Camps say Care Packages are way out of Control

Lauren and Mark Bernstein, owners and directors of Camp Walden New York, were early adopters. When they bought the camp, located in Diamond Point, N.Y., 12 years ago, a no-package policy felt good to them from the start. The camp encourages parents to send as many letters and emails as they like, and while campers are able to make phone calls from camp four times each summer, any packages will be confiscated. “We know it’s hard for parents to send their kids away, and they want to mail their campers gifts to show they love and miss them, but let’s let the gift of camp speak for itself,” says Bernstein. “We are working hard to keep the focus on kids and to give them a down-to-earth-experience where it’s not about ‘more.’ Camp is a time to put a stop on that for a little bit.”