10 Questions to Ask a Camp Director
(and our answers!)

We put together this list of 10 questions you should ask any camp director whose camp you’re considering for you child.
You can print this ’10 Questions to Ask a Camp Director’ PDF for easy reference. Check out our answers to the questions below!
1. What sets your camp apart?
On our beautiful 200 acre campus, magnificent woods, streams, ponds, farmland and fields abound, inviting us to explore. We’re proud to be a family-run camp, offering small-sized, all-gender groups led by exceptionally caring and well-trained staff whom our campers from all backgrounds can see themselves reflected in and represented by. At The Nature Place, campers partake in cooperative games; organic gardening and farm animal care; an American Red Cross swim program; day hikes and outdoor adventures; high ropes challenges; outdoor living skills; cooking; earth art; archery; music and drama; nature exploration; and so much more. We have a five-week-long and a one-week-long program option so we can meet your needs for camp without sacrificing safety during the covid-19 pandemic.
We’re also proud of what we don’t have at our camp: There are no bells, loudspeakers or PA systems; no awards or award ceremonies; competitions or color wars; TV’s, video games, iPads or other digital media devices, movies; pressured daily schedules; crowds to get lost in; nor times when it is OK to bully, exclude or make fun of anyone else.
2. How did your camp handle the COVID-19 pandemic during your summer 2020 and 2021 camp seasons?
3. How do you plan to handle COVID-19 safety during summer 2022?
4. Who owns, runs, and operates your camp?
5. How long has your camp been in operation?
6. How do you train your staff?
7. How many campers do you have and how many counselors per group?
8. How does your transportation work and how do you ensure safety on the bus?
Our buses are operated by Chestnut Ridge Transportation. Seatbelts are worn at all times and booster seats are available upon request. We have two bus counselors on every bus, who make sure that everyone is safe and all needs are met during the ride, while also ensuring a fun atmosphere that makes the bus ride an extension of the camp experience, not just a means to an end.
9. Is your camp accredited?
10. How does your program meet the needs of the various ages you serve?
Younger campers thrive with an unhurried schedule that emphasizes time to breathe. We provide age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate programming that allows them to build skills and make tangible accomplishments. Their group counselors create a strong foundation upon which all of this can unfold.
Our middle camper groups enjoy a more active day with added challenging activities, and the addition of overnight camping trips. Making friends and being comfortable with oneself are keystones of programming that are nurtured by counselors and staff.
For older campers, camp is a place where they can return to themselves and feel safe and comfortable enough with their community to be their true selves. They are challenged in a healthy way, where they can test their own limits and set their own boundaries, through increased outdoor adventure and team-building initiatives. Our highly-trained staff are people that these campers respect and can look up to.