Camp Kupugani Blog
4 Secrets To Grit When Life Gets Hard
Our Midwest overnight summer camp located near Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois offers girls-only, boys-only and blended (intentionally co-ed) sessions. We embrace and seek out challenges so that we can make the most personal growth. We encourage and support our campers (and staff) to maximize conflict resolution techniques. Our staff is trained in how to provide the camper with age and maturity level based support. A recent article by the folks at Barking up the Wrong Tree has a good take on 4 Secrets to Grit When Life Gets Hard. […]
Being a Kupugani Camper Shouldn’t Be Easy
We Want Our Campers to Cry (at least once)… and We Won’t “Fix” Your Kid at Camp Around this time of year, some reflect on the world around them and how to gift their kiddo(s) the experience of camp. If seeking an avenue by which your child can grow in a challenging environment, our Midwest summer camp could be just the thing! A few important notes about our program: being a Kupugani camper is challenging and hard work… and that’s how we like it. We want our campers to cry… […]
5 Tips on How to Raise Socially Aware Children
Social awareness is one of the focal points at Camp Kupugani, our Midwest overnight residential summer camp with girls-only, boys-only, and blended sessions near Madison, Wisconsin (and also not far from Chicago, Illinois). A recent article put forth some good tips on how to raise socially aware children. See below for some quick takeaways, with the full article here. Socially Aware Tips Address privilege early Speak with your children about differences (don’t pretend to be “color-blind”) Address the challenges that can arise from these differences Make sure that their toys, […]
7 Ways We Can Help Protect Our Earth
At Camp Kupugani, our summer camp with girls-only, boys-only, and blended sessions–located near Chicago and Madison Wisconsin, we’re nestled on 125 acres of nature’s finest, including forest, a river, and a lake. As such, we’re reminded daily of the beauty that nature offers, and the importance of preserving that beauty for current generations and those beyond. We take pride in helping our campers understand and learn what they can do to help protect our earth. In our mission (core value) and programming, we foster respect for Mother Nature, so we […]
5 Ways to Maximize Your Child’s Mental Health
At our Midwest summer camp in northwest Illinois, we know how important mental health is to the growth of our children. A recent article had some good tips on how we can maximize our kiddos’ mental development. See below for our bullets. Acknowledge Your Child’s Feelings …even if they don’t match how you feel. Acknowledging feelings helps your child stay open to speaking to you. Help Your Child Process Her/His Feelings Ask open-ended questions. Provide insight specific to your child. Monitor What Your Child Watches on TV/YouTube Don’t allow technology […]
Nine Powerful & Simple Ways to Reduce Racism
At our Midwest summer camp, our mission is to bring together kids from varied backgrounds, and help them develop tools to deal with difference. Especially given the evolution (devolution?) of our societal interactions of late, it is increasingly important to figure out how to treat each other better. Here are nine powerful and simple ways to reduce racism. Apologies for this blog being heartfelt, yet without attribution to various sources from which notes were culled before writing it. Discover your culture. Consider your interests/beliefs. Where did you grow up? What […]
Social Awareness Tactics That Help You Be A Better Leader
At Camp Kupugani, we operate our Midwest summer camp (near Chicago and Madison) and focus on helping our campers maximize their social awareness. We want our parents to be the best they can be as well. Here is an article on maximizing one’s impact on others. Read our take below and check out the full article here about social awareness. Understand what it means to listen Actively listen to the speaker Avoid making assumptions before hearing the person’s full story Repeat what was said Repeat it back to help the […]
Prevent Kids from Developing Entitlement Syndrome
At our Midwest summer camp, we strive to empower our campers to be their best selves. It can be a challenge as a parent to spoil our children even while intending only to have a positive influence. Good intentions can sometimes lead to negative outcomes though; entitlement develops when a child is given too much, too soon. It’s a function of giving our kids too much stuff, and not necessarily what they really need: parental guidance, wisdom, and direction. Here are five ways to maximize that you won’t accidentally be […]
You May Be a Helicopter (or Lawnmower) Parent
As director of a kids Midwest summer camp (within easy driving distance from Chicago and Madison), I see the ramifications of varied parenting styles in how the kid recipient of those parenting styles navigate the world. As a parent of a young teen, I get to see firsthand how our parental successes and mistakes have shaped the development of our own child. A good way to evaluate whether our parental actions are harming our kids is to examine their behavior. Therefore, consider four results of an enabling parent. 1. Your […]
Takeaways from Stamped from the Beginning
Kevin Gordon, Director of Camp Kupugani in Leaf River, IL–located two hours west of Chicago–recently read Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning (Nation Books, 2016). Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand racism in the United States. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, this book offers tools we need to expose them—and in the process, gives us reason to hope. Check out the book here. See below for some excerpts. What is racism? Racism is…any concept that regards one racial group as inferior […]
5 Ways to Establish Rituals That Will Make You Happy
At Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp that offers girls-only, boys-only, and blended (intentionally co-ed) programming, we want everyone to be reaching their happiness quotient every day. We strive each day to offer activities at camp that every camper will like. A recent article describes five rituals that will make you happy. Check out our bullets below and read the full article here about establishing rituals that will increase happiness. Challenge Unhelpful Thoughts Is the thought you are having helpful? Happiness is not determined by money, family, or being famous; […]
10 Tips to Raise Environmentally-Conscious Children
At Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp that offers girls-only, boys-only, and blended (intentionally co-ed) programming, we try our best to be “green” or environmentally-conscious. We recycle, minimize water usage, and try to be cognizant of energy use. Especially as the results of our global unfriendliness to Mother Nature become increasingly apparent, it becomes more critical to have our children treat our world kindly. A recent article has some good tips on how to raise an environmentally-conscious child; check out our bullets below, with the full article here. Environment Tips […]