When you arrive
From the moment you arrive, our staff works to make your first day at camp welcoming, organized, and encouraging. Here’s what you can expect as your week at The Wilds of New England begins—from check-in to lights out.
Meet your counselor
We can’t wait to welcome you to camp! One of the first things we do once you arrive is to pair you with a counselor. Our counselors are trained and ready to answer your questions from God’s Word, encourage you in your walk with Christ, compete for your team, and help build memories that will last a lifetime.
Get settled
You’ll be in a cabin with 7 or 8 other campers who are approximately your same age/grade. Your cabin mates could be friends that came with you, or new friends from another state, or even another country. Together you’ll participate in many activities throughout the week and hopefully become great friends long after camp has ended.
Freetime
Once you’ve taken your stuff to your cabin, you’ll have some free time to enjoy some campsite activities before supper. Hang out in the Game Room and enjoy some Foosball or Carpet Ball, play some pickup basketball, or even get a head start on the Scripture memory competition for the week.
Meet your team
Every cabin is part of a team that competes all week in various crazy competitions. Team competition is an important aspect of your experience at The Wilds of New England. Working together as part of something bigger than yourself to accomplish common goals is something that translates to many areas of life, including our relationship in Christ with His church.
Supper
Most weeks of camp start out with a camper favorite: pizza! Meals in the Dining Hall are served family style, so take a seat and your waitress will keep you well supplied with delicious food. It might not be mom’s cooking, but you’ll enjoy lots of great food prepared by our trained kitchen staff throughout the week.
Orientation
As you can probably tell, we try to be intentional about what we desire to accomplish with each week of camp, and we want you to be on board with that as well. At the beginning of each week, we take a few minutes to make sure we’re on the same page, in The Wilds style. We know each church and family does things a little differently, so we want to be clear on what we are asking of each camper. For example:
- We’ll have a distraction-free week without our electronic devices
- All campers should wear clothing that comes to the knee
- Jump into the games and activities, and give your best for your team
- Be ready for God to do an amazing work in your life
Following these guidelines will help us be unified in our purposes of honoring God and enjoying life at camp.
Competition
It’s time to get outside and leave it all on the Ballfield in a classic game of The Wilds Bigball! Throughout the week, we’ll have various games that everyone can play regardless of athletic ability or size. Give your all so your team can capture the victory at the end of the week.
Service
We intentionally set aside time each evening to focus on God’s Word. We’ll give you plenty of time to get changed and cleaned up (and maybe even get a treat at our famous Sweet Shoppe or Cool Beans Coffee Shop) before gathering together for a time of heartfelt singing and opening our Bibles to hear from God’s Word by a speaker gifted in sharing Truth with teenagers.
Lights out
With all the activities of camp, we want to make sure you get the rest you need each evening. After a brief time of devotions and prayer as a cabin, it’s time to get to bed so you’re ready for all God has in store for you in the action-packed and Word-saturated week ahead.
What is there to do?
From games and activities to services and special events, here’s a look at what camp life is like at The Wilds of New England.
What do I need to bring?
Packing for camp doesn’t have to be complicated. Our packing checklist will help you know exactly what to bring—and what to leave at home.
What if I have more questions?
Our FAQ page covers common questions from campers and parents. If you still need help, our staff would be glad to hear from you.