Cousins’ Camp – A Time of Bonding
Written by Anne Feenstra
If your grandchildren live some distance from you and, or, perhaps don’t know each other very well as cousins, try organizing a Cousins’ Camp.
Plan and prepare ahead
- Determine camp length – one week or less?
- Send invitations to the grandchildren.
- Look into area attractions and ticket prices.
- Collect and prepare craft items, if necessary.
- Stock the freezer and cupboards with foods children like.
- Choose age-appropriate devotional materials.
- Have parents mark name or initials on all child’s personal belongings.
Limit the age range
- Anywhere from age four or five and up.
- Must be potty-trained.
- No parents allowed during the camp.
Use your house as a home base
- From there, launch out to regional parks, area attractions, pools, or even nearby camping.
- Divide bedrooms into “cabins” – boys in one, girls in another and “counselors” in a third.
- Renting a cabin or condo is an option.
Set ground rules early
- Post rules in conspicuous places.
- There to enjoy each other and have fun.
- Treat each other with respect; no name-calling, put-downs, fighting.
- Always let grandparents know if you’re going somewhere away from the group.
Vary activities and food
- Plan different activities for each day (swimming can usually be repeated).
- Keep food simple, but varied.
- Have grandchildren cook at times or help along.
- Keep each day’s activity and menu a secret to build suspense.
- To adjust for differing ages, grandma can take little ones and grandpa older ones.
- Allow ample free time and be flexible.
- Do allow several half days for play.
Prepare responsibilities check-off lists
- Good morning list
- get dressed
- make bed
- brush teeth
- put dirty clothes in laundry
- Chores list
- sweep, dishes
- clear table
- laundry, etc
- Going away list
- take hat
- sunscreen
- water bottle
- lunch, etc
Have a theme
- “Celebrating our Dutch Heritage” etc.
- Make simple posters and related crafts.
- Make yearly time capsules and dig up the next year and add to them.
What Do You Fear?
I hope everyone will have a great time.
We’re having our first cousins camp this year and we’re hoping it goes well. We’re having all the cousins, nine in all, ages two to fourteen. I loved the idea of boys rooms and girls rooms and also liked the ideas of kids helping with meals and dividing kids into older and younger activity groups. We’re hoping the cousins will get to know each other a little better and will want to have cousins camp again next year.