Summer camp season is almost here, and across the country the landscape is shifting in noticeable ways. Some camps are thriving with full sessions and waiting lists. Others are experiencing declines in registration. And some camps have closed entirely, with properties up for sale.
In our office, we keep a large map of the United States with a pin marking every camp project we’ve supported since 2011. It’s a reminder of how dramatically different camps can be — from remote wilderness sites to camps positioned near major cities, from leased buildings to thousands of acres with breathtaking views. Each represents a legacy of leaders who created places where children, families, and adults could disconnect from daily life and reconnect with themselves, with others, or with the sacred.
If we were to create a timelapse of all the camps represented on that map, the shifts of the last five years would be striking. Some camps are expanding, innovating, and launching new programs. Others are struggling or shutting down. The gap between thriving and closing is widening.
On one side, Kaleidoscope is working with camps dreaming big — planning new facilities, refreshing programs, and even launching brand-new camp ventures. It’s an energizing moment filled with creative thinking and new opportunities.
On the other side, we’re walking alongside camps facing crisis. Some haven’t recovered from the pandemic. Registrations haven’t returned to 2019 levels. Each year slips slightly lower. Faith-based camps especially feel the impact, as the congregations they once primarily served have declined in attendance. The potential campers are still in the community — but the natural connection point has changed.
Yet for those same camps, the opportunity remains.
Camp can be a catalyst for renewal. It’s a place where values, tradition, identity, and community can be experienced in ways that re-energize families and faith communities. Camp continues to be one of the best environments for deep connection and personal growth.
We’re inspired by the new expressions of camp emerging across the country. Alumni reviving old properties with modernized programming. New organizations imagining camp in formats that meet today’s families where they are. Leaders dreaming about how camp can serve the next generation.
At the same time, we mourn with those who have to say goodbye to a sacred place filled with sacred stories. Sometimes closure is unavoidable, and the best path forward is honoring the legacy while making space for something new.
As the first campers of the season begin to arrive, we feel immense gratitude for everyone who invests their time, passion, and resources into creating life-changing camp experiences.
To the camps that are thriving:
Congratulations — and thank you for all you pour into this work.
To camps seeking revitalization:
Focus on delivering the best possible summer for the campers you will welcome this year. Your leadership and commitment matter.
To camps that are closing:
We grieve with you and honor the generations of impact your camp has made.
The landscape is shifting — perhaps more dramatically than at any time in the last 75 years. But we’re honored to walk alongside every leader, every board, and every camp community navigating what comes next.
