Why Our Opening Day System is Great for New Campers - New Camper Blog Series

We are just days away from the start of the summer, and Opening Day is on our mind! New campers, you are going to LOVE your first day at Greystone.

We have a great video you can watch from last summer to show you what it is like (just know that some of the COVID details have changed). We switched to this way of doing drop off because of COVID, but since it was such a HUGE success, we are continuing it this summer as well.

When you arrive, you are going to pull in our back gate and then pull into one of the lanes on our soccer field. When your car reaches the front, we will greet you, tell you your cabin, label your bags with your cabin number, ask you a few health questions, and then campers will hop out to go meet their counselor. It is a fast but fun process that gets you started into camp life right away!

We realized last year that our new Opening Day system happens to be perfect for new campers. Here is why:

• You don’t need to know anyone when you pull in: Because of the way we drop off, everyone is in the same situation when they arrive. You won’t find groups of friends mingling together and talking excitedly; instead, as you arrive, we take everyone straight to their cabins to meet their counselors and new friends. It puts everyone on an equal playing field in terms of knowing or not knowing anyone.
• The goodbye is easier: Because the campers are leaving their parents at the drop off location, it makes the goodbye easier. Girls are used to hopping out of a car at school and walking in by themselves. There are not lengthy, drawn out goodbyes; some of our parents applauded our Opening Day system as a “ripping off the band aid” way to do it – and they are right! Also for the girls, we found it better when they left you (saying goodbye at the car and walking up to the cabin) instead of when you leave them (saying goodbye in the cabin and then walking out). It’s probably more of a mental thing, but it helped!
• The homesickness is far less: We saw less homesickness on Opening Day with our drop off system. Like mentioned above, because the goodbye was not drawn out and emotional, girls transitioned into camp much easier. We saw far fewer tears on the first day because girls just acclimated better.
• The settling into the cabin is simpler: With having just the campers in the cabin on Opening Day, girls had the space and freedom to settle in on their own. Counselors help girls unpack their things and decorate their bunk space, giving all campers a sense of ownership right from the start. Many girls described it as so much less hectic and much more relaxed, which is exactly what we would hope for your first day of camp!

So, even though this is your first summer, know that Opening Day makes being a new camper even easier! Our new campers will be settled into camp in no time, ready to enjoy all of the exciting parts of camp, like making new friends and trying classes.

We did a New Camper Blog last year on what happens the rest of Opening Day (after drop off), so make sure to read up on what else happens on the first day of camp. It is an exciting day!

If you have any questions about the Opening Day process, reach out and let us know. We are happy to talk you through the details and answer any questions you may have. We can’t wait to welcome you to camp on your Opening Day soon!