Once you’ve been to summer camp you can always spot another camp counselor a mile off. Whether it’s their massive smile, silly nature, wrist full of friendship bracelets or ability to entertain a room full of kids using just an egg and some paper cups, summer camp counselors are a special breed. And those tell tale signs will never leave you:
1. You can always find the funny side to pretty much anything.
2. You can whip up an excellent friendship bracelet in a matter of minutes.
3. You know how to take a child’s mind off being homesick just by talking to them about the moon.
4. Your nail art skills are outstanding.
5. You always have a backup plan in case it rains. Ping pong in the dining hall anyone?
6. You LOVE thunderstorms. The louder the better.
7. You want to sing and chant at every meal.
8. Bagels are still your favourite part of breakfast.
9. You can braid hair with the best of them – fishtail or regular?
10. Your wardrobe is full of tie dye. And none of your tshirts have sleeves anymore.
11. You can do the cup song with your eyes closed. With the singing.
12. You spend the 8-10 months that you’re not at camp, talking about camp to anyone who will listen.
13. Getting a message or letter from one of your campers makes your day.
14. You can come up with a brand new game in under 5 minutes just using a hoola hoop, a basketball and a bowling pin.
15. Most (if not all) of your stories start with the words ‘this one time, at summer camp…‘
16. You say ‘candy‘ instead of ‘sweets‘; ‘trash‘ instead of ‘rubbish‘; and ‘sneakers‘ instead of ‘trainers‘.
17. Bugs just don’t bother you anymore. Come at me mosquitoes.
18. You sometimes kind of miss sleeping outside under a bug net.
19. You can keep an excitable bunch of 10-year-olds entertained for hours with a few bin bags, newspaper and some tape.
20. You can make a costume at a moments notice, just by using any random things that you can find – branches, a sheet, a bandana, and that banana suit you won in the staff auction.
21. Your iPod has a (very long) playlist called ‘Camp Songs’, or something of that nature, and you spend all year perfecting it.
22. Your fire building skills are masterful. You can make fire in the rain. One time you didn’t even have to light a match – you just looked at the sticks and logs and flames appeared.
Are there anymore signs of being a summer camp counselor that you can think of? I’d love to hear them!
Summer Camp Secrets 