Camp Packing List? Exactly what you’ll need…

With one day to go before camp opens, preparation is starting to kick up a notch. Kids are buzzing with excitement as they try to pack up their bags a week early, and throw in a million things they don’t exactly need. But don’t worry,  here is a detailed packing list for parents and campers to check off before loading up the car in order to maximize your camp experience. 

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How to Stay Grounded

Homesickness is something that every camper feels because being away from home, no matter where you are, can be a lot to deal with. And being at a camp where everyone has the resources to combat it and help ground the campers is very important. “Camp Tuku is about true community and reliance on each other; knowing that we are stronger together,” shares one of our return counselors, Nat. At Camp Tuku, our staff have those resources, and are trained thoroughly in making sure they know how to show them to campers. Here are three different tools we show your camper during their stay with us. 

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A Day in the Life of…

Imagine a day in the life at camp. The sun is rising and filtering in, promising a calm and sunny day. The world of nature outside your window is slowly waking up with you and your cabin mates. You can hear the early morning chatter of other cabins waking up. After getting ready for the day, you study your schedule, excited to try all the activities you’ve signed up for. And to make a great start to the day, you and your cabin head to the dining hall for some freshly prepared breakfast. Who wouldn’t want to be at camp if this was just what the morning looked like?

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Making Connections, Not TikToks

At Camp Tuku, something special happens the moment campers arrive. They leave their phones behind, and turn their attention to a new connection within our camp community. The world outside of camp refuses to slow down, but Camp Tuku provides a bubble of sorts, where the next social update from Instagram or TikTok is not looked at, or even thought about for the next week.

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Welcome Home! Our Journey Continues in a new location…

Welcome, Tuku family, old and new! Another summer is just around the corner, and the excitement is building as we prepare to gather once again for a season filled with laughter, growth, and unforgettable memories. We are thrilled to welcome returning campers into the fold and to greet new families who are about to discover what makes Camp Tuku so special, and the home away from home to so many campers and staff. 

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What Camp Tuku Means to Me

I’ve attended Camp Tuku for four years. This camp stood out to me because it was a
mindfulness camp. At the time, I had never attended a summer camp before, but I really wanted
to experience it.

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Stronger Minds, Happier Hearts: How SEL/SEE Elevates Learning

 What if children learning to regulate their emotions helped them perform better in the classroom? What if students practicing mindfulness led to higher test scores in reading and math? A recent study conducted by educational researchers, including Christiana Cipriano, an associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center, shows that integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can indeed lead to higher test scores in core subjects and may be one of the most powerful tools for schools and families today.

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Teachable Moments Happen in “Advanced Hide n’ Seek” at Camp Tuku

There are two momentous, camp-wide events at Camp Tuku that are filled with teachable moments for our campers: Capture the Counselor and Toucan-a-thon. Capture the Counselor is an “advanced hide n’ seek” game that takes place early in the camp week. Toucan-a-thon occurs at the end of the week, and we’ll talk about that event in an upcoming blog post. You might be wondering, just what are the teachable moments that come from a game based on finding a counselor whose hiding out somewhere around camp? Read on to find out…

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What’s Cookin’? Kids Learn Life Skills in the Camp Tuku Kitchen

 

When your kid writes home from Camp Tuku, you will hear all about what’s cookin’ in the Camp Tuku kitchen and around the campfire. Chef Mark teaches life skills alongside cooking skills as he guides kids of all ages through the steps involved with cooking a variety of amazing entrees and desserts. 

From the famous (or is it infamous) TikTok upside down pastry to octopus pizza to campfire quesadillas and the “best ever” open-flame popcorn…campers become chef-scientists when they enter the Camp Tuku kitchen. (Check-out all the camp activities and how we mindfully integrate science, creativity, and fun into all that we do!) Read more

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A Summer Camp Like No Other: Camper Photo Journal

It’s no exaggeration that Camp Tuku is a summer camp like no other:  At Camp Tuku you’ll find all the traditional activities of summer camp (sports, arts, outdoor excursions) plus the opportunity to learn mindfulness practices that support each camper’s social-emotional wellbeing.

Every year I’ve gone to Camp Tuku (I’m on my third year), I’ve learned something new–a craft, a hobby, stress management skills and found a way to use it in my life back at home. More than that, I’ve learned how to navigate difficult situations with a lot more calm and a lot less stress. And that says a lot, for me, anyway, because I’m kind of a high-strung kid. My home life had been really rocky, especially during and after the pandemic. And, I don’t always have the best grades. Since I started coming to Camp Tuku, though, a lot has changed for me.

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