Winding Trails Summer Day Camp has been a summer home for children for over six decades. Over that time the facilities have certainly changed, some of the activities have changed, but in many ways a lot of the tradition and values on which the organization has been founded have not changed. We are very happy to see some of our campers who have parents and even grandparents who are alumni of Winding Trails.

Winding Trails values family, recreation, and the environment. We firmly believe these are some of the most important things in life and stress these values to the children who attend our program. This year you will see an added emphasis on the environment. In addition to our traditional programs we will highlight ways each child can help to improve and preserve the environment for our future.

Providing a summer that includes building character in kids, making new friends, and learning new skills is our goal. We have a full time staff trained in all the latest trends and standards in camping and a seasonal staff that is patient, enthusiastic, and highly committed.

Thank you for considering our program for your child. Being accredited through the American Camping Association and licensed through the State of Connecticut provides you with assurance that our program is operated as safely and professionally as possible. We welcome the opportunity to be a part of your child’s life.

Yours in Camping

Scott Brown, CPRP
Executive Director

WELCOME CAMPERS

The Winding Trails Summer Day Camp will open for its 61st season with a continued commitment to helping children meet new people, enhance self-reliance and cooperation, develop new skills, learn to appreciate the outdoors, and most of all, have fun. We are proud to pledge our continued commitment to camping excellence through our national recognition as an accredited camp through the American Camping Association. Winding Trails Summer Day Camp voluntarily submits to this independent appraisal done by experts that includes program quality, staffing, health, and safety issues.

I am proud to say that this summer we will be going green and joining in the national campaign of earth awareness. When camps began in the late 1800s they were a way to connect kids with nature. Some of the first camps presented children with opportunities like hiking, fishing, and adventure in the wilderness. Over the years, however, “camp” has changed. Most, if not all camps today include a wide variety of experiences like sports, education, and recreational skill development. Over the years some camps have strayed from their roots of connecting and educating children to the great outdoors. Through our neglect and the neglect of many others, our natural environment has now deteriorated to a point we can no longer afford to ignore. It is our responsibility and yes, our incredible opportunity, to change that.

Throughout the summer we will devote different days to learning about our camp and global environments through special programs and performers. We will explore the impact that eight weeks of camp has on our property and how we can all pitch-in to make it a better place for everyone to enjoy for years to come. This summer Winding Trails is taking you back to the woods where camp started out. To support our efforts, new recycling bins will be made available throughout the property and campers will be taught the importance of using them properly.

Some new changes coming this summer include the unveiling of our newest bounce house called Jurassic Adventure; a 30' x 30' fun house that will surely have you screaming with joy. We also just completed construction on our new covered archery range that will allow up to 15 participants to shoot simultaneously in any weather condition. This range expansion really enhances the capacity of the archery space and will allow more kids to shoot more often when they visit. We are also adding another new pavilion at Walton Pond for our Pioneer’s (entering 6th grade) completing our new “upper camp” area and we will be moving our Hiawatha’s (entering 1st grade) into a much needed larger pavilion. The former Hiawatha pavilion will now be home to some of our specialty programs and half-day camps.

As you can see, lots of great things are happening here and this is only the beginning for us. I invite you to browse the material presented in this brochure and call us with any questions. I am looking forward to welcoming everyone back for another great summer on June 23.

See you this summer!

Sean Nadeau
Camp Director

Winding Trails is proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association. Developed exclusively for the camp profession, this nationally recognized program focuses on the program quality, health and safety issues and requires us to review every facet of our operation. Winding Trails has voluntarily submitted to this independent appraisal done by experts and has earned this mark of distinction for ten years.