Meet the Staff: Mikey Meves

By John Erdmann
April 28, 2020 (comments)

What is your favorite part about the trail? Reading for fun was something I never really did growing up, in fact my reading level was so poor that holding me back a grade was a consideration. When I came to camp and went on the trail for the first time, I brought a book with me, Fahrenheit 451. While on trail I got this feeling like nothing before, where my mind was fully free to picture and experience the story as I read it. I fell in love with reading while on the trail, especially fantasy, where the book brings...

Meet the Staff: Matt Berning

By John Erdmann
April 21, 2020 (comments)

Where is your favorite place in the wilderness? Laying on a rock, on an island, on Crooked Lake with the sun shining. What is your favorite part about the trail? Devouring lunch after a successful morning of paddling. What is your favorite part about our in-camp program? Evening Programs and the Big Games. Who or what inspires you? People who are passionate inspire me. What are you looking forward to most this summer? I am most excited to get back outside and see the campers again. What is one piece of advice you would give a new camper? Embrace the...

Meet the Staff: Jackson Peacock

By John Erdmann
April 13, 2020 (comments)

What are you looking forward to most this summer? I’m looking forward to seeing all the returning campers, and hearing about all the fun things they did with their time away from camp. Where is your favorite place in the wilderness? My favorite place to visit in the wilderness has to be Devil Track River on the Superior Hiking Trail. It’s a beautiful rapid river that links up with the SHT near Grand Marais. It’s an excellent place to spend the afternoon or night after a long day of hiking! What is your favorite part about the trail? My favorite...

10 Camp-Inspired Activities to Do With Kids

By Alex Kvanli
April 07, 2020 (comments)

Looking to mix things up at home with your family? Try one of these activities from our very own playbook! The keys to success for most of our activities is that they must be themed, hosted by high-energy quirky characters (who never break role), and the set should contain several props. Camp Voyageur’s in-camp program features all of these activities and with a few modifications, you too can catch the Voyageur Spirit with these great projects!

How to Reset Your Body Clock to Sleep Better

By Hal Holmes
March 17, 2020 (comments)

A good night’s sleep forms the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. The rhythm of life is all around us, but sometimes the pace of our lives can drown it out. In our hyper-connected world, there never seems to be a time when we are not listening to, looking at, or waiting for something that plugs into a wall to speak to us. We go from our connected homes with Alexa and Google Home, to our cars with music, podcasts, and/or audiobooks, and into offices that are cluttered with screens demanding our attention – all the while checking our phones every...

9 Parenting Tactics We Use At Camp to Help Raise Successful Kids

By Deb Erdmann
February 25, 2020 (comments)

When a child comes to Camp Voyageur, our entire staff becomes their substitute parents. I recently stumbled upon a great parenting article by Christina DesMarais called Science Says the Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do These 9 Things, and realized that it mirrors how we treat our campers while they’re here at camp. Below are 9 things we do at camp – which can also be applied at home – to help raise successful kids.

Four Weeks in the Woods

By Hal Holmes
February 18, 2020 (comments)

“How would you like to go to tech-free summer camp for a month, son?”

Take A Break From Organized Youth Sports This Summer

By Alex Kvanli
February 11, 2020 (comments)

I love to play sports. I’ve participated in, coached, watched, and learned about sports my whole life. I even have a degree in physical education. I’m not denying the beneficial role of sports in our lives. Many of us believe that sports play an integral role in developing fundamental values in our children such as teamwork, commitment, and effort. They build character and keep kids out of trouble. Certainly, participating in sports has its merits. It’s easy to glorify sports and professional athletes. They dominate the media. Athletes are constantly in the limelight and one who has made it to...

One Big Reason Why Summer Camps Work

By Alex Kvanli
December 31, 2019 (comments)

He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him in! Edwin Markham

11 Proven Ways Wilderness Adventure Camps Can Transform Your Kid’s Life

By Alex Kvanli
December 01, 2019 (comments)

Experiential education programs like wilderness adventure camps have ways of inspiring kids in ways that are not possible at home, school, or through traditional sports. Canoeing, hiking, and kayaking with a group through wilderness environments like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of Northern Minnesota is much more than just fun. It can be a profound experience with lifelong lessons. By banning electronics, detaching participants from their normal patterns and behaviors, and connecting them with nature in a supportive group setting, wilderness adventure camps are designed to cause participants to confront their self-concept and motivate them to explore and...