Our Perfect Overnight Schedule

Camp GuideHeartland CampsJune 16, 2020ACA Accredited, Accredited, Best Summer Ever, Building Relationships, COVID-19 Compliant, Camper, Camps, Character Building, Children, Christ, Christian, Christian Summer Camp, Community, Faith, Faith Building, Family Fun, God, Great Outdoors, Growth, Heartland Camps, Heartland Center, Immersive, Intentional, Invaluable Skills, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KC, Kansas, Kansas City, Kids, MO, Midwest, Missouri, Outdoors, Parkville, Safety, Serve, Service, Small Group Camping, Soft Skills, Summer Camp, Play, Overnight, Tips and Tricks, Activities & Games, Swimming, Worship, Middle School, High SchoolComment

The Magic of The Camp Arc

Intentionality: A Counselor's #1 Priority

At Heartland, you know how strongly we believe in the benefits of small group camping. While it gives your campers the ability to make friendships with fellow campers, it also allows the intentional building of friendships with their counselors. As the leaders of their family groups, counselors know they play a critical role in your child’s camp experience, and they don’t take that lightly. Our counselors seek to intentionally get to know each of their campers, taking time to interact with them in the family group, but also getting to know them on an individual level. Camp is full of opportunities to be intentional with your children, but we see this especially in Bible study times, during meals, and during activities.

Connecting with God and Your Child Through the Gift of Play

Is there anything more joyful than the sound of a child's uninhibited giggles? Anything that makes you prouder than your child doing something for the first time? Is there any time we feel closer to God than when we are looking into the beautiful faces of our children? We so often acknowledge that our children are wonderful gifts from God, but do we realize that their natural playfulness is a gift to us?!

Work hard. Play Harder.

From the start of Day 1, the campers named their family group the “Shebergedergens” (super random!) and created a funny obsession with sheep sounds (but really just any silly sounds).

Their hard work is paired with good conversation, silly songs, and fellowship that has created one of the most cohesive groups we have ever seen.

Purpose of Play

Is adults playing with children necessary? Sure it is a nice bonus, but is play something worth sacrificing for amongst activities, work, and so many other things that demand our attention. In my three years as a summer camp counselor the answer to that is a resounding yes. Through play at camp I was able to build trust with campers ages 6-17 and see it lead to deep conversations about life and faith.