Tues, March 17, 2026

5 Things I Love About Camp

I was interviewing a potential staff member the other day and they asked me what I love most about Sloane (great question, by the way).

You’d think it would be a simple thing to answer, and yet somehow after all these years I still can’t get it down to just one thing.

The Way Our Talent Show Makes Me Cry

We call it ‘Showcase’. It’s a talent show with a twist. Either way, it’s pretty special. Anyone can get up on stage and perform their special thing, whether it’s a dance, a song, or completing a Rubik's cube to techno music, I’ve seen it all.

It’s not really about the special talent though. For me, it’s about seeing kids (and staff) get up on stage and do something they love. Even if they’re scared. Even if they’ve never done it before.

It’s about the thunderous applause that happens after EVERY performance (this is the part that gets me emotional).

It’s about the fact that your kid has tried something that a week ago they wouldn’t have even dreamed of. And tomorrow, they’ll be teaching it to someone else.

The Dining Hall Dance Parties

These are a BIG deal. And they're amazing. For a number of reasons.

The Hill and Valley sides of the Dining Hall have different songs that get everyone up on their feet (Mr Brightside for the Hill and Viva La Vida for the Valley… IYKYK), but there are also songs that are completely universal across all campers and age groups.

We have choreographed dances that have been passed down through the years that somehow everyone knows the moves to (and if you don’t, you soon will).

These are the special moments. The ones you can’t quite explain. The ones where kids belong without needing to perform. When the whole camp is out of their seats, singing at the top of their lungs, dancing their hearts out. How does that saying go… ‘Dance like no one is watching…’?

Yeah. We do that here.

The Friendships That Are Formed

Ask any of our campers or alumni and they’ll tell you that some of their strongest friendships were formed at camp.

My best friends are all people I met at Sloane. In fact, I am just coming up to our 15 year ‘friendiversary’ with two of them. And while we may now be spread all over the world, the experiences we had together at camp mean I know we’ll be friends for life.

Camp provides the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, to connect face-to-face, to create memories and inside jokes in such a short space of time. On day two, your kid will be in an activity with people they didn’t know yesterday. By day four, they’ll be planning which activities they want to do together next week.

The Birthday Song (And Other Traditions)

Camp is filled with traditions. Every camp has them. Everyone thinks their camp’s traditions are the best (which is true, Sloane’s are DEFINITELY the best :P).

One of my favorites is our birthday song. Birthdays at camp are a BIG deal. You get three cheers at morning flag, a birthday badge, a birthday wish and, of course, a cake at dinner while the whole dining hall sings. But it’s not just your regular ‘Happy Birthday’ This one has a whole extra verse involving (sing it with me) “Kings and Queens, and Bishops too…’, with plenty of banging on tables and cheering.

Ask your child about some of our other traditions (if they haven't already told you). A few months after camp ends, they’ll reference some random Sloane-specific thing, or an inside joke from their tent, and you won’t have any clue what they’re talking about.

That’s when you’ll know that this is a place they feel like they belong.

The Fact That I Can Wear Tie Dye Just Because It's Tuesday

Ok, it’s not really about the tie dye (even though we do love a colorful tee).

It’s about the freedom of expression.

’ve always been a jeans/shorts and t-shirt kind of person. At camp that essentially gets to be my ‘uniform’ (I think I found the right job), and I love it because I get to be comfortable and just me.

And that’s true for everyone.

At camp everyone gets to be exactly who they are. Whether that’s shown through the way we dress, or how we do our hair, or simply just in how we present ourselves to the world.

You’re going to see pictures of your kid dressed in silly matching costumes with their tent group, wearing their theme day colors, or in their ‘nice’ outfit for Square Dance. And you’ll know that whatever they're wearing, it’ll be uniquely their choice.

I’m sure everyone has their own list of things they love most about camp, and I’m sure they’re all different.

My challenge to you is this… can you whittle your list down to just 5?

It’s harder than it seems!

Ru