Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp: Parent Interview with Amy Dulmage

Watch our Parent interview with Amy Dulmage to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp.

Transcript of the interview

How did you know Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp was the right fit?

I knew Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp was the right fit for both my kids because they came home raving about it. We tried other day camps in the past, and they weren’t their favourite. They just loved the setting of Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp, and they loved all the activities and the friends that they made there.

Just listening to them talk about it and ask to go again the following summer answered my question, right? That just solidified that they really, really did enjoy it.

What’s unique about Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp?

We really love the setting of Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp. It’s a very humble, grassroots, down-to-earth camp. It’s not flashy. There’s not a ton of overstimulating activities, which I think some camps can have.

There are a lot of outdoor activities. It’s a way for kids to disconnect from technology. The things that we would highlight are that the environment is very calm, it’s very down-to-earth, and it’s a way for kids to disconnect.

Was there any personal growth you saw in your child?

Some personal growth that we saw with both of our children was just the ability to jump into a new situation, make new friends, make new connections, and stick with it and really enjoy it. Both my kids can be a little bit anxious in newer situations, especially with new people and new adults whom they don’t know very well. It gave them a big confidence boost to know that they can do new things that can be a little bit intimidating or scary.

We also saw some self-advocacy. They’re able to speak up for themselves and problem-solve a little bit for themselves or talk to someone other than just Mom and Dad to help with some conflicts or any other issues that they have. So we saw a big confidence boost with both of our kids.

How can a parent support their child to get the most out of Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp?

I think starting them off with day camp is a really good stepping stone. It enables them to experience a lot of the different activities that are provided at the camp in a less intimidating situation.

Overnight camp can be a little bit intimidating for some kids, so day camp is a really good stepping stone. They get to experience pretty much all the same activities, and it’s a good way to just see what they like.

How can parents overcome hesitancy to send their children away overnight?

Each child is different. Just see what your child’s comfort level is. Day camp, again, is a really good stepping stone to see what they enjoy. For my kids specifically, they both enjoyed day camp so much that they begged to go to overnight camp.

Also, get to know the staff and get to know the director. Sometimes there are volunteer opportunities on-site that you can get involved with yourself, and it’s a really great opportunity to get to know the staff who are working with our kids, the directors, the program, and how everything functions. It can alleviate some of the anxiety as a parent too, leaving your child for an overnight camp.

What would you tell other parents about the overall value of sending kids to Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp?

The overall value of Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp, I see, is that it’s a great way to connect with other kids whom they wouldn’t normally get to connect with. There are kids from all over Ontario who come to this camp, and so it’s a great way to make some new friendships and make some new connections that way.

This camp is a great way to disconnect from technology, the internet, and social media and learn some new skills. I think kids are really bombarded with those things now.

I think overall your kids will get a good, well-rounded experience and also some self-advocacy skills too. Just having some time away from home is also really great for kids to learn different skills for themselves and just different ways that they can function outside of home and be able to have the confidence to make those decisions themselves.

What do your children say about Pleasant Bay Adventure Camp?

Both my kids love tubing and they love the rock wall. Those are two of their favourite activities that they have experienced at camp. Both of them have loved day camp and overnight camp, the fun activities they have planned, and campfires at night.

Sometimes there are fun, silly activities like Camper’s Revenge, where the campers get to crack eggs over the counselors’ heads, and it’s either a raw egg or a hard-boiled egg. They love that sort of stuff, and it’s a good chance to just kind of let loose and be silly, but also have a good amount of structure in learning some new skills.

They love coming home and saying, “Oh, I tried archery and I hit the target.” So there are just lots of things for them to do and lots of things for them to try that they come home and just love talking about.

Interviews with parents, participants, and alum

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