Facilities
Dining Hall
Cuisine is generally kid-friendly, with an eye to balance and nutrition: lots of chicken, pasta, pizza, stir-fry, grilled cheese, and hamburgers; fruits and vegetables; hot and cold cereals at every breakfast; a breakfast bar or salad bar at every meal; peanut butter and jelly available along with other substitutes at all times; and a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternative at every meal that needs one
The Pete Seeger Dining Hall is a rustic and beautiful center for meals, snacks and many other activities at camp. Meals are served family-style; each age group actually has fun taking turns serving as waiters for the whole camp on an ongoing rotation under the supervision of their staff and the kitchen staff.
Health Center
Our nurses live full time in the Health Center, and are available 24 hours a day. They are experienced in the management of a wide range of allergies and illnesses, along with the sprains, bug bites, rashes, and other minor health issues that arise at camp. They are also experienced in management of daily and over-the-counter medications.
We retain a special driver so that children can get to medical appointments outside of camp without delay. We also are connected to local pediatric services, urgent cares, and the Emergency Room at Fairview Hospital. EMT services are available at all times, and have responded within minutes on the very few occasions they have been called to camp. Treatment decisions are made in ongoing consultation with parents or guardians.
Rec Hall
When Camp Kinderland built its new Dining Hall, the former dining facility was transformed into much needed indoor recreation space.
The current Rec Hall houses our dance space, staff canteen, library, culture center, and games space. There are several ping pong tables, a pool table, a foosball game, and long tables for gathering to play rainy day board-game favorites like Scrabble, Monopoly, Clue and Trivial Pursuit. Bunks may reserve the Rec Hall kitchen to prepare a "lazy day" breakfast.
Playhouse
The Paul Robeson Playhouse is the performance center of Kinderland; its barn like structure has housed the concerts, skits, and plays both performed and enjoyed by many generations of campers. The walls of Robeson are covered with camper-made murals that are a visually stunning testimony to the way values and creativity are integrated in our camp community.
Sports Fields
Camp Kinderland sports fields are right within the main camp facility, easily accessible for scheduled sports programs and spontaneous pick-up games during choice and "schmooze" (free time).
Kinderland has two basketball courts, a softball field, a soccer and ultimate Frisbee field, tetherball and an outdoor ga-ga pit. Specialists and guests also run games around camp using the fields and courts for punchball, kickball, capture the flag, Frisbee golf, pickleball, and cricket. On rainy days the Paul Robeson Playhouse becomes the scene of everyone's favorite indoor madness, Ga-Ga.
Waterfront
Our beautiful lake is entirely encircled by our own property. Our dock is a standard "H" which forms a shallow area at the beach end and an intermediate area reaching into the lake. The deep area is anchored by a floating raft and the entire supervised swimming area is roped off by floats. With staff supervision, children can take out canoes, kayaks, and peddle boats during swim sessions.
Arts & Crafts Studio
The Kathe Kollwitz Arts and Crafts Studio offers specific projects in a wide range of media: drawing, painting, printing, stenciling; sewing, knitting, crochet; beading and bead looming; weaving, collage, decoupage, mosaics, murals, silk-screening, popsicle stick and other sculptures; wirework, basketry, quilt making, wood working, tie dye and more.
The ceramics area is stocked with clay, pottery wheels and our kiln. On the lower floor of the Paul Robeson Playhouse, just above the lake, A&C catches the lake and forest breezes.
The shop is decorated with camper projects, and its outer wall holds our "Wall of Democracy", assembled from original tiles expressing the camper's thoughts about the meaning of democracy.
Bunks
Campers live in groups of approximately 10-14 children, in wood frame cabins equipped with electricity and indoor bathrooms and showers. Depending on numbers, campers sleep in single or bunked beds, and each camper is assigned a "shafkeh", or set of shelves, to store clothing and belongings.
Each simple and rustic building is named to honor lives lived in the pursuit of justice: Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney, Joe Hill and Harriet Tubman, to name a few. It is one of the very special aspects of life at Camp Kinderland.