What's In Your Bag of Tricks: Tuck-Ins

Hello to all of my fellow camp counselors!

Every counselor has their own style of doing things, especially when it comes to bed time. I personally love tuck-ins. These are quiet activities done right before lights out. They can be interactive, geared towards the age group, or even used to solve a cabin problem. I have collected many over the years, from some of my counselors when I was a camper, fellow staff members and things that I have read. These are some of my favorites.

The Rose
The rose is an interactive tuck-in, in which each camper tells three things. The flower, which is the best part of their day. The thorn, which is a challenge that they experienced. The stem, which is something they are excited for for the next day. This is good for a cabin that is experiencing some homesickness, as it reminds them of what they have to look forward to.

Shout Out To...
This tuck in gives your campers the opportunity to give props to other members of their cabin. They can give a shout out to anyone in the cabin who did something good. Make sure everyone gets at least one shout out! This can be a good bonding opportunity for a cabin, and is also a great way to make sure everyone knows each others names.

Magic Carpet Ride
Take your cabin on a magic carpet ride. Ask them to close their eyes and imagine their carpet, and then take them on an adventure. If you have younger campers, take them to toy stores, let them pick out three things. Take older campers to a field of horses and let them choose their favorite, asking them to think about the horses color, size etc. This tuck-in can really be adapted to any cabin, and I have found that all ages tend to enjoy it.

Compliment Train
I actually got this from cheer camp back in high school. It's a great tuck-in for the last night of camp. Have all your campers make a line, and then one at a time, they will go down the line. The camper standing in the line gives compliments to the one walking down. Emphasize that you are looking for compliments of merit, more then just "you're really nice" or "I like your hair". This can be a great way for them to say goodbye to each other, and feel really loved on the last day.

Know Your Neighbor
While lying in their beds, have your campers each say something they learned about the person to the left/right/above/beneath them. This is good for the middle of the week, as they are getting to know each other, but can also see that they have more to learn.

Tell a Story
And make it funny! I tell the Princess and the Pea, complete with stomping around the cabin and a Justin Bieber reference. And this tuck-in really works with all ages. I've told stories to 8 year olds, 12 year olds, and 15 year olds. Heck, sometimes I tell them to counselors.

I hope you found this helpful or interesting. I love tuck-ins, as they are a great way to hear about your kids days, check in on how they are doing, or just help them get to sleep on a positive note. I'd love to hear from you about tuck-in ideas you have, so comment or message me!

You are amazing!
Samantha