The essential experience Treetops offers is time for childhood—time to climb a tree, to look at the stars, to jump in a puddle, to catch a frog, and to pull a carrot from the soil. In our unplugged, simple environment, without watches or clocks, campers learn to regard time differently. Minus the array of electronics that dominates our modern landscape, they begin to see and notice, listen and hear, imagine and create. We provide Treetops campers ample time to play, learn, and create. And with time to explore, children are able to make deep and lasting connections to the natural world around them.

In addition to a daily swim lesson, weekly riding lesson, and daily work job, a Treetops day is open for new experiences and adventures. Children choose their activities with guidance from counselors. For even our youngest campers, personal choice is balanced by a strong sense of community, cultivated in all of our programs, from the farm and garden to nature and wilderness.

Children live together, learn together, and work together. And whether caring for newborn chicks or preparing a meal for others to enjoy, Treetops campers come to see the value of putting the group before self. When they do, children learn both the responsibility and joys of building a community.

They also establish friendships and connections that endure well beyond a Treetops summer. The remarkable devotion of Treetops alumni points to the depth of these relationships. Year after year, large numbers of former Treetops campers return to serve as counselors, and many families have ties to Camp that run two, three, even four generations deep. Sharing transformative experiences over time creates these lasting bonds.