Explorer International Kids' and Teens' Camps

Studies have shown that over 90% of campers of all ages miss home at some point while on camp. It’s a really natural feeling for them to have. Due to this Explorer Camps has two independent plans: Missing Home and Supporting First Time Campers, which are designed to support campers of all ages in feeling more comfortable, happy and active during the summer.

However, it’s important for the camps and parents to work together so make sure you inform staff of your own concerns so that we can ensure your child comes to camp happy. This video done by Bob Ditter, a American Camp specialist, may be of some use? 

The Packing List is sent to parents within a month of the camps. It’s important to remember to pack toiletries such as shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, and toothbrush, and even though towels for showering are provided by the hotel make sure you bring extra ones for water activities outside.

It’s an idea for all of the campers, especially the Discoverers, that you include in your child’s bag a printed checklist of the items they’re bringing to camp. This will help the staff ensure they bring everything home.

The official language of the camp is English, with our international campers and English native speakers. So, it’s advisable that they do have a basic level of English which gives them more confidence when interacting with others. However, our team is extremely experienced in assisting children in improving their English so no matter what level they have they will always be supported. Many times we’ve had complete beginners on camp, and they’ve done EXTREMELY well. 

All our staff and the staff working at the hotel are fully trained and certified in first aid, and we have a long list of specific approaches for potential health related issues. If something does occur, our staff are well prepared to react quickly and correctly to ensure your child is well taken care of.

If the injury is deemed to be minor the experienced and certified health team then the child will be observed for any worsening conditions. In cases where any potential visit to the doctor is discussed, the parents are immediately called and explained the situation.

On the extremely rare occasion a camper gets simply too emotionally upset to be able to express their thoughts, feelings etc. we will firstly seek help from fellow campers. At times speaking English can be too hard, so we have another camper act as an interpreter. In the case this doesn’t work, we would then contact the parents directly.

Explorer camps is focused on prevention rather than reaction, which means the first step is creating a positive and warm atmosphere that encourages good behaviour. In the event that misbehaviour occurs the staff member will go through a number of trained steps to help the child identify the mistake they were making, and hopefully see them self-correct their own bad behaviour.

If this isn’t possible then more often than not the Camp Director will be called in and a more formal counselling session will occur. All the steps for this are outlined in our Packing List

Of course! We have a camp phone number you can call, and we can arrange for your child to speak if there is a real need to. However, we ask to give them time so that they can adjust to the camp atmosphere and truly learn independence away from their parents. Adding to this, we are not always immediately contactable as we are constantly in the thick of nature. In those cases that it’s deemed as very important to call, the time to speak will be generally between 0800 and 0830 in the morning.

Every Tuesday campers write a short letter home in the evening. This is then scanned and sent to parents via email by Wednesday morning.

We strongly believe that camp is a possibility to grow real communication skills, so we keep all electronic devices throughout the entire camp so that campers can maximise their time with each other and us. On the opening day we put them in our safe, and release them to the camper on the closing day.

The camp policy is that children can’t bring food or drink onto the camp. We provide 3 large meals a day, plus a healthy snack which we believe is more than adequate enough for our campers. In addition to this, eating food in their rooms often leads to added garbage and also the likelihood that they won’t be finishing their meals.

We have very detailed plan and approach to allergies, including how to react in the case of allergic reactions. All parents are asked to fill in a detailed online health form in the lead in to camps so that we have the relevant information to act on.

In the case that a child has an allergy, camp and hotel staff are informed so that they are properly prepared. Appropriate safety measures are taken including an Emergency Plan in the worst case scenario.

Our campers’ health and wellbeing is always the most important aspect of our camps, so if a child has special dietary needs then the parent has to communicate this to us by filling in the Information Form. Then the restaurant will be informed and a specific meal will be created for this child.

The policy on camp is that NO electronic media is present on camp. However, we understand that many campers will travel relatively long distances to attend camp so most likely will bring such devices to entertain them on the trip.

While on camp it’s important that your child doesn’t use this simply because it takes them away from the remainder of the campers as a result affecting the possibility to make stronger connections with those around them.