Camp Beech Cliff - Mt. Desert, Maine

Thunder Camp

 (campers entering grades 1*, 2 and 3)

sailboat lesson thunder camp

To Campers: “Join old and new friends in all the great activities Thunder Camp has to offer.  Go swimming, paddle canoes, be creative in arts and crafts, learn about the nature around you, shoot arrows at our archery targets, collect camper bucks, even try your first overnight campout.  Whether this is your first year or you have been here before, Thunder Camp is the place to be this summer!"

— Vicki, 2012Thunder Camp Coordinator

loon counselor

To Parents: Designed specifically for younger campers, this program provides a nurturing setting to introduce campers to activities in each of our program areas with ample support from staff. The day will begin and end with a Thunder Camp circle for songs, announcements and attendance. Campers will travel as a group with their Thunder Camp counselors to each of their activity areas, where they will join specialized program area staff. Some of these same staff will accompany the group on off-site activities, to support, supervise and bond socially with the campers. Activity blocks will be approximately 50 minutes long, to ensure a dynamic schedule with opportunities to try the various program areas camp has to offer.

* New in 2012 – We'd love to have your rising First Grader attend camp!

The question is:  Is your son or daughter ready?  Being ready for Camp Beech Cliff means being able to:

  • MUST be at least six years old by their first day of camp
  • keep up with older Thunder Campers in the group (7 – 9 years old) from 9AM to 4PM
  • carry a backpack with lunch, water bottle, swim suit and towel throughout the day
  • hike down (and up!) the big hill once a day, carrying the backpack
  • keep track of belongings, change into swimsuit, and eat lunch and snacks independently

While we offer our Thunder Campers extra support and care with traveling counselors for each group, not all 6-year-olds are ready for this vigorous routine.  We cannot make special arrangements for half day or partial week programs, although you always have the option of keeping your camper home for a day.  

You might want to look at local community center camps for other options for younger children.  Check with Harbor House, Neighborhood House or the MDI YMCA.

Coordinator: Vicki Morrison, CBC Thunder Camp Coordinator, is from Canton, Michigan but currently lives in Illinois.  Vicki graduated in 2009 from Central Michigan University with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services with a concentration in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She has worked as a nature preschool teacher, day camp counselor, and educator at a nature center and outdoor education facility.