7 tips for writing spirit-lifting letters to a child at camp

A letter at camp is a magical thing. Campers love getting mail – even mail from a sibling they fight with at home – mail at camp is a piece of home.  Letters can lift the spirits of even the happiest camper and maybe, just maybe, even elicit a reply.

1. Letters should be informative and upbeat. A weekly update on the news from home is always appreciated, but lamentations about how much you miss your child are not a good idea. Do say you are proud of your child, excited to hear all about their adventures. Ask lots of questions!  Don’t say "home is amazing and we miss you" more than once.
   
   
2. Pop a letter in the mail 2 days before your child leaves for camp. That way they get a letter on (or around) their first full day of camp.
   
   
3. Yes, an occasional care package is fine, but a steady stream of packages means they lose their intended effect.   Packages can set campers into groups of “haves” and “have-nots” and this can be a distraction for everyone and at one point the sheer volume of packages becomes unsustainable for camp staff to manage. 
   
   
4. Don’t send food.  Just don’t do it.  Pack up that parental guilt in a non-edible form.  Food attracts animals to the cabin – including bears, but mostly squirrels, mice, and chipmunks (who are worse than bears). Any food sent to a camper will be disposed.
   
   
5. Make sure you write your return address.  Packages and other mail that arrive after your camper has left camp will be forwarded back to your home address or returned to the sender.
   
   
6. Day campers can get mail too.  Yes, they may see you in the morning and afternoon, but they still get touched by the magic of a handwritten letter.
   
   
7. Here’s how you should address mail to your camper:

If you have any questions about correspondence at camp, feel free to contact admissions at sam@farmandwilderness.org or 802-422-3761.  Next up, how to get your kid to write home!