Making Magic - The Secret Recipe

Dragonfly Forest is often described as a "magical" place, a place where amazing things happen and where the impact on a participant lasts for a long time after the camp experience has ended. It is no wonder why we are so often asked, "How do you create the magic?"

The magic we create is not found in a dust covered book of ancient spells and incantations, or in the sleight of hand of a skilled magician. So what is camp magic? In one sense, the magic of camp lies within the endless smiles, laughter, and spirit of the participants and staff. It presents itself when children are able to accomplish something that they never dreamed possible, when they feel empowered and when they laugh out loud. Camp is about creating opportunities to build self-esteem and confidence, learn new skills, and form relationships. Camp is about nourishing a sense of belonging and community. Camp is about fun. However, many participants and staff have a difficult time explaining what it is exactly that occurs that creates the "magic" of camp.

The recipe is simple; Dragonfly Magic is made up of equal parts of four very special ingredients. The first ingredient is place - nestled among hundreds of rolling acres in rural, pristine, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, our unique location provides excitement and adventure for campers in the great outdoors. When our campers arrive at The Forest, they find themselves living in a wooded environment that typically looks and feels nothing like their home surroundings.

To place we then mix insanely great programming. Our Programming Team of fifteen people made up of former campers, parents, lawyers, camp directors and former Hole in the Wall Volunteers, has developed a full array of camp programs to dazzle our campers.

Programming is then mixed with great people. Our staff of volunteers, counselors and programming professionals has been carefully selected. We look for lots of experience (and some pretty terrific attitudes) in working with children-specifically children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses-to provide the safest, most enjoyable, "funest" summer camp experience ever.

Up to this point the ingredients are what all camps claim to provide, so the question still remains, "How do we make the magic?" When you add the final ingredient to the recipe, the magic begins to happen. This last ingredient is CHOICE.

When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, choices of all kinds are often taken away from them. They are told what medicine they have to take, when they have to take it, what they can and cannot do, when to eat, what to eat, when to sleep and on and on. When we, as adults, are given "do's and don'ts" from our doctors, we usually understand that these orders are necessary and, while we may not always enjoy them, we realize the benefits received by following them. To a child, the "do's and don'ts" which remove so many of their choices, may appear to be a punishment for getting sick, in effect, many children may feel that they are being punished for something they didn't do or choose to have.

So by giving our campers choice, and mixing in place, programming, and people, the magic begins. It just does. The kids who come to The Forest get to choose what they want to do, how they want to do it, when they want to do it, if they want to do something, if they don't want to do something, even how they get from activity to activity.

At camp, choice makes everything more interesting: instead of simply walking to our next activity, we may choose to hop; instead of simply clearing our plates after a meal, we may choose to create a game that makes even that activity goofy and therefore, fun. We can choose to sing silly songs at meals, or march to activities, or wear our shoes on the wrong feet, for no other reason other than to make someone laugh or smile. The choice is always up to our campers.

Dragonfly Kids are empowered to see how they can put choice back into their lives. Choice allows campers to change the rules: instead of simply playing soccer, our kids can choose to play with three soccer balls at the same time. At camp we choose to make the impossible possible and to make hero moments out of ordinary moments: we help our kids discover strengths they did not know they had and we celebrate them.

At Dragonfly Forest our days at camp are fun, fun, fun! Laughter, giggles, friendships, excitement, and bursting energy abound … campers are empowered to do things they never dreamed they could do. They are infused with a spirit of accomplishment at every turn and that is the real magic of camp. And it all comes from a simple recipe, which, when mixed together in just the right way, creates magic.