Our 3 Top Tips for Making Friends at Camp Naturally
Making friends at summer camp can seem intimidating, especially if you don't know anybody else going to the same location in advance. However, the friends you'll inevitably make will help you have an amazing time whilst away from home.
Most of the time, making friends at camp will happen naturally. Camp management plans activities and events to help their new staff bond, so you don't have to create specific situations to make it happen.
That being said, if you're worried about it and you’re asking how to make friends at summer camp, we've got some tips for you that will make the whole process easier. If you keep these things in mind during the first week, we're sure that you'll make lots of new mates, and as we all know, summer camp friends are friends for life.
1. Get involved in camp icebreaker activities
As touched on above, there'll be loads of opportunities to participate in some icebreaker activities during your first week at summer camp.
Get involved with whatever activities they've planned, and that will give you a chance to get talking with the people around you. Whether the activity is your favourite hobby or something you've never tried before, dive in and give it your best shot! We guarantee that most are in the same boat as you, so it’s a great way to make friends at camp.
If a specific activity does happen to be something you're really good at, though, maybe make an effort to not leave everybody else in your dust. Now, don't pretend not to succeed, but don't gloat. Perhaps you could give your fellow campers some tips or strike up a conversation with someone who hasn't done the activity as much as you have. Helping people up is part of the spirit of summer camp.
On the other hand, if it's something new to you and you're struggling, don't get too frustrated with it! As with above, you'll find that most others are in the same boat as you. There's no need to be embarrassed if you aren't getting something on the first try. Have some fun with it. It can be a good excuse to start a conversation with other people — maybe ask them whether they've done this activity before and when, or ask for tips on how to improve.
2. Be proactive and reach out
This tip comes in two parts.
Firstly, be proactive with conversation; don't sit around waiting for somebody to talk to you; initiate it yourself! It doesn't have to be anything major, just ask basic questions and tell people a bit about yourself. Ask why they picked this camp to come on, how they're finding it if they know anybody else there. Or you could be more specific with your questions: ask how they feel about a particular activity or what they like for breakfast at home. You might discover something in common, and friendships have been formed on less!
Secondly, be proactive with games and activities. Depending on the camp and your age group, you might be given some downtime to entertain yourselves without any scheduled activities. In preparation for this, consider bringing a board game or pack of cards, or maybe even a frisbee. We'd discourage using your phone during these times because it's a solo activity which puts other people off from interacting with you.
These are most important in the first day or so of camp. By being proactive and putting yourself out there for conversations, you'll tell the people around you that you're friendly and eager to meet people.
It's more than likely that other people around you are also nervous and shy, so this will be a huge favour to them, too.
3. Be yourself
This sounds cliche, and we know it. But there's a point to it! Be yourself, share your interests, and be open with people. This is an essential part of not only making friends at camp, but deeper friendships that you value highly.
We know it's scary. The more open you are, the more you potentially allow other people to see and judge you. But that goes both ways. If, for example, you were open about loving a particular TV show and one of the other campers made a joke about it, it can be a sign that you may be on different wavelengths (and that's fine, too).
If you pretend to be someone you're not, you'll spend more time worrying about your image than engaging with others naturally. Or, you'll make friends, but they won't truly be your type of people, who are actually similar and share your interests. By being yourself, you'll connect to other people who naturally match you, meaning any friendships you make are much more authentic.
Remember that everybody else at summer camp is trying to make friends, so relax as best you can.
‘How to make friends at camp’ is such a common question for summer camp first-timers, so much so that we wanted to write this article and settle such nerves by saying; don't worry, you'll be fine. The perfect phrase is "everyone's in the same boat." People have been making new friends at camp for as long as it has existed, and it'll happen a lot more naturally than you expect.
Engage with the camp, be proactive, and above all, be yourself.
