Inside the “Song of Summer” overnight camp ritual

Learn more about our “Song of Summer” at overnight camp, Colorado Mountain Camp.

Not all sleepaway summer camps are created equal. Kids grow not just through what they do at camp, but what they take home from it. In addition to teaching kids exciting adventure sports in an unmatched environment, Avid4 Adventure’s overnight Colorado Mountain Camp is magic at making memories.

“If campers leave not knowing how to climb to the top of a rock face, that’s OK. If they made a friend that they will stay in touch with that’s a win,” CMC director Ian Roberts says. “If we’re not giving them something to hang on to, to reflect on, then it’s nothing more than a fun experience. We’re not here to create superstar athletes, but better human beings.”

One of the ways Avid4 Adventure’s overnight Colorado camp sears those indelible memories in the minds of campers is through special summer rituals. From experience, the ones that seem to stay stuck the longest are those that include music. It’s kind of like a pop song you hear on the radio every day; there’s something about the emotionality of music that makes for the richest memories.

Ask any CMC camper what he or she remembers from last overnight summer camp, and there’s a good chance it will be the “Song of Summer.” Of course this tune changes each year, and that’s kind of the fun of it. Longtime Avid4 instructors cherish the chance to come up with the silliest song-and-dance ritual to see who grabs onto it first.

“There’s so much adventure that we already pack into a week or two of summer camp. But if we can really create a life-long memory, then we are doing our jobs,” says Roberts. “It’s all about those connections, and campers remember more emotional moments.”

A classic example of this goofy spoof was filmed recently at camp in Bailey, Colorado, where fun-loving instructors Kaylin and Leah performed the much-loved “Marshmallow Song.”

Tagged: camp culture, Camp Songs, overnight camp, Rocky Mountains, sleepaway camp, summer camp