Accommodation Starts Before Campers Arrive - A Behind The Scenes Look Into The “Why” of 2026 Registration
Every summer at Stomping Ground is an experiment. Not the kind with lab coats or evil scientists, but the kind built on curiosity, reflection, and just the right amount of chaos.
We try new things, we listen, we adjust. We learn what worked, what didn’t, and what made kids light up. It’s one of my favorite parts of this place, how alive and flexible it is. We’re not trying to perfect camp. We’re trying to understand people. And that understanding starts long before the first camper steps out of the car.
For us, accommodation starts before campers arrive.
It shows up in how we design the schedule, how we hire staff, and even in how we shape the structure of the summer itself. Which brings us to the big question that’s been at the center of many of our fall planning meetings:
Should we move to one-week sessions?
Listening to Families and Campers
Throughout the summer, Laura and I had countless conversations with families and campers about length of stay.
Some campers hit a wall by the end of the first week. They got tired, homesick, or simply overwhelmed by the constant excitement of camp life. Some families told us that two weeks just felt like too big a commitment, especially for younger or first-time campers. Others mentioned that their summer schedules were already packed with family trips, sports, and time together.
We carried those conversations with us into September, as we began mapping out what Summer 2026 could look like.
The Brainstorm
Over the past month and a half, we held a series of brainstorming meetings to explore what a new model might mean for our community.
We played with different possibilities:
A summer split into shorter one-week sessions,
A hybrid system where campers could sign up for one or both weeks of a two-week block,
And even new program ideas, like a Family Camp short week or a Farm Camp, inspired by the success of our compost system and gardens this past season.
It was exciting to imagine. One-week sessions could open new doors for families and help ease campers into the Stomping Ground experience, much like our Mini Camp experience.
But as we dug deeper, we started to notice some patterns that couldn’t be ignored.
What We Learned
From a practical standpoint, the two-week model still worked.
Our staff team is at its fullest in the middle of the summer, right around Session 2 and ArtsFest, and though Session 4 tends to be our smallest for campers and staff, it also had our best staff to camper ratios this past year. Tyler, who has been leading more of the financial management side of camp, pointed out that those smaller groups not only helped us balance the budget but also gave space for new programming ideas to take shape.
So on paper, the two-week structure made sense. All of the sessions, no matter how big or small, are successful!
But as we kept talking, another theme started to emerge.
All summer, we had been asking ourselves: How can we make this easier?
Easier for campers who were tired by day seven. Easier for staff who were giving so much of themselves while balancing their busy lives. Easier for families juggling packed summer schedules.
And one-week sessions seemed like they might help with that. They could create gentler entry points for new campers or a way for staff to find balance in the middle of a long season.
But as we dug in, we realized something important.
It is not about one week versus two, it is about what kind of experience we are trying to create.
The “easier” we were chasing was not wrong. It came from care. But if we built a model entirely around ease, we might lose some of the depth that makes camp powerful. The truth is, restorative work is not meant to be easy. Learning to live together, make mistakes, and rebuild trust takes time, vulnerability, and patience.
Real accommodation does not mean eliminating challenges. It means creating the support and connection that make challenge possible.
Why Two Weeks Matter
What we realized is that the two-week model is part of what makes Stomping Ground Stomping Ground.
We talk a lot about restorative justice, about listening, and about community, and those things take time. The first few days of camp are often full of adjustment. New bunkmates. A new rhythm. Big feelings. For some kids, it’s the first time they’ve ever been away from home.
We sometimes call that first Monday through Wednesday the “hurdle phase.” Campers are figuring out how to live in community, how to share space, how to make mistakes and repair them.
But something beautiful happens once we get through that first weekend. Campers who were homesick start laughing with new friends. Circles make more sense. The trust begins to deepen.
By the second week, kids start to find their groove. They test their independence. They build real friendships. They start to see camp not as a break from home, but as a second home they helped create.
That’s why the two-week model still feels right for us. Not because it’s easy, but because it gives time for transformation.
Still an Experiment
Even after ten years, Stomping Ground is still a living experiment. We’ll keep trying new ideas, listening to families, and finding ways to make camp more accessible and accommodating for everyone.
But for now, we’re choosing to keep the two-week sessions because they give kids the time and space to do what we believe in most, to grow, to connect, and to belong.
Accommodation doesn’t start when a camper gets homesick. It starts right here, with the way we build the summer itself.
Registration for Summer 2026 is open now!
We can’t wait to welcome you back to another season of experiments, growth, and community.
