Campers, Counselors, and Friend Groups at Pine Cove

Coming to camp for the first time can be full of questions for kids (and their parents!). What kind of food will I eat? Really, really good, food with lots of options. Will the cabin I’m sleeping in be air conditioned? Oh, absolutely. Will I make any friends? Again: ABSOLUTELY.

When kids come to camp, they’re grouped with six to seven other campers their age known as a “cabin.” Yep, it’s a building AND a group of kids. (A pack of kids? A gaggle? We’ll get back to you on that one.) During their week of camp, each cabin will have a dedicated seriously fun, Christ-centered, college-aged counselor that will sleep in the same room with them, eat with them at mealtimes, lead them through Bible studies, and spend one-on-one time with each camper.

Do some kids come to camp with a friend they already know? Yes! Do some kids come to camp not knowing anyone? Also yes! (In fact, about half of all campers come without a friend!) Either way, their counselor is going to make sure that everyone in the cabin is included, and no one ever feels left out. One way we do that is by limiting the number of people that can sign up together in one “friend group.” Since most cabins will only have seven campers, we ask that friend groups are kept to just four people, meaning one camper and three friends. This means it’s highly unlikely that there will ever be a cabin where six of the campers already know each other, and one camper is left out. Cabin unity? Achieved! 

If your camper is coming to camp without a friend, know that it won’t take long for them to make friends with the other campers in their cabin! Everyone bonds together quickly through games, activities, cabin cheers, meals, and more. We train our counselors to make sure everyone is having fun and feeling included, and teach them how to keep an eye out for signs of bullying so they can stop it before it starts! 

The counselor isn’t in this alone, though! They not only have a “senior counselor” who stops by often to check in, but also a “buddy cabin” consisting of another counselor and their group of campers. Plus there’s also an entire camp staff and leadership team who are supervising and providing support throughout the week!

We understand it can be tough to bring your camper to camp if they don’t know anyone, so we put together an additional resource to help make you feel better about your decision to send your child to Pine Cove on their own. Check out our article “Should My Child Go To Camp Alone?” Want to sign them up with a friend after all? Here’s how!

Whatever option you go with, know that we are dedicated to making sure every camper has a Christ-centered, others-focused, and seriously fun week at Pine Cove!