Simplicity at Camp from the Parent Perspective

You may remember that last year, we encouraged our community to pack for camp with simplicity in mind.

Our prayer is that Greystone would be a place where campers can leave the pressures and materialism of the world behind. We want campers to focus on their friendships, faith, and having fun at camp - not the label on their clothes! We asked that, when given the choice, you would pack the simpler option. Simple packing is practical, it’s easier, and it unites our community rather than divides it. The best things about camp can’t be bought, and those are the moments we want to magnify each summer.

Through surveys and conversations, we’ve seen parent concerns about this topic grow over the last few years, and we understand! We discuss simplicity with our counselors and the campers while they’re here (Laura’s “tacky talk” is famous - ask your girls!) and have spent significant time brainstorming this topic with our year-round team.

We want this message to be consistent with everything we do, and it has influenced updates we’ve made to summer photos, the Greystone Store, and other policies for this year. As with any change we make, the goal is to provide an excellent camp experience that fulfills our mission: to delight and inspire for the Glory of God. That is what matters most!

We have been so encouraged by our community’s response to this charge, and today, we’re shining a light on the parent perspective. We asked a few of our camp parents why simplicity matters to them in their daughter’s experience. And maybe more importantly, how do they practice it when preparing for camp at home? We know you’ll hear the heart in what they shared, and some practical tips to take back to your trunk, too.

Elizabeth, mom to 2 middle school campers

Our two girls count down the days until their time at Greystone! It is a place where they feel uniquely loved, supported, challenged, and known. What a gift to know that you’re sending your precious children to a place that is so thoughtful, well-organized, professionally run, and warm.

It’s no secret that life is moving faster by the moment - the school year is full of homework, after school sports, church commitments, juggling working parent schedules, and so much more. I feel like I blink and summer is here again. In many ways, I long to slow down - and I long to model a slower way of life for my children. Greystone is a big part of this effort - not only is it a time and a place to step out of the hustle and bustle of daily life but it’s a place that welcomes girls to show up as they are. Increasingly, this means encouraging them to show up without their 10 step skin care routine or branded athleisure - all of which are practical ways to say “This is a place where YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.” And isn’t that a message all of us, parents included, would welcome hearing a bit more often?

I’d encourage parents to take advantage of this particular season of simplicity and, while packing, to stick to the packing list (I know from experience just how comprehensive it is!); encourage your girls that, in the full days of camp, things can get dirty or lost so perhaps save their more precious items for later in the summer; and model for them the freedom that comes from knowing that there is so much fun to be had at camp that nothing to do with what they pack or what’s in their shower caddy. I pray it’s a rich season of freedom, growth, and friendship for your daughters, and for mine, too!

Collins, mom to 2 teen and pre-teen campers

One of my favorite things about camp is the simplicity of the days. As a camper, some of my favorite memories were evenings spent rolling down hills after EPs, meeting friends on the see-saws, or spending a Sunday afternoon on Putt Cove or swimming in the lake. Greystone encourages girls to focus on the simple joys of life - sunsets, fireflies, time with friends. Camp is a reprieve from the busy world, and encourages campers to appreciate simple rhythms and unhurried summer days.

When packing for camp, we try to keep this simplicity in mind. We stick to the packing guidelines provided in the Parent Handbook and try to avoid packing more than needed. This keeps their bunk space, bunk drawers, trunk, and cabin less cluttered. I’d like to think fewer options makes for an easier morning routine, and helps girls get to Flag on time!

Although we have had luck finding lost items in the Lost and Found, I try to send items that are replaceable. Packing for function is key as clothes get sweaty, muddy, and in our experience, come home damp. No one wants to miss out on the rainy day slip-and-slide or messy ice cream EP because they are worried about dirtying clothes or ruining their nice items! My advice to new camper parents would be to pack functional clothes that allow girls to jump in without hesitation to activities. Leave the jewelry, accessories, and nicer clothing at home. By keeping packing simple, the focus is less on fashion and belongings and more on experiencing the joys of camp!

Wendy, mom to a middle school camper

One unexpected blessing of Greystone has been the important offset it provides from all the hardships that come with being a girl the rest of the year. We live in a setting and age where girls are evaluated and measured non-stop by their peers, total strangers, and even us as parents. So many of their conversations, leisure activities, and identities revolve around stuff, brands, and comparison. Our girls need the break that Greystone provides because the simplicity of camp is actually a reality check: Our identity is not found in our objects but in our status as adopted and beloved children of God!

The beauty of that reality is lived in the pure joy of camp life and it settles into our girls’ hearts in subtle ways that stick. Case in point: When we got the breaking news that the camp Store would be closed this summer (!), my daughter’s reaction moved pretty quickly from shock and dismay to, “It’s actually a good thing.” Free periods spent standing in line and looking for yet one more cute thing to buy can now be spent soaking up all kinds of other goodness!

I could get on a whole side theme of how well you serve us as parents when we have to pare down our frenetic child-rearing to snail mail, deep breaths, trust, letting go, and even adjusting to fewer photos in 2026…it’s so good for us and equally needed!

So once again, as you’re preparing for camp this summer, we’d encourage you to join us as we strive to keep simplicity the focus. Parents, we’d love to hear from you - why does simplicity matter in your daughter’s camp experience and how do you practice it at home? We’re grateful to partner together as we strive to protect the Bubble again this summer!