Tips to Prepare for Camp
By Eliza Gilden, MESH Coordinator
Eliza is a PhD Candidate in School Psychology at Lehigh University
As the Mental, Emotional, and Social Health (MESH) Coordinator at Camp Onas, I see my primary job responsibility as empowering everyone at Onas to feel the best that they can while they are at Camp. “Best” is subjective, of course, and it is normal and even desirable to feel a broad range of emotions at Camp. Working through emotional challenges can even be uniquely rewarding. However, I aim to partner with Onas community members so that no one needs to work through those challenges alone. Sometimes that partnership looks like guiding campers through moments of acute panic or anxiety. Other times, that partnership looks like co-developing plans to help campers better meet behavioral expectations. I also communicate with families about MESH concerns at Camp, help develop MESH-related staff training, and work to improve accessibility at Camp for our neurodivergent community members.
I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in School Psychology, which means my specialty is in navigating and improving the systems that serve young people. Camp is one of those systems, but campers don’t come to Onas as blank slates. Instead, they are deeply informed by their caregivers and home lives. So, the best experiences at Camp start at home. The Camp Onas Parent and Guardian Handbook is an excellent resource for caregivers wondering how to begin preparing for a successful summer at Camp. The sections on “Preparing for Camp” and “Homesickness” are particularly relevant. For new families, I also recommend reading through the “Camp Life” section. In addition to what is available in the handbook, I want to highlight three of the most common MESH challenges that tend to warrant intervention before the summer begins: pre-Camp anxiety, saying goodbye, and yearlong
Young people approaching a sleepaway experience may have fears about leaving the comforts of home, such as access to parents and a private bedroom, or they may worry about having a negative Camp experience, such as struggling to make friends or finding enjoyable outdoor activities. The handbook offers excellent resources for addressing homesickness, but those tactics can also be utilized for a broad range of anxiety.
In addition to what’s covered in the handbook, one strategy for alleviating anxiety is discussing the importance of accepting the unknown and being present in the moment. For example, you might tell a child anxious about making friends, “It makes sense to be worried about making friends. It might be hard to make friends, but it also might be easy.
It’s okay not to know what will happen. No matter what, I know you are a wonderful friend and that you will treat everyone with kindness and respect. I am confident that you will be taken care of at Camp.” Additionally, this child might benefit from mindfulness tools that help them bring their focus from the potential future or stressful past to the present, safe moment.
Saying Goodbye
Goodbyes can start well before the actual moment of drop-off. It is typical for young people preparing for a departure to engage in unexpected behavior. Specifically, a child struggling with their feelings of sadness about leaving home might find it easier to express anger; saying goodbye to a caregiver you’ve just fought with may feel easier than saying goodbye to a caregiver you’ve just connected with. As a caregiver, weathering emotional outbursts and a sudden inability to meet behavioral expectations may be incredibly challenging. However, meeting chaos with calm and patience is the key to peaceful transitions away from home.
Yearlong MESH Concerns
Many young people experience MESH-related challenges that are unrelated to Camp but that, nonetheless, impact their Camp experiences. For example, many of our successful campers have experience with chronic anxiety, ADHD, or sensory sensitivities, amongst other MESH concerns. Caregivers are encouraged to share any and all potential MESH concerns on their medical forms. In general, the more information we have about our campers prior to their arrival, the better we can make their camp experiences. A stated MESH concern can spark a conversation between us in which I can learn from you what your child needs and we can brainstorm together about how to make Camp work for your family. For example, in response to increased reports of sensory needs last summer, we were able to implement a sensory-sensitive table during most mealtimes for campers who benefitted from a quieter, less crowded space while eating.
Final Thoughts
As someone who has either been a camper or camp staff member nearly every summer since I was seven-years-old, I am intimately familiar with the highs and lows of a summer away from home. Camp can be a scary place, but it can also be a place of magic, lifelong lessons, and personal growth. In partnership with you, I believe that the summer of 2026 can truly be one in which each of our campers receives exactly what they need to be as mentally, emotionally, and socially healthy as possible at Onas.