A note: Last fall, we asked a mom of two of our younger current campers to share her perspective on why she sends her daughters to Keystone Camp during our virtual open house for prospective families. We wanted to share her story with our wider audience here on the blog!
My name is Tami, and we live in Roswell, Georgia. My husband and I have two girls who attend Keystone Camp. They are 7 and 9, and this summer will be their 2nd and 3rd years going, respectively.
From our first tour of Keystone Camp in November of 2021, my husband and I knew this would be the right camp. We both attended sleepaway camp growing up, so we knew what we were looking for. And, we immediately felt a sense of warmth from the administration.
There are so many wonderful things about Keystone. We love that the girls get to choose their daily activities. They also can take horseback riding, which my younger one likes, and horsemanship (where you take care of the animals), which my older one likes. It is really nice to have that available. The dogs at camp fill in the void when my girls miss their own dogs at home. Their favorite dog is Duke, and he is my favorite too!
The off-camp trip choices are so unique. The girls get to decide if they want to go on a trip, and they don’t have to go with their cabin, which means they get to meet other girls of all ages. It is also nice if kids have a sibling at Keystone, as they can do a trip together and spend time together. My girls both did a canoe trip together this past July. They had such great stories about my little one having trouble paddling. They still laugh about it today! My older daughter went on an art trip where they painted on a mountain. She loved it and met some nice girls on that trip.
We also love that the campers come from all over. I didn’t want my girls going to the same camp that their friends go to. It is nice to have a break from school friends and make new ones.
Another big plus for us is that the cabins have full bathroom facilities — showers, toilets, and sinks. The girls are also required to do cabin chores. According to my girls, the worst is cleaning the shower or toilet (I can’t blame them and they certainly won’t do that at home!). My little one loves to talk about those specific chores!
Sleepaway camp teaches so many things. One thing is independence. It also teaches them how to handle situations on their own. Without their parents there, they have to problem solve. The counselors at Keystone are amazing at helping if situations do arise. Kids also learn responsibility. And, my girls have a sense of community at camp.
Keystone is also a wholesome camp. As a parent of two girls, I love the dress code, which is no crop tops and only one-piece or tankinis for swimming. I love the fact that there are no electronics allowed at camp. Letters are handwritten like I did when I went to sleepaway camp!
Another thing I really like is that they offer Mother Daughter Weekend for new or prospective campers. This was huge for my girls, since they didn’t understand how sleepaway camp worked. Going to Keystone for the weekend got them acclimated to the camp, the staff, and other families. They got to do activities, eat in the dining hall, and sleep in a cabin. After the weekend, they were so excited for camp to begin. They had no fears. The toy store and bakery in town helped too… it has become a pickup-from-camp tradition for our family!
Overall, Keystone Camp offers everything we wished for our girls and more. Both of my girls look forward to Keystone each summer, and wish camp was much longer than it is. They wish they could be there the entire summer, and my husband and I wish so too!
