Costumes & Camp Culture

Most kids (and many adults) LOVE to dress up for Halloween. The tradition allows us to pretend to be something else, if only for a brief moment in time. Neighborhood streets are full of people traveling in packs - preschoolers holding their grown-ups’ hands, while the adults do double duty and drag behind a wagon filled with snacks, flashlights, water, and the treats that are too heavy for little ones to carry. Elementary kids run ahead, as parents mingle on the curb and sneak pieces of candy from bulging bags. The tradition doesn’t stop in middle school, as hordes of children roam their ‘hoods on their own, looking for the streets that give out full size bars. And as the parent of high school and college students, I can promise that ‘Hallow-weekend’ is one of the most talked about social events each fall.

While we often think about dressing up in the context of Halloween, there is a fair amount of it that happens each summer at camp as well. The most obvious example is Olympics week. On Tuesday morning of week six, you can find a wide range of commitment to team spirit at camp. Some campers are ALL IN, having spent the previous weekend collecting a smorgasbord of their group’s assigned color. Others enter into the frenzy slowly, in a t-shirt or bandana. But by the main event on Friday, hair tinsel, face paint, tutus, and knee socks abound.

Friday Special Events often involve a fair amount of dress up as well. Counselors are often decked out in truly elaborate getups, created by our Crafts team. When the theme is revealed in advance, campers often join in the fun as well - whether the event calls for cowboy hats or unicorn headbands, there is nothing to bring 900 people together like a good old fashioned competition with a side of make believe.

We even don special themed outfits as a group reward. Camp groups are always working on demonstrating teamwork and sportsmanship around camp, and every counselor team develops their own system for recognizing and rewarding team spirit. Pajama day, dress like a Superhero, Princess day, and ‘little white lies’ have been the most memorable recently.

Finally - there are our weekly ‘theme’ days: Tutu Tuesday, Hawaiian Shirt Wednesday, and Jersey Thursday. These are unspoken traditions carried on by staff (many of whom were once campers) who truly believe that a little bit of matching dress up fun can make the day brighter.

So why is this? I recently spent a day in Salem, MA, and I can assure you that the desire to don a costume is not strictly a camp phenomenon, but the psychology behind it is certainly key to what happens at camp. There is a degree of anonymity that comes with putting on a mask or a costume that can help lower the wearer’s inhibitions - and in a really incredible twist, that same anonymity can help campers and staff find and share their true selves.

Dressing up in a group setting like at camp can help us feel more connected to one another. Creating a sense of belonging and inclusion is one of our most important values at Sewataro, and believe it or not, bucket hats can go a long way in getting us there. Often, campers are well aware which Counselors are playing the ‘main characters’ in a Friday Special Event, and insider knowledge is a critical component to culture-building. But no matter how much they pester, we’ll never tell. We wouldn’t want to spoil the magic.

Have a fabulous ‘Hallow-weekend’, and don’t hesitate to reach out!