In an effort to serve our local community, Laughing Loon Day Camp began in the summer of 2004. As with most new programs, it started off very small, with 93 campers over the course of the summer. Camp began with the hope that kids 6-12 years old would get a taste of what our Overnight Camps were like and become comfortable with our Camp setting so that when they were 8 or older they may feel more at home attending our North Woods Camp for Boys and Pleasant Valley Camp for Girls.
Campers would come in the morning and sign up for the activities that they would like to do that day and then Staff would guide them to the activities and the Day Campers these activities with our Overnight Campers. In 2005 Tuftonboro Native Megan Williams was hired as Day Camp Director. Meg set to work separating the Day Camp activities from the Overnight activities to make it its own Camp.
Day Camp soon had its own schedule, staff, field, and its own waterfront and lunch times. As the years went by Day Camp began to slowly grow; we accumulated an archery range, horseback riding times, more extensive arts and crafts supplies, more sports equipment, our own day camp storage shed, ropes course times, an arts and crafts & inclement weather room, swimming lessons, and our own certified lifeguards. Laughing Loon also instituted traditions such as Thursday Overnights for kids 9-12 years old and Friday Family Field Days.
We now enroll many more year-round locals, summer vacationers and grandchildren of people who live in the area. We raise money annually by collecting donations toward our Reach Out Campaign which goes toward sending kids to Camp. In 2009 we were able to provide scholarships to 50% of our local Day Camp Families!
In Summer 2010 we are jumpstarting our first ever Day Camp Counselor in Training Program for kids ages 13-16 as well as beginning our camp schedule two weeks earlier. During the off season we also run an annual Turkey Day Camp (every Monday – Wednesday just before Thanksgiving) and Reindeer Camp (the day before Christmas Eve) as well as Red Cross Babysitter’s Trainings for teens ages 11-15 years old (usually takes place on a weekend in December).
