YMCA CAMP CULLEN Summer Camp 2019 – Review

This post is sponsored by YMCA Camp Cullen. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jayden and Jimmy’s first week of summer camp at YMCA Camp Cullen has come and gone. And they can’t stop talking about it! They attended week 3 of YMCA Camp Cullen and loved every minute.

After all of our research, packing everything up, and talking about what they would learn and do at camp, our whole family drove up to drop off the big boys at camp.

When you drive onto campus, you are immediately impressed with the grounds. The camp is 530 acres set along the shores of Lake Livingston. It has been recently renovated and is a perfect mix of wilderness and comfort.

My husband and I were very impressed by the organized welcome and check-in system. We were greeted at the gate with instructions to drop off the boy’s luggage to be delivered to the cabin for them.

As soon as we stepped out of our car we could hear a crowd of counselors chanting “I see campers!” The boys were greeted with high fives from their cabin counselors and our whole family ran through a tunnel of cheering counselors. Now that is what I call a camper greeting!

The check in process was a breeze. We were able to drop off mail & care packages to be delivered to the boys throughout the week. Each child was checked for lice and his temperature taken to make sure they were entering the week healthy and ready for fun.

Cabin Life

The boys were placed into a cabin with other boys in their age group. They immediately felt welcomed by their counselors and the other boys. When we picked them up it was obvious that they had formed some amazing friendships.

Jayden’s cabin had an epic card game battle all week. The counselors did a great job of creating a place where the kids felt welcome, at home, and restful.

Dining

Jimmy’s favorite meal of the week…. TACOS!!!!

Every meal was served family style. Every cabin had it’s own table and the boys were able to serve themselves or choose to go to the deli counter or salad bar for a cold option for their meal.

I had the opportunity to observe a mealtime. It was organized chaos and entertaining too! In between bites, the girls camp and the boys camp performed cheers, chants, & dances. So much fun!

Activities

YMCA Camp Cullen offers a wide variety of land and water activities. Each day the boys were able to choose what activity they wanted to participate in. They were also able to earn patches for levels they mastered in certain activities. They are tested to see what skills they already posses and then challenged to learn and push themselves to develop new abilities in that activity.

They have 52 horses on their property and actually have a specialty track for those who want to have extra time on with the horses. At the end of the week they have a horse show to show off the skills the children who have spent time with the horses have mastered.

Jimmy’s favorite activities of the week: Wet Willie Slide, Sailing, Zip Line, Archery, & Wilderness Survival

Jayden’s favorite activities of the week: Kayaking, Swimming Pool, Wilderness Survival, & Rifle Range

Team Spirit

YMCA Camp Cullen puts emphasis on creating a team spirit throughout the entire week. The boys and girls camp had a friendly competition going through the week. Each cabin was treated like a family group. And every camper was placed into a “House.”

They had cheers for EVERYTHING!!! Jay and Jim both have done them non-stop since we got home. Jayden told me he lost his voice one night from cheering so loudly!

House System

The first night of camp, every camper is sorted into houses. The House System was established to create a sense of belonging for campers not only their first summer at YMCA Camp Cullen, but for every year they return. They may not be in the same cabin every year, but they will always be in the same house.

Their are four houses. Each house has a symbol and value that the children are encouraged to embody. The campers can earn points throughout the week for their house in the hopes of winning the House Cup!

Closing Ceremonies

On Saturday, the whole family came up to camp to pick up the boys. They were talking over each other telling us about all the things that they did, the friends they made and the fun they had.

The camp had set up a mini carnival for the campers and their families to enjoy with snowcones, cotton candy, popcorn, and games.

The Closing Ceremonies were a ton of fun with cheers from girls camp and boys camp, awards for cleanest cabins, cabin spirit, and camper of the week.

Jayden’s cabin won cleanest cabin for the boys camp. Now I know for sure that he can keep his room clean! Hahaha!!!

Jimmy’s cabin won Cabin Spirit for boys camp. The counselor leader told us that every time he saw Jimmy’s cabin they were playing fun games, helping each other and having great attitudes.

The ceremony ending with an epic reveal of who won the house cup. Using science, a burst of blue foam prompted an eruption of cheers from House Kraken!

Jimmy has asked me three times since we got home if he can go back for one more week this summer! Next summer, we will be sending all four boys for sure. And Jimmy will be staying for two weeks!

YMCA Camp Cullen also offers Family Camps in the fall and opportunities for churches and organizations to rent the facilities for their own camps.

I can’t wait for next summer and have loved every minute hearing the stories from the boys of their epic week at YMCA Camp Cullen!