Hayground SleepAway Camp!

Adventures and the arts

Year two! Last year we took 26 kids and 7 counselors on an epic six-day adventure to the Berkshires. In year two, we are offering two different opportunities: One week of SleepAway for kids ages 7-13 and two weeks of SleepAway for kids ages 11-13. We want to provide you with everything you need to know so that you and your camper are informed decision-makers. This experience is not for everyone. It’s for kids who want to explore the wider world with friendly, supportive Hayground staff and fellow campers. Ready to learn more? Keep reading…

One-Week (7-13 year-olds)

Two-Week (11-13 year-olds)

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Limited Spots

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80 acre campus in the Berkshires

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One-Week (7-13 year-olds) Two-Week (11-13 year-olds) • Limited Spots • 80 acre campus in the Berkshires •

 

So… Why are we doing this? We believe that our work is about helping young people explore the world around them in a psychologically safe environment where they can make mistakes, learn and grow. It’s all about figuring out who they are and what drives them. As Hayground Campers progress from Mini Campers to Lower Campers, Lower Campers to Middle Campers and Middle Campers to Upper Campers, they reach milestones along the way. (Click here to learn more about these milestones.) It’s a gradual release of responsibility and a shift from the idea that Hayground is a place to the idea that Hayground is a way of being in the world.

Our Hayground SleepAway Camp is an extension of those milestones. The focus will be Adventure and the Arts. Adventures are where we are challenged to find out what we are made of, to expand our comfort zones, to engage in shared experiences with others and build lifelong bonds as a result. The Arts are where we learn to express ourselves and live out loud, becoming more comfortable with ourselves and proudly telling the world, “We are here!”

We will be spending most of our time on the campus of Buxton School (more on this below), hiking the 100 acre woods, rolling down green hills, sitting around campfires telling stories, trying our hands at painting and ceramics and film photography. We will also be spending some of our time off campus, exploring all of the wonderful things the Berkshires have to offer - white water rafting, ropes courses, world-class museums and charming villages. But beneath the surface of the activities we are doing, we will just be living every day as a family - eating together, spending early mornings and late nights together, learning more about one another and ourselves in the process.

This is unlike any other sleep-away camp in that we are all coming from a day camp where we have already lived the values that we will bring with us. We will be entering the unknown together. And that makes this an exciting adventure for all of us.

Adventure

Try new things, challenge yourself, see what you are capable of.

  • We are excited to be building a relationship with Buxton School, a small boarding school nestled in the mountains of Williamstown, Massachusetts. We have the opportunity to use Buxton’s campus for one week this summer to test the idea of a Hayground SleepAway Camp. The Berkshires is the perfect compliment to the Hamptons. While the Hamptons has beaches, bays and farms, the Berkshires has mountains, rivers and forests. The Berkshires are filled with life and beauty in the summer and we want to be a part of it. Learn more about Buxton School and the campus here.

  • We will be determining exactly which activities we will be doing as the summer approaches. But check out the list we are choosing from!

    Mass MoCa

    Mountain Biking

    The Clark

    White Water Rafting

    Silence Session

    Ropes Course

    Williams Tour

    Mountain Coaster

    Theatre

    River Swimming

    Pottery & Ceramics

    Sunrise Hike

    Drawing & Painting

    Night Hike

    Photography

    Outdoor Education

    Music

    Manhunt at Night!

    Zoom with Hayground Day

  • The staff that we bring on this trip are all trained, experienced Hayground Camp staff. Each staff member has been hand-picked because of their enthusiasm, can-do attitude, responsibility and kindness. We have always believed that the counselor/camper relationships that are built at Hayground are one of the keys to ensuring that campers feel seen and heard and supported in their adventures.

    Our 5:1 camper to staff ratio will be maintained at all times. Staff members’ lodging will be located on the same hallways as the kids.

  • In order for campers to truly immerse themselves in this experience, it is important that they disconnect. That means no phones, no iPads, no devices. We also understand that they will want to check in with you and you will want to check in with them. We will have a 30-minute block each evening where campers can call home and let you know how it’s going. If you ever want to get in touch with them or find out how they are doing without disrupting their experience, you can always call us. You will have our cell phone numbers. This can be a delicate dance. Sometimes kids need to not call home so they can break through and enjoy the experience. Sometimes a quick call home is just what they need to feel comfortable. We have a pretty good sense of what is needed when. We’ll use our judgement and always communicate with you.

    We will also be posting on Instagram and on a private WhatsApp channel throughout the week, so you can follow us there, as well.

  • We are staying at Buxton School, a small boarding school that houses about 80 students during the school year. Dorms are configured similarly to college dorm rooms - three beds to a room, a few rooms on a hallway. Each camper will have his or her own bed and cubbies to keep clothing and belongings.

    We will be eating all of our meals in the Buxton dining hall. Every meal will include a vegetarian option. We will certainly make accommodations for allergies and we will do our best to make accommodations preferences.

FAQs

So there are two different trips? How does that work?

We will be recreating (with improvements) last year’s experience for up to 35 kids ages 7-13. That trip will take place from July 21-26. The 7-10 year-olds (and any 11-13 year-olds who want the one-week experience) will head home on July 26. Up to 15 older kids (11-13) will stay for a second week of SleepAway. This second week will offer more advanced opportunities, bigger experiences, later nights, deeper bonding. The two-week campers will return on Friday, August 1. So if your child is 11-13, he or she has two choices: one week or two. If your child is 7-10, he or she has one option: one week.

How will you be getting to and getting back from Buxton?

All of us will be riding together up and back on a private chartered Jitney.

Can my child choose their bunkmates?

We will take requests and do the best that we can. We want everyone to be happy.

Are boys and girls in separate buildings? Separate floors?

There will be a boys dorm with male counselors and a girls dorm with female counselors. This may be within the same building on different floors or it may be in separate buildings.

Some of the off-campus activities require a signed waiver. How will we deal with that?

Once you have enrolled, you will receive a welcome packet that will include waivers to be signed as well as packing lists.

What if my child doesn’t want to do some of the activities?

This trip will have a balance of choice (some kids do this, some kids do that) and group (Let’s all do this together as a bonding experience!) It is important that campers come prepared to step outside of their comfort zones. Kind and supportive staff will be right by their sides as they challenge themselves. A camper who looks at the list of activities above and says, “I am NOT doing that,” is probably not the right fit for this adventure. A camper who looks at the list and says, “I love some of this and I’m a little nervous about some of it,” is going to be just fine.

When does enrollment open? And is it possible I won’t get in?

Enrollment opens November 1 along with the rest of Hayground Camp enrollment! Once enrollment opens, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We will do our best to take everyone who is excited about this opportunity. In some cases, enrollment might require a conversation about readiness.