5 Things to Love About Timberlane
Running a summer camp doesn’t leave a ton of time for writing.
Between planning programs, talking to families, and occasionally filling 3,000 water balloons (more on that in a second), the email updates tend to trail behind. That’s going to change.
Because the truth is, I think about Timberlane constantly. What makes it work? What makes boys come back summer after summer (after summer, after summer).
Time to start sharing all of that way more often.
With this in mind, I figured five things I (and most people) love about Timberlane was the place to start.
#1 Knowing Every Camper
With around 150 boys total and smaller cabin sizes, Timberlane runs at a size that lets something important happen: actual recognition.
Not just counselors knowing names, but the directors knowing them too.
Knowing which kid finally got up on skis. Who’s sitting with who at lunch. Seeing when someone might be having an off day before they say anything.
This isn’t possible at every camp. But it happens here because the numbers allow it.
#2 No Phones or Video Games, Better Everything
Timberlane is fully unplugged. No phones, just dumb watches (no smart ones), no screens, no video games.
Sometimes parents are a bit nervous about what this will mean for their kids, considering how essential phones have become. Will they be able to “handle it”?
Turns out the answer is an easy yes. And much quicker than you would think.
Boys seem to exhale a bit. They talk more at meals. They invent games with sticks and pinecones. They try things without worrying about who’s recording.
And the absence of devices doesn’t just simply remove distraction. It creates the conditions for everything else on this list to actually work.
#3 Goofy on Purpose
Camp is goofy. That’s not some accident.
Last summer, I got the job of filling 3000 (yes, you read that number right) water balloons for water park day. Got a couple of thousand into it, but then a group of campers had cornered me, stolen the bin, and dumped it over my head. Led to an earlier-than-expected water balloon fight.
This kind of thing happens constantly. Karaoke nights go off script. Counselors wear costumes for no reason.
The goofiness is purposeful and intentional (even if off the cuff) because it creates something of a safety net. Seeing adults being goofy and unguarded means boys can rest easier being themselves.
That’s when the real stuff becomes possible. The conversations, the risk-taking, the growth.
#4 Structure That Knows When to Be Flexible
Routine matters at camp. It creates comfort, predictability, and safety. Boys know what to expect, and that lets them relax.
But then great things happen when we go off-script.
Rounding up a cabin at night to catch a meteor shower while lying on the trampolines. Turning a rainy day wash out into a slip-and-slide on the soccer field. Cooking pancakes at my house instead of the lodge because the senior village earned a late morning.
These moments work because the rest of camp runs tight. More on this soon. There’s a whole philosophy here worth its own message.
#5 Getting Better, Each Day
Fun is essential, sure. But boys stay engaged when they can feel themselves improving.
That’s why activities at Timberlane have real progression built in. In tennis, there’s a path from first forehand to consistent serve. In pottery, the goal is hearing “you can throw on your own.” That means you’ve learned to center the clay without help.
When kids hit these markers, something clicks. They want to keep going. They push through the frustrating parts.
The fun stays fun because it’s attached to actual growth.
Only 5 Things?
Keeping this list to five was tough.
Timberlane has a lot going on, and sometimes some of it is hard to explain without a few more words.
So expect more of these. Got plenty to share.
The big picture isn’t overly complicated. Boys need space to be goofy, get challenged, fail at stuff, and try again. And they need adults who take them seriously without taking everything so seriously.
They need a summer that doesn’t feel like another thing to optimize.
We try to be that place. Most days I think we pull it off. And that means a lot to love.
Benches Up,
Sam
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