If you are new to Spring Lake, or “camp culture” in general, you may be confused by the idea that Spring Lake requires a sort of “uniform” to be worn each day at camp, revolving around a specific assortment of t-shirts the campers can choose from to wear based on their age. For this reason, we would like to dedicate this post to describing all of the wonderful benefits that come from having our SLDC camp shirts for both staff and campers; so as you enroll and prepare to order your camper’s shirts for this coming summer (it will be here before you know it!), you understand what all the fuss is about!!!

For new campers especially, camp can be extremely intimidating those first few days; New people, new surroundings, and a whole new routine that they aren’t used to. Having campers get off their buses on the first day already in their camp shirts and looking like all of the other campers around them provides them with an instant sense of belonging. We want them to know right away that they’re in the right place, they belong here, we’re happy to have them, and that all of the other campers are a lot like them. The T-shirt means that campers and staff are officially part of a family: our Spring Lake camp family. No matter what town (or even state or country) they come from, and what school they go to the other 10 months of the year, for the 8 weeks that they are on our grounds repping these shirts they are all part of one big united family. It allows the campers to quickly identify and feel comfortable in their new group, and is the best way we have found for counselors and group leaders to spot their campers as soon as they step off the bus to welcome them and help them get where they need to go, minimizing the first day stress and fears and getting them to the fun stuff as quickly and efficiently as possible! 

Because the colors of the shirt denote specific “camps,” genders, and age groups, they are a great way for small-unit campers to identify commonalities and develop a sense of pride. From a practical standpoint, they provide campers with an easy way to locate friends in a large-group setting, and are a great help to counselors in keeping track of their “kids” as they travel from place to place around camp.

They serve many additional safety benefits as well. Not only are all of the staff aware of the designation of the shirts, allowing them to identify campers and make sure they are where they are supposed to be at all times around camp, but this is even more critical and important to us when it comes to our travel program and taking campers off-campus. We offer many exciting trips to water parks and theme parks, and safety is always our number one priority whenever we take campers anywhere. Requiring any campers going on trips to wear one of our brightly-colored neon orange travel shirts makes it very easy for counselors to supervise their groups. If a camper were ever to become separated from his or her group, the T-shirt also makes it easier for authorities to identify the child’s affiliation and connect with camp administrators as quickly as possible.

For campers and staff alike, the SLDC t-shirt is a source of pride. For our staff, it denotes the responsibility they are proud to be given in taking care of your children each day, and the departments they represent and work for. It helps the campers to recognize them as someone they can turn to, and also creates a sense of coworker unity. Over the years, staff have created a tradition of using t-shirts to show their pride in their groups, camp, or specialty area; designing special shirts each summer that even coordinate with the specific year’s overall camp theme.

Most importantly, at the end of the day when the 8 weeks of summer have flown by, after we’ve burned the camp year and said our teary farewells to our best friends that may have been strangers a short while ago, the t-shirt becomes a warm reminder of the wonderful memories, new accomplishments, and shared friendships they were able to create.  

For those of you who have already enrolled for camp this summer, you will have noticed that the early enrollment gift this year was a bright green tie dye shirt that says #22for2 on the back of it. Many have asked what this means and since this saying has become so special to all of us this crazy year, we want to share that meaning with all of you. Typically in the camping world we say that we live 10 for 2; meaning we wait, work, and prepare 10 months of the year for the 2 months of camp. Since we were unable to run camp in 2020, we have altered this, saying that we are living 22 (LONG) months before we can finally come together for the best 2 months of the entire year in 2021. Hence the hashtag #22for2.

We cannot wait to see our campers stepping off the buses in their camp shirts in a few short months, welcoming them back to our SLDC family. It has most certainly been a long wait, but more than worth it! #22for2

This past Friday, November 13 was World Kindness Day, and SLDC decided to honor it by kicking off our brand new initiative called “Camp-Kindness-Community.” This initiative got started around our planning for Camp Kindness Day this summer, in conjunction with the ACA and other camps around the country. Camp Kindness Day will take place on July 20, and is an opportunity for us to promote the importance of being kind to each other, to ourselves, and to the world. We have some exciting ideas underway for various campwide projects we will do and donate to the community (more information will come on that soon!) But this got us thinking that kindness is so important and necessary in our world, especially in these difficult times, that we didn’t want to just limit it to one day in the summer. Thus, the Camp-Kindness-Community initiative was born! Our intention with this program is not only to spread kindness within our own SLDC community, but to spread kindness to the community outiside of camp as well. To get this exciting program started, our administrative team is participating in Flames of Giving, a charity that matches less fortunate individuals with donors to ensure that everyone gets a gift during the holidays.

This holiday season especially, the needs in our community are greater than ever before: from isolated seniors, to hospitalized patients that cannot have family with them due to Covid restrictions, to vulnerable children who don’t have basic items let alone a holiday gift- and the list goes on. Flames of Giving (www.flamesofgiving.com) is a program that was started 25 years ago by one of our very own camp families. The charity matches less fortunate individuals with donors to ensure that everyone gets a gift during the holidays. During its first year, the program provided 49 gifts, and now, 25 years later, provides over 2,000 gifts to the community. This year, the program has almost 2,300 holiday wishes on its list and is partnered with over 21 agencies and collaborative initiatives.

If you would like to join us in fulfilling some wishes and helping a neighbor in need, the Flames of Giving website has 5 different and easy ways you can help, from donating money directly to Flames of Giving, to sending Shop Rite gift cards, to selecting specific gifts from their Amazon or Target wish lists, or even adopting a specific neighboring family in need!

Click on this link to get more information on how you can help: https://www.flamesofgiving.com/helpaneighborinneed

We are so grateful for our wonderful camp community, and can think of no way better to celebrate this holiday season than giving back and helping our neighbors in need! #SLDCCares

The mystical setting at Spring Lake Day Camp provided the ultimate backdrop for a much needed Halloween get together with some of our camp families and the day could not have been better! Everyone participated in the fun including our own mystery-solving gang of Scooby Doo and his crew Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne. Even Camp Pup Buddy came dressed as Scrappy Doo!

Campers paraded around the lake in their incredible costumes and took a hay ride through our not-so-spooky forest. They were then greeted by SPIRIT the Hawk, who boogied down with them to music from our DJ, and even played some good old-fashioned classic games like hot potato, duck duck goose, and the Limbo while families watched, cheered, and laughed. The day was capped off with a warm campfire and some delicious S’mores by the lake.

Camp parents Melissa and Adi from Hoboken commented after the party that it, “was the best day and Halloween activity. Everyone had so much fun and is happy, full, and tired. SLDC is a magical place and this is the closest to normal activity we have had in what feels like FOREVER!”

We are so grateful that we had this opportunity to share in the fun and spirit of Halloween with our families. You can count on SLDC to put the magic touch in all we do, for we love our campers and will always be there for you!

SLDC makes the difference in the life of its campers! Join our SLDC team and achieve something greater for yourself as a part of the SLDC team!

SLDC and Parisi

Spring Lake Day Camp is bringing the PARISI Speed School in Franklin Lakes to camp this summer. Mitchell Kessler, SLDC owner, feels that creating programs to help develop balance, quickness, speed, and agility will benefit all children no matter which team or individual sport they wish to focus on.

SLDC and Parisi share the ideals of professional instruction which offers campers well rounded programs to increase flexibility, improve coordination and boost speed. Every child will gain confidence and resilience when working on improving their personal best.

We are excited for the new partnership with Parisi, offering an 8 week program to our campers with the expertise and instruction of Parisi staff. Enriching the lives of children is a big responsibility which the camp takes seriously. All children deserve an environment that will ignite imaginations, discover passions and allow them to “Dream Big”. Our program of swim, sports, arts, adventure ropes, special events, travel and more are blended together help campers develop character, community and confidence. At Spring Lake Day Camp you can start with us and stay with us. Campers range from 3 to 15 and then go on to become staff thru college and beyond. The “SLDC EXPERIENCE IS TRULY PRICELESS”!