Camper Age Groups

At Greystone, we are lucky enough to have girls from all over the country that span a wide range of ages…from 1st grade all the way up to 12th grade! Learn more about our different age groups at camp:

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Graders

These girls are precious! They are individualistic, imaginative, and focused on themselves and their counselor more than their peers. There’s a lack of self-consciousness and a sense of freedom that characterizes these years; it is so much fun to be around this age.

These are sometimes called the “sweet and spicy” years! Girls at this age are tender-hearted, intuitive, and compassionate. They want to connect with you and to please you! They can also be a little sassy and strong-willed with an adventurous spirit. They are constantly absorbing the world around them. Look for opportunities to tell each girl how brave, compassionate, or funny she is as she figures out camp and relationships within your cabin.

4th and 5th Graders

This is the magic age at camp in so many ways! They care about their peers and their counselor. They are team players, and they love being a part of a vision to be the best cabin in camp! They are capable and can really start to “get” camp and develop more advanced skills in their activities. They are able to take care of themselves for the most part, so you don’t have to be quite as hands-on as with the younger groups.

They are starting to understand humor. They love working together. They still act funny and goofy - they aren’t too cool yet. They are really SO fun! They want to succeed - as a group and in their activities. They are able to regulate their emotions a little better - they don’t always just bust out crying when they are tired. They understand what it means to be a friend and want to be good friends to others. They think their counselor is super cool!

6th and 7th Graders

As girls enter middle school, their friends become the most important thing to them; you as the counselor can start to take a back seat to their loyalty to the group. They also can start to draw inward and be more self-focused. Remember how awkward and self-conscious you felt at this age? These girls are feeling it too!

They have one foot in childhood and one foot in their teenage years; it can be a confusing time. All of this means that you have an incredible opportunity to help these girls feel seen and known, just as they are. This is the age where the maturity gap really starts to grow. You may have some girls that act like 4th graders and some who act like 10th graders! The best thing you can do as a counselor is just be a consistent, steady presence for them, meeting each girl where she is.

8th and 9th Graders

This is a big age for girls “testing the waters” at camp as they try to figure out if they want to “play the camp game” into their teenage years or not. Some will already know that they’re coming through their Senior year, and some have felt a little too cool for camp for a while, but they all still need you to be the leader in the group!

They may feel pressure to act cool or more grown-up than they are. You can make a big difference by modeling for them what it looks like to let go of outside pressures at camp and just enjoy being young. Choose to spend all the time you can with them and offer Shoppe dates and DMCs to anyone who is interested. They can be independent and focused on their friends, but they still need and want a relationship with you.

10th and 11th Graders

These girls are amazing! They love camp, love each other, and love their counselors. They are eager to grow spiritually and to get the most out of their weeks at Greystone; they’ve been waiting for this all year long! Recognize that they come into camp bearing a lot on their shoulders. They are learning to take care of themselves, how to have healthy relationships, how to navigate peer pressure, and thinking about their future plans.

You can help them see that they are natural leaders around camp and that they all bring different gifts and talents to our community. Do your best to relate to each girl as an individual and to see and acknowledge who she is and how God has created her.