Parent Testimonial: Experiencing Wanakee Through My Daughter’s Eyes
When families come to Wanakee, something special happens — parents and children share in wonder, laughter, and simple joy together. Below, one parent reflects on her experience at You n’ Me Camp, a half‑week program designed for parents and young campers to discover the magic of camp side by side. Registration for the upcoming summer is now open — come make your own memories at Wanakee!
My daughter and I shared our first experience camping together at Wanakee this July 2025. While I had done this program previously with my son, it was exciting to come back with my 6-year-old daughter and experience camp for the first time through her eyes.
To her, everything was magical, exciting and new - whether it was searching for sticks in the woods for our fire circle, singing after meals, watching fireflies in the field at dusk, learning a new game, downtime arts and crafts, or building s'mores (especially s'mores!). But her favorite thing was riding in a canoe to go to Monkey Island in the middle of Lake Pemigewasset. She loved being on the water and traveling in a canoe for the first time. As a parent, it was a joy to witness her have new experiences she can't get at home, and I am grateful this program allowed me to experience this side-by-side with her.
As a parent, my most enjoyable moments alternated between the quiet down-time we would have together in the Rec Hall at the end of every camp day, to sliding down the slip-and-slide with other parents and getting to feel like camp kids again ourselves. Our You n' Me volunteer directors made sure that both parents and kids were happy and fulfilled during our days together.
We traveled as a family a lot this summer, but the half-week at Wanakee with my daughter remains one of my favorite memories from summer 2025.