Founder's Day, 95th Anniversary of Foley

Founder's Day is a special day at Camp where we take the time to recognize the storied history of Camp Foley in a few ways. This past summer’s Founder’s Days were made extra-special because of our celebration of 95 Years of amazing camping experiences at Foley.

To celebrate, each session had a 95 "something" challenge for campers and staff to complete. These challenges incorporated the numerical value of 95 as well as some level of spirited competition. Below is a recap of what each session did for our 95th Summer of Adventures.

1st Session
Campers during 1st Session were given the option to complete a 95 song challenge. Specifically, they had to sing 95 DIFFERENT choruses to any camp song or jingle. There were 104 total campers that successfully participated in the challenge. The official time it took to sing all 95 choruses... 27 min 19 sec!

1st Session Singers

2nd Session

This session was full of a handful of different challenges for campers to compete in such as 95 minutes of nonstop piano playing, 95 minutes of continuously treading water, 95 leap frogs, 95 passes of a ball 20 feet apart, 95 free throws, 95 jumping jacks, 95 seconds of balancing on a slackline, 95 points in Archery using 12 arrows and 95 “upsies” and “downsies” with a tennis ball and racket. Campers could rotate challenges or stay at one for the whole time.

2nd Session Water Treaders

James Brenner, 16, shoots a
98 with only 12 arrows.

3rd Session
Two 9 minute and 50 second scavenger hunts awaited 3rd Session campers. One hunt was for outside items and the other was for items inside the cabin only! Energy was high as each cabin raced against the clock to gather all of the items on the list. Scavenger hunts have been a big part of Foley programming throughout the years and it was fun to incorporate them again.

3rd Session Scavengers

4th Session
A classic camp game made its way back as each cabin sent a representative up to determine their evening program through the method of horsengoggle. Winners then challenged another cabin to an evening program like volleyball, baseball, basketball, human foosball and others for a 95 minute battle!    

4th Session Horsengoggle Battles

We reflect on our wonderful 95 years of history and legacies left by past campers and the legacies to be left by current campers. What do we have in store for our 100 year anniversary? Join us next summer and be apart of the journey!

Register Today!

Empathy is a Verb.

The Power Of Empathy

The topic of empathy is deep, and it is so important in development. If we expect our children to open their hearts and learn empathy we have to encourage healthy, real life interactions. Anita Nowak pushes her students to practice empathy, and it is brilliant. Check it out in her Ted Talk below! 

Empathy is a verb. It needs to be active. It needs to be meaningful. It needs to be real. - Michele Borba

Billy's Going to the Chapel, and He's [Gonna Get] Ma-a-a-rried!

Photo by Janine Litzau Photography https://www.janinelitzauphoto.com/

As most of you know, one of our year-round staff got married this month! Billy and his wife, Hayley, had a weekend filled with love, joy, friends and family who traveled from all over to share in this special moment. We wanted to take a little more time to celebrate them once again!

The bride and groom's families and friends attended the ceremony that was held in Nisswa, MN with a reception celebrated in Brainerd following. It was a beautiful recognition of two people we love! The Foley Family couldn't be happier for the two of them and their families.

With a beautiful weekend of celebration, we are wishing Billy and Hayley a joyful marriage and happy honeymoon! Join us in celebrating the newlyweds!

Earth Day: Let's Celebrate with a Call to Action!

The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers. - Juliette Gordon Low

Take a moment to really let this quote sink in. What are we doing on this earth if not changing and shaping the planet on a daily basis. Everything we do affects the world around us, and we live with the consequences of our actions (both positive and negative). So let us think about how we are using our impact for the greater good. In less than a week it is believed that ONE BILLION  people in 192 countries will take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world. 

Let's add to that number as a group! Let me hit you with some facts about Earth Day, our current earthly state, and what we can do to help!

First: Did you know, that the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 as a result of the negative impacts from industrial development and the Santa Barbara Oil Blowout of 1969 that spilled three million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean? Denis Hayes organized the first day of recognition and Senator Gaylord Nelson played a large role in making it a day of observance for years to come. Next year will be the 50th Anniversary!

"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction." - Rachel Carson, Founder of the environmental movement and author of Silent Spring

Second: This year's theme for Earth Day is Protect our Species! Did you know that between one and five species will go extinct annually - BUT scientists are estimating that we are losing species at 1,000-10,000 times the normal rate, with multiple extinctions daily. Species are disappearing before we even learn about them! It's up to us as a human race to minimize our impact, educate ourselves, and be proactive in our protection of Earth.

Third: Here are some neat results of people working together on Earth Day to create positive environmental impacts:

• In 2012 - more than 100,000 people rode bikes in China to reduce CO2 emissions and save fuel
• In 2011 - 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan
• In Panama - 100 endangered species of orchids were planted and maintained to prevent extinction

A HUGE endeavor and accomplishment is currently taking place. For the 50th Anniversary (2020) Earth Day Network is striving for 3 Billion Acts of Green. This could be no longer using plastic bags, giving up meat, planting a tree, eating organic produce, writing notes to the government, and the list could go on and on! It's anything that you do with a environmentally-conscious effort. 

What can you do to help get to this goal of 3 Billion Acts of Green?

• Check out the link with unlimited ways you can take action!
• Plant a tree/group of trees
• Try composting
• Take a walk in nature and just appreciate it
• Host a recycling party
• Start a letter-writing campaign to the government about ecological concerns
• Start a neighborhood garden
• Clean the highways and streams - litter control
• Monitor electricity being used in your house and cut back (shower length, leaving the lights on  when you leave the room, water faucet usage, TV/Phone screen time. 
• Have a zero-waste day (week, month, year!)

At camp, we're conscious of the amount of electricity we use, we host various schools during the month of May to teach environmental education, focus on taking only what you know what you'll eat while reducing the amount of food you take for yourself. It's important to know that these practices can be part of your life at camp and outside of it!

Most importantly, use these tactics in your daily lives, and together we'll be able to make a difference for our planet. As we prepare to celebrate this special day, I'll leave you with this quote by John Muir while we think of the bigger picture and what our impact truly is:

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." - John Muir, Naturalist, known as the Father of the National Parks

Let's make Earth Day 2019 something we're proud to be a part of!

Camp Creature: Top 5 Highlight Reel!

One of our favorite things to post about is our featured Camp Creature. We have tons of camp creatures here living in this part of rural Minnesota, which puts us in an excellent spot to explore and see animals of all types. Today we are bringing together some of your favorite editions of Camp Creatures past to bring you ..... the Camp Creature Highlight Reel! You might remember some of these blog posts, and for those of us who do not, we are reminded of all the nature that we're connected to here at Foley:


Coming in at Number 5: The Bobcat
More than likely, we won't catch a glimpse of these elusive creatures, but they are local to the area. A fun fact about the bobcat is that it gets its name from its 'bobbed' tail which looks as though it has been cut off. Check this blog out to learn more fun facts about the bobcat!






Next, at Number 4: The Common Snipe
This small brownish bird is also sometimes called the 'Jacksnipe' and can be found in Minnesota especially near wetlands and damp forests to help them probe for food in the soft ground. Ever wanted to learn more about snipe hunts? Well here's your chance!






At Number 3: The Beaver

Photo by Alli Faricy at Hidden Lake

What's cooler than being the largest rodent in North America? What about having webbed feet? Wait, you mean to tell me that beavers are the largest rodent in North America and have webbed feet? How neat is that! Raise your hand if you've seen one of these creatures around Hidden Lake. We think it's pretty neat having the beaver as our neighbor on the lake, and we've got a lot more interesting facts about them here!

Our Boys' AD, Jordan, with a massive snapping turtle

In the Number 2 Spot: The Snapping Turtle
If you've taken Nature as an activity, come to our Outdoor Education program, had the chance to paddle to Hidden Lake, or driven down the road then you may have had the experience of seeing a snapping turtle. This is the largest turtle in Minnesota, some even reaching 80+ pounds! Check this blog out for even more cool things about snapping turtles.







And finally, at NUMBER 1: The Bald Eagle
The numbers don't lie - this blog post is one of our most popular to date! These majestic birds are stunning mid-flight, and more than likely, you've seen at least one during your time here at Foley (if not, just take a moment in the quieter hours of the day to look out over the lake and up in the trees). Our Director, Alli Faricy, has been known to take stellar shots of these birds of prey as they soar around Whitefish Lake. Check out our top blog to learn more and check out her amazing photos!

Photo by Alli Faricy

Photo by Alli Faricy, an eagle perched with its prey

Photo by Alli Faricy, an eagle mid-flight with a fish in its talons

Well, that just about covers it - our TOP FIVE camp creature posts to date. Comment below and let us know what Camp Creatures you'd like to see featured on the Rattlin' Blog!

Oops, and we almost forgot!
For Honorable Mention: Camp Dogs 

They may not be too wild, but we can't just leave out three of our best camp creature buddies. Remember throughout the summer to stop and say hi to our furry friends who continually travel around camp!

Self-Directed Play at Camp Foley: Adventure Playgrounds!

We know that play and structure are two aspects of childhood that are important for the growth and development of youth. With that being said, studies are also beginning to emerge that too much structure and control in a child's activities can hinder decision-making, behavior regulation, and the belief that they are in control of their own lives.

Kids involved in less-structured activities have shown an increase in self-directed executive function as mentioned in Education Week's study, Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children's Executive Functioning.  The study defined structured activities as being anything organized and supervised by adults. Being involved in less-structured activities would include free play where the child is in charge of making decisions about what they do.

Play has been declining since the 50's resulting in the side effects stated above and leading to a rise in anxiety and problems with attention. Peter Gray's article, All Work and No Play: Why Your Kids Are More Anxious, Depressed lays out why play is so important for our youth.

In defense of structure, it can be a very beneficial piece of our everyday lives. Repeatable and familiar events decrease anxiety and allow us to prepare for what is likely to happen. Structure can often times be confused with control, where there is an adult (or a "decider") determining what happens. Structure can be positive, and with the right limits and boundaries, it can spur creativity within those boundaries. What if there was a way to spur creativity, autonomy, self-directed play, self-guided interest, and decision-making skills within a structured system?

At Camp Foley, we strive for both - we focus on structure, and we allow time for play! We are a Summer Camp, after all! We are introducing a NEW idea this summer: Adventure Playgrounds! 

We will have designated spots around camp during our non-activity days that have clear limits and boundaries, and campers will be able to choose entirely as to what is done at that spot. Various camp supplies will be in these spots, and kids are free to use them in any way they like within the boundaries and limits established. The point is to have camper-driven spaces in camp that promote kids learning how to interact, play, and choose what they want to do. Think similarly to Free Swim; campers choose things to do based on what's written on our whiteboard. If they opt for Paddlemania, they decide from the items available to them with clear instructions (buddy system, wearing a lifejacket, one person on the swing at a time, etc.). There's a Water Swing, Corcls, Playaks, and Water Mats to choose from. This is a depiction of structure with room for decision-making, free play, and creativity that we have here at Foley.

We can't wait to have Adventure Playgrounds set up all around camp, just waiting for the camper's creativity to PLAY this summer. Be sure to Register Today to make Camp Foley part of your summer!

Thinking About Summer Plans? We Know We Are!

Our mission here at Foley is, 'We partner with parents to drive campers to grow, gain grit, investigate, and build independence.' But what does that truly mean for me (the parent)?

As parents, you are probably starting to get to the end of your summer planning and beginning to finalize all the plans for the family. Why not make camp a part of those summer plans?! Summer camp is a benefit to your child's growth and development, but it's also a benefit to you - the parents!

You might be thinking: "So what do I, as a parent, get out of this summer camp thing?"

Your kids are experiencing an intentional, individualized, structured few weeks away from home that gives you (the parent) the benefit of having more independent, confident kids. The article above has a great link for parents on how to prepare both themselves and their children for summer camp. The list has applicable ways to get ahead and lay the groundwork for a successful time away.

A safe environment for kids (and parents) to take risks is proving to be a much needed aspect of our lives. We know that homesickness is natural, but so is kid-sickness. Parents, you are definitely going to miss your kids, but it's a great opportunity for you to also take the risk of sending your child to a place that positively shapes them. Sending your child to a place where they are safe, cared for, and encouraged to take risks allows that room for growth and independence that we at Foley strive for.

The article, Anxious Parent? Sending the kids to camp can be great for you, too, from the Boston Globe goes into more depth regarding the benefits of summer camp for both you and your kids.

Parents, including our own Beth Foster, consistently see a difference in their kids when they return home after time spent in camp.

So, as you finalize those plans, think Camp Foley. Give your kid the gift of camp, complete with lifelong skills, friendships, and memories. Give yourself the gift of risk-taking growth, practice coping, and time doing what YOU would like to.

Register today for Summer 2019 and experience the benefits of camp for you and your child!

The Perk of Early Registration

We have had an amazing start to early registration! Many returning families have signed up again for our Historic 95th Summer in 2019. In addition, we have had many new families register and we are pumped to start our partnership with them in the growth and development of their campers. The pace of registration has us excited about next summer as we are planning for one of the best years to date.

With early registration ending in a little over a week we wanted to highlight one of the biggest perks about registering early. Yes, the reduced rate is awesome for parents and budgeting, but from the camper's perspective one of the best reasons to register early is the perk they get in camper choice. 

Specifically, every camper who is registered before the early registration deadline will be given a choice of an extra activity during the session they attend! These extra activity times usually take place during the morning, and many choose the Early Morning Ski option. But there are a handful of activity choices and our campers love this perk. It creates a special memory for them and helps make their camp experience unique and enjoyable. Many campers who registered early last year told us it was because of this perk!    

It's a win/win for parents and campers! Click the links below to register today or see the Dates and Rates for our Historic 95th Summer in 2019!

Register Today

Dates and Rates