Camp Summary

Staying in touch with your camper


"Snail Mail"
 Kids (of all ages!) at camp very much enjoy receiving hand written letters. Everyday after lunch, everyone is excited to check their mailbox for cards and letters. Give her camp address out to friends and relatives, along with a suggestion to concentrate more on how she is spending her time at camp than on any negative details at home. Keep the tone of the letter encouraging and positive.

Mailing Address:

ADK WildHorse Camp
(Child's Name)
776 County Route 18.
Lake Clear, NY 12945


"​Email" We do not allow our campers the use of constant email as we find that computers and the internet have a way of absorbing a child's time in more negative ways than positive. Whether the camper remains at camp for a week or longer, we find that this is one of the ways to show your daughter that there is no need to be dependent on the constant use of social media such as facebook and twitter. Your daughter should also bring a camera where she can document her time here and while at home, upload her memories to her computer. Please make sure that your child brings stamps and envelopes to write home with !

"Telephone" We strongly believe that phone conversations interfere with your child's adjustment to camp. If you need to find out how your daughter is adjusting, you may call the office at 518.302.6227 and we will arrange a time for a Parent Liaison to speak with you about your camper. The Parent Liaison will also have an progress report update. The parent will be informed of all achievements, activities and any problems that may arise during camp.

Having mentioned our regulations against telephone conversations, we do make a few exceptions. Kids who want to "check-in" after a week of camp, can speak to their parents for a few minutes in the evening on day 6 of camp.

Parents should also keep in mind the fact that there are girls who have not contacted their parents in weeks and as a result, the parents nudge the camp staff to have the girls show "signs of life" in the form of a quick call. We find this amusing as everyone is so busy here that we forget to remind our campers to regularly call their parents (instead of calling their friends !)

"Visitors" Camp WildHorse does not host a Parent's Visitation Day. We have found that certain campers may be in the process of adjusting, and seeing familiar faces may make that more difficult. The Camp also suggests to sign up your child's friends to camp, if that would make your daughter more comfortable, this way the girls can be more opt to be socially interactive and will also be considered to have same bunk assignments. If you would like to see the camp yourself, your daughter could serve as your "Tour Guide" during the Closing Days. She can then show you her favorite places, horses and activities.

Camp Tucka Kitchen

Sample Menu 

Breakfast: Muesli with hot milk/hot water, scrambled/sunny side up eggs, "french toast with whipped cream and syrup"," grilled cheese sandwiches"," ham cheese sandwiches", "bagels with cream cheese, nutella, strawberry preserves and cereal of their choice", "veggie/meat omelette and toast", "pancakes, hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon"

Lunch:  " peanut butter and banana PJ", "home made spaghetti with corn bread", "chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes/ pasta/ mac n cheese", "baked flounder in egg with spanish rice and steamed veggies"

Dinner: "Broiled chicken drumsticks & thighs seasoned herbs, served with mashed 
potatoes/spanish/jambalaya rice, steamed broccoli, mixed veggies ", Juice, milk, drink mixes,  orange juice or 
water offered. "Spaghetti with home made sauce and ground beef, corn bread or garlic bread", grilled 
"chicken with spiced pasta side, and steamed veggies", "grilled pork with mashed potatoes/mac n cheese", 
"alfredo chicken with pasta, cheese, casserole bake", "lasagna, corn bread, steamed veggies".

Supper: milk with favorite cereal, cookies, muffins. 

Understanding Camp Activities

"Trips" Several times a week, the campers prepare for trips. We encourage all campers to spend time together and our Trip Activities are friendly for all ages & abilities. From hiking St. Regis, to canoeing or visiting the Wildlife Refuge to "Take a Wolf for a Walk", we found that these, low stress, nature-oriented and shared outings help with the camper adjustment process. 

The most important part about shared activities is that we all do them together ! Some kids know more than others but everyone needs that learning curve to be good at many things the camp offers. 

Some of the offsite activities inlude: canoeing/kayaking, rafting, paintball, professional print making, professional screen printing, river tubing, lake tubing, ski-jump tubing,  hiking into the mountains, visiting interactive museums, boat tours, camping, trips to wilderness beaches & islands, the movies and NYC style pizza parlor, water sports & lakes and more.

Activity Choice - the campers vote for activity type - every day they have a choice between an off-site activity and  2nd riding period.

What to keep in mind: Please keep in mind that certain activities are long in duration- between 6-9 hours. At times, the girls return back to camp late into the evening. We try to our best to keep to our designated schedule, however, at times we do not have enough hours in the day ! If we happen to return to camp late, the campers sleep in for an additional hour in the morning before chores and breakfast. Campers may be tired upon returning home after several long weeks of camp.

Parent Preparation

It is very important for the parents to understand their child's psychology. You as the parent are responsible for recognizing changes in your child's behavior .

Many parents often confuse such conduct with emotions such as disrespect, defiance or physiological outbursts defined by "raging hormones". In reality, every child progresses, matures and develops at a different pace. Environmental factors have much to do with a child's conduct, and they should be closely interpreted.

 


It takes observation, education and assistance from pediatricians to child psychologists, who will explain the nature of "the child" regardless of age. Confusion, lack of manageability, and acceptance are the results of a mis-managed child. Sometimes parents are unable to distinguish between intentional antagonistic behavior and behavior resulting from anger.

 

Anger is pain, it's roots are from disappointment. Sometimes a child feels angry after being unable to accomplish a task, and at times, that dissatisfaction and aggression encourages the child to repeat and reach their goal. Failure is tolerated differently by each and every child. On some days, after failing to accomplish certain tasks, children may fall into a state of depression, may become introverted, and socially awkward.

 

"We want the children of our camp to succeed, to feel good about who they are, what they do and remember that there is much more to accomplish in life - this camp experience is just the beginning." ~ Natalia, Camp Director

Preparing Your Child for Camp

We are confident your child's summer at ADK WildHorse will be one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of her life. Camp is quite different and is a perfect ice-breaker into a life of surprises, expectations, twists and turns. We have found that preparing your child for camp and determining what is appropriate before camp begins, is the best route to make a decision between choosing a day or resident camp.

The following links are recommendations from The American Camp Association


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