Camp Activities
All activities are open to all ages!
Every day campers choose four different activities they want to do the following day. No experience is necessary to participate in any of our activities. Our well-trained instructors teach kids of all ages at every skill level. All equipment is provided. .
All our safety guidelines meet or exceed ACA standards. Our practices are in accordance with the latest ACA research outcomes.
Girls choose their own activities on the daily.
Unlike most camps that lock kids into the same schedule day after day, campers at Birchwood choose what they want to do every single day, allowing for more choice and socializing. Practicing this kind of independent decision-making, not only instills considerable confidence, it is simply a remarkable way each camper creates part of their own unique, camp experience. All campers are can participate in all activities they choose to at Camp.
So Many Activities, So Little Time!
Archery
Archery remains one of the most popular activities summer after summer.
Our well-trained instructors welcome all levels to the range each day. Girls follow ACA-approved safety procedures as they learn proper shooting form. Most campers test for awards once they have the basics down. They also learn to score their targets and take care of the equipment.
Arts & Crafts
Creative hands find a spot to express themselves in our craft shop.
Every day a new project is offered that immerses girls in color, texture, technique, and self-expression. Traditional, “old school” skills serve as the basis of each craft so that girls have a foundation to build on back at home. This includes painting, drawing, sewing, embroidery, crochet, weaving, beading, leatherwork, and more.
Campfire Cooking
Have a knack for making tasty treats or want to learn to how cook?
Depending on the menu, girls learn to prepare all kinds of tasty treats over a campfire or with a camp stove. Skilled trip leaders teach girls how to prep food safely both in camp and “on the trail”. Girls can also sign up for our “Iron Chef” - where they can make their own creations with teammates in order to impress guest judges.
Canoeing
Never underestimate the sense of accomplishment you gain once you learn how to steer a canoe. It opens up a world of adventure both near and far!
Our passionate outdoors-women teach girls to enter and exit a canoe without tipping and how to do forward and backward strokes in both the bow and the stern. Girls then master the J-stroke, C-stroke, Draw stroke, and how to pry effectively.
Climbing
Our 30 foot, 4-sided molded climbing tower challenges girls to new heights every summer.
Each side of our climbing wall offers varying degrees of difficulty. Trained climbing instructors fit girls into harnesses and then clip them into a self-belaying line. Proper form and technique are introduced slowly so girls can go at their own pace.
Dance
No formal dance training is required to shimmy and shake at Birchwood.
Non-judgmental, active fun is what it is all about. Our spirited dance instructors lead a variety of fitness-related classes in addition to 8-count hip-hop choreography. The schedule changes daily to offer options for everyone, including yoga, pilates, Zumba, water aerobics, kick boxing, informal ballet, swing dancing and more.
Drama/Theatre
Ready to add some drama to your life?
Girls learn the art of improvisation, role playing, voice projection, stage direction, etc. Campers attending for 4-weeks are welcome to audition for the camp play, which involves three weeks of rehearsal, set design, and stage production. Performed a couple nights before the end of a four-week session, these joyful productions are a highlight for both the actors and the audience.
Horseback Riding
Step into the arena to meet our happy horses!
Our specially trained instructors work in teams to teach both English and Western riding lessons. Since we own our own horses, we are familiar with their temperaments and can match campers appropriately according to level. In addition to riding, girls are taught how to take care of a horse “for real”. This includes grooming, feeding, watering, mucking stalls, letting out to pasture, and how to bridle and saddle.
Kayaking
Our flat-bottomed sea kayaks offer a breathtaking method of exploring Steamboat Lake and beyond.
To begin, girls learn how to enter and exit the kayak properly and how hold their paddle correctly so they can steer with ease. With added practice, they master the nuance of wind direction in relation to their destination, and how to navigate by map and compass. Advanced instruction includes how to perform deep sea rescues and the correct way to pack gear.
Mountain Biking
Birchwood’s gorgeous wilderness setting provides an ideal setting for mountain biking.
Hundreds of acres of woods, pasture lands, and daisy-filled fields sit north of camp. Children are fitted in helmets and placed on a bike just their size. Rides last for up to an hour with several stops taken to rest and investigate nature. Girls who wish to go on an extended bike trip have the option to sign up for a one or two night trip out of camp.
Open Waterfront
Steamboat Lake provides endless opportunities for avid swimmers.
As early as the second week in June, our gradual sandy bottom lake is comfortable for swimming any time of the day. Our Red Cross certified lifeguards are posted around our enclosed dock that serves as our “pool”. They supervise play on water mats, inner tubes, tippy teeter totters, and the famous “aqua log” (seen above), and our large water trampoline.
Photography
We take girls beyond selfies and Snapchat to learn the art of photography.
Digital photography provides campers with the unique opportunity to work with a professional 35mm camera. Composition and artistic merit are stressed, along with proper care and use of the equipment. Images are downloaded to computers to learn about post-production processing via Photoshop Elements.
Pottery
Sink your hands into a glob of clay and create a masterpiece!
Whether you “throw” a pot on one of our kick-wheels or build by hand, our open-air pottery studio is the perfect place to express yourself 3-dimensionally. Once dry, projects are fired in our kiln and returned so campers can apply glazes. After a second firing, girls take their fully functional pottery pieces back home.
Camp Birchwood Riflery Program
Developing focus and tenacity is how you score at the camp range in our junior riflery program.
Extensively trained instructors maintain the strictest of education and safety standards at Birchwood’s shooting range. Girls are introduced to safety protocol from the beginning and must practice continually to participate. Beginning in the prone position, girls shoot paper targets with single-shot .22 caliber rifles. As they improve their scores, girls graduate to sitting and then to kneeling, and finally to standing. Awards are presented at every level of achievement.
Sailing
Steamboat Lake is the ideal water playground for nautical adventures.
With hardly any boat traffic at all, the entire lake is our own maritime classroom. And with a fleet of more than 15 sailboats, there is a boat for every kind of sailor in every kind of wind. Instruction begins with safety rules, tying knots, identifying boat parts, navigating by point-of-sail, and ship-shaping. From there, girls build on their knowledge to earn badges that highlight their accomplishments. Many campers go on to sail back at home, on vacations, and in college.
Sports & Fitness
Take a break from typical competition in favor of casual, “pick-up games” with friends.
Winning and losing isn’t as important as having a ton of fun! In addition to dance, yoga, and aerobics, fitness activities are integrated into evening activities, for example, running in relay races, playing “neighborhood games”, and participating in traditional games like Capture the Flag. Sunday morning activities introduce girls to international sports like Netball and Rounders!
Tennis
Fancy a game of tennis?
Talented tennis players from around the world instruct girls of all ages on our courts. No experience is necessary. Just sign up according to your level and you will be taught accordingly. Along with mastering forehands, backhands, volleys, lobs, and serves, girls practice full-court playing and real competition in both singles and doubles. Funny drills and silly games inserted into each lesson keep girls on their toes and giggles on the court. Awards are earned by consistently delivering shots into the same spot and indicating an intellectual understanding of the game.
Tubing
Take a thrilling ride on one of Birchwood’s many inflatable toys!
This ever-popular activity doesn’t build on a skill as much as it pumps up the giggles. No amount of skill, experience, or maturity required - you just have to have passed your Swim Test. In addition to the flat tube pictured, we have a large inflatable sofa called “Big Mable” that is just as fun.
Waterskiing
You never forget the first time you get up on waterskis!
Our highly trained instructors pride themselves on making it happen. With both junior and adult skies available, girls are fitted into the right equipment for their age and ability. Drivers, always female, keep excellent watch as they gently pull kids out of the water. Since four go on this activity per hour, there’s plenty of time for a few tries, learning to go in and out of the wake, advance to slalom, and even drop a ski or get up on one ski only. We also offer wake-boarding and knee-boarding.
Windsurfing
With modern windsurfing equipment, you will sail to success in no time.
Extra wide, light sailboards make balance easy so you can master points of sail faster and easier than ever. Each camper is matched to a sail that fits her frame and ability. In just one hour, girls can get the basics of wind direction, hand placement, safety rules, and taking care of your rig. Once they feel that exhilarating rush they are sure to come back day after day.
Questions?
If you have questions about the activities that we offer at Camp Birchwood, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
We are happy to explain more about each activity we offer. Simply contact us at info@campbirchwood.com or reach out on our contact page here.
