physical note that you can collect and give to the person all at once on their special day. You can give them guidelines such as “tell them what you love about them” or “tell them a funny memory you have with them” or you can leave it open to the sender of the message. You could also organize all of the person’s loved ones to call them at different times throughout the day and deliver their messages personally. If you had enough time to receive physical letters, you could organize them into a book or a nice box for them to keep. Alternatively, you could plan a “surprise” virtual event (via Zoom or something similar) where all of the guests knew that it was a party for the special person. You can still “theme” the event even with everyone at home. It could be fancy or a fun costume theme, the possibilities are endless! Your special person will feel so loved that their day did not get overlooked just because everyone is inside. If this feels overwhelming to you, pick another friend or family member to help you brainstorm and plan what would be best for your special person!

DOWNLOADS

For Parents: Why is Kindness Important?

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.
Marian Wright Edelman

Being a considerate, kind person who thinks about others is a character trait that helps children form good relationships and leads to a happier life as an adult.

What does this mean for super competitive parents who want their children to succeed at all costs, even if it means cheating and being mean to others? It could be helpful for parents to know that research has clearly shown that kind people are happier people, and happier people, in turn, are more successful in life. In jobs and in future relationships, kindness will take our children “further in life than any college degree.”

Focusing on kindness needs to be a higher priority for everyone who cares about children.

In our cut-throat, competitive culture, where assertiveness and achievement are glorified and valued, focusing on developing kindness is often overlooked.

There are anti-bullying posters and speakers at most schools, but where is the message about the powerfully positive impact of kindness?

Parents and youth development professionals, including teachers, coaches, and camp staff, know that wording things positively and telling kids what we DO want them to do is far more effective than a list of “don’ts” and “nos.” So, why hasn’t this message translated into how we teach children to treat one another?

We’re talking with children a lot about not bullying each other, but we’re not talking with them enough about what we want them to be doing instead — which is, of course, to treat each other with respect and kindness. I propose that as parents and youth development professionals we flip the “anti-bullying” message into a “pro-kindness” one.

Ways to model and practice kindness

Get kids to focus on kindnesses that they have seen by asking them to point out kind acts they have witnessed or done.

Brainstorm with kids kind things they can do for others and help them follow through. Focus on small, easy kindnesses rather than huge things.

Talk with kids about how they feel after someone has done something kind for them or after they’ve done something kind for another person.

Questions to Ask Kids to Spur Conversations about Kindness

• Share something kind they’ve seen someone else do this past week.

• What’s the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?

• What are kind things we can do for our friends? Siblings? Parents? People we don’t know?

• How do you want to be remembered by your classmates and friends?

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
— John Wooden

This topic is so important to Gold Arrow Camp and to Sunshine that she dedicated an entire chapter of her book, Happy Campers, to it: Camp Secret #8: Make it Cool to be Kind. Each chapter of Happy Campers ends with five different “Bringing Camp Home” activities to consider trying in your family.

More Kindness Ideas

Read (or listen to) Wonder by R.J. Palacio

One of GAC counselors’ favorite read-aloud books is R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. Consider reading (or listening – Audible version is free right now if you sign up for a free Audible trial) to Wonder individually or as a family read-aloud. Get some popcorn and have a family movie night to watch the movie version after you finish reading.

Do you like Pinterest? Check out Sunshine’s Kindness board.

Homeschooling Help!

For many of us, one of the biggest challenges in having our kids home full-time during this pandemic is finding ourselves in the role of homeschooling parent. Audrey “Sunshine” Monke, GAC’s Chief Visionary Officer, has compiled some resources to help. To view the videos and access the resources, click on the links below.

Would you like some resources? 

Creative ideas for parents of younger kids (preschool-early elementary) from GAC Camp Director Alison Moeschberger

Homeschool strategies from an experienced homeschool parent (all ages, but many resources for kids through middle school)

On her website (Sunshine Parenting) and her podcast, Sunshine is sharing many resources to encourage and support parents during this pandemic. To access those resources, sign up to receive her weekly emails or subscribe to her podcast.

Join Sunshine’s Happy Campers Book Club

Happy Campers is a joyful and wise parenting book. Drawing on her lifetime of experience as a camper, camp counselor and camp director, Audrey Monke shows us what is most important in the lives of children. She then takes the next step and teaches parents how they can recreate the magic of camp in their own homes. I have never read a more optimistic and well-grounded guide to parenting.

–Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D., Bestselling author of Raising Cain

Keep the growth and happiness of summer camp going all year! Join author Audrey “Sunshine” Monke in the Happy Campers Book Club as she shares resources and ideas from her book, Happy Campers, 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults!

To join the Happy Campers Book Club

Step 1: Pick up a copy of Happy Campers at your favorite book seller: Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Books-A-Million, or KOBO

Step 2: Complete this form, and you’ll be sent exclusive downloadable resources and monthly links to join (optional) Zoom coaching calls with Sunshine.

Free Happy Campers Downloads

2020 Read-Along Schedule
Workbook & Discussion Guide

Happy Campers Book Trailer (featuring GAC campers & staff)

Sunshine’s Upcoming Events

The Best Gifts for Kids

Most tangible, material gifts we give our children, spouse, and friends are outdated, broken, lost, or unused within months of the gifting. We can rarely remember what the gifts from past years even were.

Like most parents, I realize there are far more important gifts we give our children than the ones we wrap in December for Christmas or Hanukkah. This time of year is a great time to remind ourselves that the gifts that last are the ones that can’t be wrapped: gifts of time together and connection and of fun family memories.

As my dad’s favorite coffee mug says, “The best things in life aren’t things.”

In the spirit of this season of giving, here are a few (mostly) non-toy gift ideas. I hope you get some great ideas for each of your kids, and maybe the adults in your life, too!

The Gift of Time

Play games together

Game nights produce memories (good and bad), so maybe consider giving a group gift of a new game to play this holiday season.

Invest in a group activity

We have probably gotten the most mileage of family activity time from our basketball hoop, ping pong table, and trampoline. These are “big” group gifts that got the most mileage in both years and quality time together. So, if you have more than one child, consider one “WOW” gift that will get a lot of use. When our kids were little, a few of the most popular group gifts were a large whiteboard and a gymnastics mat. Both got many hours (and years!) of use.

Schedule “dates”

I know families who have “date nights” with each of their children. I love the idea and would like to work it into my gift giving this year. One child may want a lunch date, while another prefers a bike ride or a game of tennis. In any case, spending time with our kids, doing something they want to do with us, is a gift indeed (for both them and us). Time seems to be the hardest gift to give, but it is also most highly valued by the recipient. How about creating a gift coupon for a date that would be special for your child?

Event gifts

These can be costly, but one popular gift we’ve given our teenagers is concert tickets. Wrapping up the ticket in a gift bag with a ribbon makes it a “real” gift.

Subscriptions, Memberships, or Classes

Subscriptions to magazines, Book of the Month, music lessons, or classes are always a great way to give a gift that kids enjoy all year long! If a child has an interest in something specific and would enjoy an outing, consider researching a class or exhibit and creating a coupon or certificate to present to them. One year, I gave my daughter a one-day photography class using a local Groupon, and we had a great Saturday together in January learning how to use all the settings on our cameras.

Plan fun family events

Anything you do as a family creates memories and is a gift that will be remembered. Whether it’s a movie and popcorn night at home or a walk through the neighborhood to see the holiday lights, the gift of time as a family is so important to our kids. When we don’t default to our phones, computers, and TVs, it’s amazing what we discover there is to do!

Remember family memories

Like many of my gift suggestions, this one requires time. I love recording and recounting memories (my 36,059 photos on iPhoto prove it). My kids never get tired of hearing stories from when they were little or watching our scant supply of digitized home videos from when they were toddlers. One of my favorite gifts from my husband was a hard drive with all of our family movies digitized on it. We have had hours of entertainment watching our old home movies.

Take some time this holiday to get out the old photos (or pull them up on the screen using the cool new technology) and create a book or collage or slideshow together. We also like to list our “Top 100 Memories” of the year over the holidays. It’s fun to reflect on what we’ve done together and what’s happened over the year.

Gifts to Wrap

Books

For something to wrap, gifting books is always a great option, especially when I’m excited to have found one I have enjoyed myself and think the recipient will enjoy. And, although books are a material item, a good book has a much longer lifespan than most toys or electronic devices. Passing along a favorite, loved book (even if it’s well-used), inscribed with a personal message, is a fun gift idea. Or, giving a fresh copy of one of your favorite books or series that you enjoyed at your child’s age is a meaningful gift.

Books have the potential to be re-read, passed around, and enjoyed by many. They can take on a life of their own. While most books can be read on an e-reader or borrowed from the library, there are some that your child may value having in their personal library. When you give a book gift, be sure to inscribe the book with a note with the child’s name, the occasion the book is being given, the year, and your name. Who knows the mileage that book will have?

Another fun idea is listening to a book together on a holiday drive! Check out some fun family book listens on Libro.fm!

Personalized or Homemade Gifts

Having your name or initial on an item makes it feel extra special and shows that thought and time went into the selection.

Some of my favorite personalized gifts to give and to receive over the years have included:
Personalized stationery
Monogrammed towels, key chains, luggage
Framed photos
Collages
Letters of appreciation
Recipe & ingredients to cook something
Instructions & supplies for a science experiment
Supplies (and offer of your time) for a craft: wood working, needlework, sewing, painting, lettering, welding, etc.

Give friendship, fun, and growth

I’ll “wrap up” my gift-giving suggestions with one of my favorites (predictably, since you’re reading this on our blog), the gift of a session at camp! The gift of camp lasts a lot longer than any toy. Campers learn life skills, such as social skills, independence and responsibility, while having the time of their lives.

Many grandparents or parents give camp as their child’s big gift for the holidays. Especially for kids who have been to camp before, this is a gift they really appreciate. I like the idea of wrapping up the “You’re going to camp!” note with a campy item like a water bottle, camp t-shirt, beanie, sleeping bag, or disposable camera.

With our kids now beyond childhood, we opted in 2018 (for the first time) to forgo the major gift giving and instead had a fun trip over the holidays be our big gift. We went to Costa Rica and took surfing lessons!

Instead of running out to a bunch of stores and wearing out the UPS truck with daily deliveries (both of which I have decades of experience doing), this season I will take a few minutes to think about each family member and friend and decide what would be a special, meaningful item I can give them or experience I can offer.

I wish you a stress-free holiday season where you can focus less on acquiring more stuff and more on creating fun family memories.

Audrey “Sunshine” Monke, Chief Visionary Officer of Gold Arrow Camp, is an author, speaker, and podcaster. You can find more of her writing and resources at her website, Sunshine Parenting. Her book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, is available wherever books are sold.

Raise Thriving Kids Workshop – September 27 in Newport Beach

Make this the happiest, most connected and growth-filled year ever for your family!

Raise Thriving Kids Workshop
Port Streets Clubhouse
1900 Port Carlow Place
Newport Beach

Friday, September 27
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Join Audrey “Sunshine” Monke and Sara Kuljis  for a 1-Day LIVE parenting workshop in Newport Beach, California.

What you’ll learn during this workshop

• Creating the Family Culture You Want by learning how to move your actions closer to your values and determining what kind of family you want to build.

• Raising Successful, Thriving Kids means defining what success for your kids looks like, what character traits you seek to foster, and how to help them become thriving adults.

• Building Your Positive Parenting Toolbox that includes skills like Authoritative Parenting, Connection Before Correction, Play & Fun, and the Power of Affirmation.

• Loving The Child You Have by harnessing the power of Positive Language – Behavior Management, Calming Skills for Ourselves & Our Kids – Internal Chatter, Empathy, and Compassion.

Whadda Week!

Session 4 campers have had an awesome first week at GAC. The singing has been loud and the dancing ubiquitous! We are also doing a whole lot of bucket filling.

One of our favorite ways to fill each other’s buckets has been writing WOWs. Each morning at assembly, Cheerio reads a few of the WOWs from the previous day, and then all of the notes are delivered in the camp mail. WOWs are a fun camp tradition that reminds us to thank, compliment, and celebrate each other.

Whadda Day! Podcast

Our daily podcast features campers and staff talking about what’s happening at GAC. Campers (usually with their cabin group) serve as hosts for our daily update, which is usually recorded right after Morning Assembly. You can listen or subscribe here.

Episodes so far this session:

August 4: Junior Counselors

August 5: Cabin 29

August 6: Cabin 17

August 7: Cabin 0

August 8: Cabin 1

August 9: Cabin 15

August 10: Cabin 23

Stat of the Day

A new and fun addition to morning assembly 2019 has been the “Stat of the Day.” Each day, Soy and the other hosts present a stat challenge question. Each cabin group can put one guess into the yellow “Stat of the Day” box. The winning guess gets the special “Stat of the Day” trophy on their dining table for the next day. A few of the fun stat questions this week included how many emails came in to campers on one day and how many boats there are at GAC.

Special Events

We love having special celebrations here at camp. They give us an excuse to dress up (or stay in our jammies) and socialize with kids outside of our own cabin groups. Here are a few picture & video highlights from some of this week’s special events:

Pajama Breakfast

Cabin Theme Day

Tigers Social/Bingo Night

Crazy Cranium Day

Bears Adventure

Coming up in Week 2

We’ve got more fun planned for the second week of Session 4 including Big Campfires, the Carnival, International Day, the Western Dance, the Paddle Campfire Ceremony for our graduating campers, and our end-of-session celebration banquet and Appreciation Campfire.

We’re also going to be focusing on some important friendship skills, including asking questions & listening, staying calm, and being a great friend.

The second week of the session always flies by here at GAC, and we are going to make the most of our time together by remembering to have fun, make friends, and grow!

Be sure to download the Campanion App if you want to view photos and keep up with this week’s news on your phone!

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