Keeping Your Camper Physically Safe: A Parent’s Guide
As intentional parents, ensuring our children’s safety is a top priority, especially when they’re away from home, exploring the world at summer camp. At Camp Kupugani, we understand the importance of physical camper safety, and we’re here to share some tips and insights to help you navigate this aspect of your child’s camp experience.
Understanding External Forces
When we send our kids off to camp, we focus on the fun they’ll have and the friendships they’ll make. It’s also important to consider the external forces that can impact their physical safety. From inclement weather to wildlife encounters and navigating unfamiliar surroundings, being aware of potential risks is key to proactive preparation.
Preparation is Key
Although Camp Kupugani provides a safe and nurturing environment for campers, unexpected situations can still arise. As intentional parents, we should equip our children with the knowledge and skills to stay safe in various scenarios. From teaching how to identify poisonous plants to ensuring they understand emergency procedures, preparation is important. Before sending your child away, research the camp’s safety protocols. Communicate openly with camp staff about any concerns and ensure your child has the necessary knowledge and tools to stay safe.
Parents can rest assured that their children are in good hands at Camp Kupugani. Our strategies include maintaining a secure physical environment through our rural location, thorough staff screening processes, and emphasizing camper safety and awareness of the natural environment.
Minimizing “Stranger Danger”
Camp Kupugani’s rural Midwest location has a few protective features. Camp’s topography (i.e. bluffs, cliffs, water, and rural location bounded by large farms and forests) minimizes outside access. Thick brush and trees prevent outsiders from looking in. The camp is accessible only by a rural gravel road, usually accessed only by residents or those servicing their homes. Rural Midwest cultural norms create additional awareness of those who don’t live on the road. We are part of the Ogle County Sheriff’s regular patrol route. The police do not tread lightly with suspicious activity.
We train our camp staff members to assess unauthorized or unrecognized visitors. These same camp staff members undergo stringent reference and background checks, acknowledge and abide by child abuse and internet policies, and disclose health information and other precautionary information before being allowed to work among campers. Our intensive screening process ensures that your children are surrounded by only the best to help ensure their physical camper safety.
Awareness of the Natural Environment
In our outdoor environment, we prioritize safety and education about various topics, including wildlife, weather preparedness, river safety, and identification of poisonous plants like poison ivy and oak.
Wildlife
We appreciate the variety of animals in our natural environment. A lucky observer can see deer, eagles, hawks, turtles, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels…so many creatures! We educate campers on how to observe wildlife, not to feed them, and not to take food into the cabins. We especially appreciate bats in our natural environment because they eat lots of mosquitoes! Teaching campers about bats’ value in the food chain, we also educate and model how to behave around bats. We remove bats if they ever find their way into buildings, and otherwise “bat-proof” structures to minimize access.
Weather Preparedness
We train staff and campers in emergency guidelines. If lightning threatens, we shut down the pool and other water activities. We educate campers regarding hydration in intense heat or humidity. (“We want clear pee!”) Air conditioning is available in the Health Center in case of a heat-related urgency. Routinely monitoring the weather online via radar and e-mail alerts, we increase monitoring during potentially adverse weather situations. If there is ever a “high risk” weather event, the weather information is on continually.
Water Safety
We educate campers to stay away from the river and lake, except during camp activities when they wear personal flotation devices and have lifeguard supervision. Brush near the river is kept high to discourage walking too close to the bank. If there is ever a flood or fast-moving current, we limit river activities. For pool activities, our lifeguards evaluate campers to see who can be in the roped-off deep end.
Plant Identification
We educate campers regarding commonly allergenic plants like poison ivy and poison oak. (“Leaves of three, let it be!”) We post pictures at each cabin to identify the plants and care instructions. Walking paths are kept free of them. After challenge hikes or other activities intentionally going off trail, campers are directed to wash with soap and water.
Empowering Your Camper
A valuable gift we can give our children is the confidence to navigate the world independently. At Camp Kupugani, we empower campers to make smart decisions and advocate for camper safety–physical and otherwise. By fostering a culture of communication and resilience, we help campers develop essential life skills that will serve them long after their camp days. At home, you can teach your child essential safety skills such as identifying potential risks, communicating effectively with peers and adults, and making informed decisions in challenging situations. By empowering your child with these skills, you instill confidence and resilience that will serve them well everywhere.
Camp Kupugani Knows Your Child’s Safety Matters
Sending your child to camp can be exciting and nerve-wracking. As an intentional parent, your proactive approach shapes your child’s camp journey. By staying informed, preparing diligently, empowering your child, and choosing a camp like Camp Kupugani that is dedicated to providing a safe and enriching experience for campers, you can ensure that your camper has a transformative experience and empower them to explore the world with confidence and curiosity. So, with an ideal location, safe surroundings, and qualified staff, Camp Kupugani is one of the safest places for your child to be this summer. Which city or metropolitan area can promise your children the same safety?
Here’s more on why your kids are safe with us: https://campkupugani.com/5-reasons-why-your-children-are-safe-us/