Everything I Need To Know…

Everything I Need To Know…

There’s a great poem by Robert Fulghum titled “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.”  You can read a copy here. We spend so much time talking about the value of what our campers learn each summer at camp that we thought it was time to do a tribute to Robert Fulghum’s classic poem. So we’re proud to present Camp Mohawk’s version of:

Everything I Need to Know, I learned at Summer Camp.

Much of what I really need to know about how to live, I didn’t learn in a book or sitting in a classroom. I learned it playing with friends at camp.

  • I can make good decisions for myself.
  • Living with other people requires compromise.
  • Learning to say ‘I’m sorry” and sincerely mean it.
  • Making my bed every day.
  • Clean up my own mess.
  • Getting messy can be fun.
  • Don’t overpack!
  • Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
  • Having someplace in nature to escape, whether it’s for a few hours or a few weeks, is good for you.
  • Write letters. People still love getting mail!
  • Trying new things is fun, even if they don’t turn out to be something you’d want to do everyday.
  • Sometimes being able to laugh at yourself is the best medicine.
  • Everyone should take the time to act silly —even grownups.
  • It’s okay not to be the best at something as long as you try really hard.
  • Just because you don’t succeed the first time, that doesn’t mean you should give up.
  • It’s not difficult to smile and say ‘hi’ to someone you don’t know. And there’s a very good chance it will brighten their day.
  • New friends are great!  Old friends are just as great!
  • Be proud of who are you and where you come from.
  • Traditions bond us to others forever, no matter where we are in the world or how much time has passed.
  • You have the power to choose whether you have a good day or a bad day.
  • Just because you day doesn’t get off to such a great start doesn’t mean it has to end that way.
  • Try new foods!
  • No one wins all of the time.  It’s what you take away from the game that matters.
  • Having a routine is a really good way to stay organized.
  • Words are very powerful so think about what you say to someone else before you say it.
  • If you judge people by what they look like or what they wear you’ll miss out on some amazing friendships.
  • Cheering for others is just as fun as being cheered on.
  • Every great thing comes to an end.  But the memories of it last a lifetime.

The world would be an awesome place if everyone went to summer camp!