My First Year

What to Expect

We are proud to offer a warm and accepting environment where new campers of all ages are welcomed with open arms. Whether you are an eager first time camper just finishing 2nd grade, an 11 year old who is just now ready to take the plunge into starting camp or a 13 year old looking for a new experience you will find a new summer home with us where other girls are just waiting to meet you!

Our brother camp, Camp Cobbossee, is located a 1/2 mile away on the same lake. Kippewa and Cobbossee campers each enjoy a single sex camp environment while having the opportunity to visit with siblings and cousins and to get to know boys or girls of their own age at our fun-filled combined Carnival, cookout and special evening program.

Our two, 3 ½ week sessions each offer a complete camp experience with its own opening campfire, traditional special events, Color War or Olympics, closing banquet, final campfire and visiting day. Our campers attend one session and get to fully enjoy making friends, growing and developing skills, and experiencing everything camp has to offer.

We invite you to look around our website to learn more about Kippewa. A few common questions for first time campers are included below. Please contact us for additional information and with any questions at 1-800-547-7392 or by emailing info@kippewa.com. Thank you for visiting!

Does Kippewa do anything to help first time campers feel welcome?

Absolutely! Before signing up for camp we do our best to learn about every new camper in order to set her up for the best experience possible.  In addition to talking and meeting with parents and campers, both campers and parents fill out information telling us about the things they like, what they are excited about, etc. We use all of this information to help us find the best bunkmates and counselors possible.

For girls who are interested, we pair them up with a returning camper as a pen pal leading up to the summer.  We also host virtual meet and greet sessions and Kippy-Live virtual camp activities throughout the year to help everyone feel connected and to get a sense of what Kippewa is all about.

When girls arrive at camp they immediately meet their counselors and bunkmates. Our counselors then spend that first afternoon taking girls on a tour around our campus and playing getting-to-know-you name games in order to help everyone feel included.  Beds are pre-assigned so when girls first walk into the bunk they have a place that already belongs to them. During the first week of camp everyone is paired up with camp sisters so they get to know girls of other ages, and have someone else they can turn to with any questions or if they just need some additional support. Girls feel like Kippewa is their new home in no time!

How do we handle homesickness?

Homesickness is a natural reaction to being away from home – especially for those who have never been away from home before. Most often, episodes of homesickness occur during the first couple of days at camp when there is quiet time. There is no true remedy to fix homesickness since every case is different, although the general approach is to provide love and support and then help campers join in an activity or find something else to do. The more girls are engaged and busy in camp the less homesick they will feel!  We make every effort to help girls feel comfortable going to their counselors, division head, head counselor, Ginger, Steve, or whomever they naturally feel comfortable with to discuss how they are feeling. We are all here to help no matter what the situation is. During our staff training, we devote an extensive amount of time on how to assist campers who might be having a hard time adjusting to being away from home.

What does it mean to have a brother camp? 

Camp Cobbossee, our brother camp, is located just 1/2 mile down the road on the same beautiful Lake Cobbosseecontee.  For siblings or cousins attending Cobbossee and Kippewa we have weekly brother-sister lunches. We also coordinate our pickup and drop off times and locations, dates, rates, along with many other logistics. Our goal is to make the experience of sending your children to camp as straight-forward as possible!  Campers without a sibling at Cobbossee will see the boys one day during our shared Carnival and evening activity. There is a nice sibling feeling between campers who attend our camps, while fully enjoying their own single-sex camp experience.  We encourage you to check out their website to learn more!