new camper weekend Archives - Pine Forest Camp

TGFC: Thank Goodness for Camp

Posted on June 13, 2017 by PineForest

June is a crazy month. With end of year school work piled on, recitals, playoffs and camp packing, even my lists have lists! It really is the single most crazy month of year, at least for me and I am sure most of you can agree. As I keep telling myself, this is all the “good stuff” so I try not to stress because it really is true. How lucky we and our children are …to be wrapping up another successful school year and now they get to go to CAMP!! Lucky ducks.

Last week, I had the good fortune to be up at camp for New Camper Weekend with my son who is about to start camp. While there, my daughter, who has been already been at camp a few years, called me, stressed about her finals and things going on at home. All I could say to her was “don’t worry, it’ll be over soon and you’ll be here at camp before you know it. Camp couldn’t look more beautiful and it’s waiting for you with open arms.” She replied in four simple words,“I can’t wait, Mom.” Her reply brought tears to my eyes. It perfectly sums up why we do this. Yes, to have our children learn independence, make new friends, try new things, etc. But, my daughters words made me think even deeper.

Camp provides an escape for our kids…a place to truly get away from it all, and, purely and simply, just relax. In this modern age, I can’t imagine anything being more needed and important. For 10 months out of the year, our kids run around like crazy, live on their phones, engulfed by social media and technology. I am so thankful for Pine Forest and for the opportunity it provides to leave all that behind for 7 weeks. PFC is my daughter’s happy place on earth. I don’t know what she would do without it. She has grown to need camp, to work all year to have camp and to cherish camp all year long.

I share this story with you because my hope is that every child who steps foot off the bus on June 24th can exhale like I know my daughter will. I hope they truly feel that PFC is their home away from home and the place that they look forward to returning to and getting away from it all summer after summer.

T.G.F.C.

Hillary, PFC Mom

And What a Weekend It Was!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by PineForest

New Family Weekend is an amazing Pine Forest Camp tradition, when all first-time campers and their families are invited up to camp to spend their first weekend at PFC together! Families stay overnight in their own bunks before camp starts, and future campers participate in activities in their age group to get to know one another. It’s a sneak preview of the fun to come this summer.

Ziplining, canoeing, gaga, arts and crafts, basketball – you name it, we did it! And the weather was perfect! The day ended in the best way possible, around a campfire! There was a fantastic talent show that included dances, jokes and gymnastics. You’d never be able to tell that these campers just met that day! Mickey led everyone in a rousing 3-part round of his famous “Fish and Chips” song. And we ended the campfire as we always do at PFC, arm-in-arm, singing “Taps and Friends.” After the campfire, it was s’mores for all!

The next morning, families enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the Dining Hall, complete with lox, bagels and hot chocolate with whipped cream. Every new camper left that morning looking forward to the excitement yet to come (and with an exclusive, special edition new PFC long-sleeve shirt!)

We want to extend a special thank you to our outstanding staff for making New Family Weekend 2017 the best one ever! It really is all about the people! Being at PFC with new families each year reminds us that Pine Forest campers are awesome because Pine Forest families are awesome.

“WE WELCOME YOU TO PINE FOREST, WE’RE MIGHTY GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”

And now, the big show! We can’t wait to see our new campers again in 19 DAYS!

New Camper Weekend 2017!

Posted on June 2, 2017 by PineForest

It’s finally here! New Camper Weekend 2017! Did you know that each June we invite all new campers and their families to spend the whole weekend at camp a few short weeks before opening day? It’s a unique opportunity for campers and their families to connect with staff, meet future bunk mates and really start to feel at home in Greeley, PA. We don’t know any other camp that opens its doors the way we do, and we’re proud of it!

Attending New Camper Weekend? Here’s what you need to know!
Please arrive at camp between 11:30 AM and 12:45 PM on Saturday, June 3rd to experience your first camp lunch! Introductions begin around 1:00 PM. As a reminder, nights in the mountains can be quite chilly, so bring warm and comfortable clothing for the campfire and warm PJs, too! Don’t forget warm bedding or sleeping bags, and remember toiletries and towels as well. There will be free time to explore, so if you’d like to play, boat or swim as a family, bring tennis racquets, softball gloves, and bathing suits.

Stay tuned for live updates and photos from what will surely be a weekend of lifelong memories in the making! WELCOME NEW CAMPERS!

We Love Our New Campers!

Posted on June 7, 2016 by PineForest

What a weekend!

New Family Weekend is an amazing Pine Forest Camp tradition: we invite all first-time campers and their families up to camp to spend their first weekend at PFC together! Families stay overnight in their own bunks before camp starts, and future campers participate in activities in their age groups to get to know one another. Think ziplining, canoeing, gaga, arts and crafts, basketball – you name it, we do it! It’s a good thing we lucked out with the weather! We end the day the best way possible: at a campfire! A big campfire highlight for us (besides the s’mores, of course) was Mickey leading a round of his famous “Fish and Chips.” We also loved watching the awesome talent show that included dances, jokes and gymnastics. You’d never be able to tell that these campers just met that day! We ended the campfire the only way we know how to: with “Taps and Friends.” After the campfire, there was a wine and cheese party for parents so they could get to know each other, too!

The next morning, families enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the Dining Hall, complete with hot chocolate and whipped cream. After breakfast, many families took advantage of the fields and courts being open and all new campers left with an exclusive new PFC sweatshirt and a great deal of excitement for what’s to come.

We want to extend a special thank you to our outstanding staff for making New Family Weekend 2016 one of our best yet. It really is all about the people! Being at PFC with new families each year confirms what we already know: Pine Forest campers are awesome because Pine Forest families are awesome.

As we sing when you visit:
“WE WELCOME YOU TO PINE FOREST, WE’RE MIGHTY GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”

And now, the big show! We can’t wait to see our new campers again in 18 DAYS!

New Family Weekend 2016!

Posted on June 1, 2016 by PineForest

New Family Weekend is just three days away! The comfort and excitement of our new campers and their families is a top priority, so PFC opens its “doors” just three weeks before opening day! It’s our official start-of-summer!

To truly experience camp life in all its glory, each new camper family gets a cabin to stay in overnight. It’s really a perfect way to see the facilities, experience the activities and get a taste of bunk life. This weekend is also a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends, their families and our awesome camp leaders.

There is nothing like these first sounds of summer: children’s laughter echoing throughout camp, balls bouncing on the courts, crickets chirping at night and even the sound of the cabin doors opening and closing. It’s a right of passage for all PFC campers to smell a campfire and taste a s’more. And there is nothing that brings the day to an end like breathing in fresh mountain air, gazing up at millions of stars in the sky, singing arm-in-arm with incredible children and adults, all with the same goal in mind: becoming acclimated and excited for the best summer ever.

Even for parents, having this inside perspective and first-hand experience of what camp is truly like is incredibly valuable. The weekend provides parents and campers alike with that extra bit of confidence and comfort.

Created so that each new camper’s first night at camp is not actually his or her “first night at camp,” this weekend is truly such fun and so very special.

We can’t wait to welcome many of our new families on Saturday!

New Camper Events: Check!

Posted on January 12, 2016 by PineForest

What an eventful weekend! We now have two successful new camper events under our belt and we couldn’t be more excited for summer 2016. Our new campers got to meet some of their future bunkmates and counselors as they bowled, tumbled, climbed, and ate lots of pizza! Their parents had the opportunity to connect with other new parents, too.

We are so lucky to have so many nice new families and can’t wait to see them in Greeley at NEW CAMPER WEEKEND on June 4-5th! We also hope to see many new faces at our FAMILY SKI DAY on February 27^th. Oh, and did we mention that there are only 165 days until the buses make their way down Pine Forest Road?! That’s less than 6 months!

For more information on our upcoming events, check out our website, email , or call the winter office at (267) 639-2488. We’re here to answer any and all questions!

New Family Weekend 2015: Check!

Posted on June 9, 2015 by PineForest

Wow! What a weekend! Pine Forest Camp was filled with new families, new friends and fun for the overnight New Family Weekend. The sun shone on a glorious two days at camp. It started with bunk assignments, introductions at Netsy Playhouse, and then families went off for a tour of camp and activities were in full swing. Campers and their brothers and sisters climbed the climbing wall, canoed to Blueberry Island and even inaugurated the boys’ pool, with a splash.

Later in the day, Moms and Dads had a chance to meet the camp leaders at a question and answer session about getting ready for camp, while campers played games and practiced for the talent show campfire.

Barbara served a delicious barbeque chicken dinner with homemade apple cobbler and ice cream for dessert. We all saved room for s’mores at the campfire, and what a campfire it was! Songs, jokes, skits, karate demonstrations, Rubik’s cube feats, and even yo-yo tricks by Chad. At the end, both new campers and old, Moms, Dads, and even grandparents, linked arms and sang for the first time this year, the songs that we have been singing around that same campfire for 85 summers, “Taps” and “Friends.”

The next morning, everyone looked settled into camp life in their pajamas as we met for breakfast and goodbyes. It won’t be long before those new campers are back for the real thing. Hopefully they will be more confident and secure than ever as they arrive at their summer home. The best is yet to come!

Thanks to all for a spectacular New Family Weekend! See you on opening day!!

Countdown to New Family Weekend!

Posted on May 29, 2015 by PineForest

New Family Weekend is just one week away! The comfort and excitement of our new campers and their families is a top priority, so PFC opens its “doors” just three weeks before opening day! It’s our official start-of-summer!

To truly experience camp life in all its glory, each new camper family gets a cabin to stay in overnight. It’s really a perfect way to see the facilities, experience the activities and get a taste of bunk life. This weekend is also a perfect opportunity to meet new friends, their families and our awesome camp leaders.

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There is nothing like these first sounds of summer: children’s laughter echoing throughout camp, balls bouncing on the courts, crickets chirping at night and even the sound of the cabin doors opening and closing. It’s a right of passage for all PFC campers to smell a campfire and taste a s’more. And there is nothing that brings the day to an end like breathing in fresh mountain air, gazing up at millions of stars in the sky, singing “taps and friends” arm-in-arm with incredible children and adults, all with the same goal in mind: becoming acclimated and excited for the best summer ever.

I attended New Family Weekend last year with my son, my second PFC camper. Having this inside perspective and first-hand experience of what camp is truly like was incredibly valuable for me as a parent. The weekend gave my son (and me!) that extra bit of confidence and comfort, and he made his best friend of the summer that weekend (I made a few new friends as well)!

Created so that each new camper’s first night at camp, is not actually his or her “first night at camp,” this weekend is truly such fun and so very special. Wishing you a great first camp adventure!

Hillary Slovin
Camp Mom

Tag: new camper weekend