Kupugani Blog
8 Fun and Easy Ways to Bond with Your Child
At Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp in the Midwest (in Leaf River, IL, two hours west of Chicago and 75 minutes south of Madison, WI), we are all about parents having positive connections with their children. Connecting with your child can sometimes be hard. Sometimes you might feel compelled to focus on teaching them “life lessons” and less just enjoying your time with them. Well, you can have both! Bullets below from a recent article from iMom, with the full article available by clicking here. Find a “fishing hole” (or other natural spot) Plan a d...
More DetailsHow to Talk to our Kids–Some Important Concepts from Jennifer Lehr’s “Parentspeak”
At, Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp in Leaf River, IL--less than two hours from Chicago, IL and Madison, WI--we believe in helping parents provide their children with the tools to be productive and self-sufficient. Generally, as proponents of independence and empowerment, children (and adults) should strive for positive behavior not from fear of punishment nor desire for a reward, but because they intrinsically want to do what is right. ParentSpeak: What's Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children--and What to Say Instead, by Jennifer Lehr, provides a provocative guide ...
More Details10 Tips to Express Gratitude in Your Life
At Camp Kupugani--our multicultural overnight summer camp two hours west of Chicago and 90 minutes south of Madison, Wisconsin--we help our campers express gratitude. Below are some tips from a recent great article from the University of Minnesota, to help you us be thankful during this season! Bullets below; you can read the full article here. Every day, say aloud three good things that happened Make time to see the positive Studies have shown saying something out loud helps you to remember it better Keep a gratitude journal Write down all the positives from your day Look ba...
More Details6 Ways to Strengthen Your Bond with Your Mother (or Child)
At our multicultural overnight summer camp two hours west of Chicago, we place great value in the relationship between a mother and her child. We offer Mother Daughter and Parent Child weekend retreats where mothers and their children can connect. We facilitate this connection by working on teamwork, not allowing technology to get in the way, and allowing them to spend valuable time together. Here are a few ways to foster that important mother-child connection at home. It was originally written from one perspective; we feel that it can apply to both mothers and children. Please see be...
More Details3 Ways to Work Smarter Not Harder
Our multicultural summer camp in Leaf River, Illinois--two hours west of Chicago--is a camp where everyone works hard! As someone outside of camp, you likely entered your career with intention. However, no matter how much we love the work we do, we can all experience burnout. From the good folks at Barking Up the Wrong Tree, here are three ways to help you experience less burnout and enjoy the job you are doing! Bullets below. You can check out the rest of the article here to learn the best ways to work smarter not harder. “Work smarter, not harder.” Sounds good. But how do you ...
More Details7 Ways We Can Help Girls Build Each Other Up
At our residential multicultural summer camp in the Midwest--located less than two hours from Chicago--we urge girls to be the best they can be while empowering other girls to do the same. Although we now have blended- and boys-only sessions to complement our girls-only sessions, we started with a single two week girls-only camp in 2007. We take great pride in helping our girls maximize their own and others’ potential. Indeed, especially when society can impose additional challenges that come from men and boys, this world needs women who are willing to build each other up. A recent Wash...
More Details7 Important Ways to Help Your Child Advocate for Herself/Himself (aka, Don’t Be a “Helicopter Parent”!)
Our summer camp located in the heart of the Midwest makes empowering our campers our number one priority. Culling from a recent article, we summarize a few tips on how to help empower your child to become a strong self-advocate. Minimizing your own involvement while helping your child be involved in her/his own education is key to helping them grow and be ready for life after they leave your home’s cozy confines. Bullets below, with the full Washington Post article at this link. Teach your kids how to advocate for themselves. From an early age, give your children a place to make...
More Details7 Simple Ways to Keep Your Day-to-Day Contented
At our Midwest summer camp, we strive to have our community be content, even (or especially) when challenges arise. In folks’ day-to-day existence, maintaining that positive outlook might be harder than when one is playing outside in the sun. It can be done! Studies have shown that many people are not happy at work for lack of seeing success in their every day. Check out below for a summary of some tips and tricks from the good folks at Barking Up the Wrong Tree, to see that you can shape your behavior to help make your days at work more enjoyable, productive, and fulfilling! (The f...
More Details7 Tips to Sustaining Happy Families
At our Midwest summer camp (west of Chicago), we try to create a community that functions like a good family. The best families recognize that there should be intentionality to help make that happen. A recent article from Tesh.com underscores some strategies that work well to create loving and respectful households. Bullets below, with the whole article available at this link. #1: Share your family's story. Helps kids feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. Knowing what the family has gone through and overcome, prepares kids to face challenges in their own lives. K...
More Details5 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Understand Consent and Prevent Sexual Assault
As a parent of a pre-teen, a director of a summer camp, and as a person who wishes he could have done even more to stop bad things from happening to good people, events of the past few years have in my mind, served to normalize sexual assault. Indeed, sexual assault has a variety of complex causes; it is clear however, that one distinct factor is that young people (and older adults too) are confused about what constitutes appropriate, consensual sex. From way back in my day, I remember watching the show L.A. Law, where the episode focused on an assault that had taken place and where both ...
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Camp Kupugani has been named one of the 50 Most Amazing Summer Camps for Kids.
