How Redwood Country Day Camp Nurtures Real Problem-Solving Skills Through Summer Fun

At Redwood Country Day Camp, summer isn’t just about sunshine and laughter—it’s about growth. One of the most important life skills we help campers build is the ability to solve problems creatively, calmly, and with confidence.

From group games to nature adventures, everything at Redwood is designed to encourage kids to ask questions, explore ideas, and figure things out for themselves. This is what problem-solving looks like in action—and it’s built into the very heart of camp life.

Why Problem Solving Matters for Kids

Problem-solving is more than answering a question correctly. It’s a mental process: identifying a challenge, exploring potential solutions, testing different strategies, and learning from what works. This skill set is essential—not just in school, but in everyday moments kids face.

Campers who develop problem-solving skills at a young age show:

• Stronger critical thinking skills

• Better collaboration in group activities

• Confidence in unfamiliar situations

• The ability to stay calm and think clearly during difficult situations

At Redwood, we help kids build these abilities in a natural, supportive way.

How Redwood Builds Problem-Solving Into Every Day

We don’t set aside time to “teach” problem solving. Instead, we embed it into the design of everything we do—from the pool to the climbing wall, from arts and crafts to our animal farm.

Here’s how it happens:

1. Adventure & Challenge Courses

Climbing the 24-foot wall. Soaring down the 320-foot zipline. These aren’t just thrilling—they’re opportunities to work through a challenge step-by-step.

Kids face real questions as they tackle the wall. It encourages them to plan and problem solve as they learn to manage their bodies on unfamiliar and uneven surfaces and make choices as they select the next rock on their way up the wall.

The zipline presents a different challenge to the camper as they take courage from themselves when they put on the harness and slide down a 320 ft line through the forest.

In both activities, campers develop problem-solving strategies as they try, adapt, and succeed. This is lateral thinking in action—finding creative solutions to physical challenges in a safe, encouraging space

2. Team Sports and Group Games

Our sports program is filled with problem-solving activities that require more than athletic ability. Whether they’re playing basketball, Gaga ball, soccer, or creating a new game plan for Bears vs. Moose, campers must communicate, adjust, and think fast. They learn to make strategies, cooperate with others using clear communication skills and work as a team to create the best outcome. With high-energy play, campers are building a foundation of soft skills they’ll use for life.

3. Arts and Crafts: Creative Problem-Solving at Its Best

Crafts aren’t just about following directions. At Redwood, arts are a space for imagination, exploration, and the creative process. Whether it’s beading, painting, or clay modeling, kids naturally ask: How do I bring this idea to life? What can I use if this material doesn’t work? What’s another way to solve this design problem?

This is the ideation process in its purest form—trying things, learning from mistakes, and building confidence. It’s also where kids learn there’s often more than one correct solution.

4. Nature & Animals: Real Responsibility, Real Thinking

Having an animal farm on the Redwood property, enables children to interact with animals that they may have never seen before and in a safe environment. They think like problem-solvers as they watch how the animals interact with each other and react to the other children. The campers are also encouraged to respect each other as they feed the animals and share in their delight. This means connecting empathy with logical reasoning - a powerful mix for the children in developing meaningful skills for life.

5. Swimming: Breaking Down Complex Skills

Learning to swim gives campers essential lifelong skills.  Not only does it give children the fundamental skills for water safety, it challenges campers to progress in their ability to navigate the water, gives them extreme pleasure and builds confidence in the water.

With four outdoor pools and small group instruction, the swim instructor identifies what each child needs to work on and tailors the lessons for each camper. Campers then can apply these new skills in their recreational swim and feel the joy of press and independence. These lessons stick, not just for swimming—but for life.

6. Theme Days: New Situations, New Thinking

Every week brings a new Redwood theme—Carnival Day, Colour Blast, Hero Day, and more. These aren’t just fun—they’re creative playgrounds for thinking skills, team work and physical challenges.

Each theme becomes a game-based learning experience, filled with brainstorming sessions and team collaboration.

7. Leadership Programs: Advanced Thinking for Older Campers

Our CITs (Counsellors in Training) programs are built around real-world problem-solving strategies.

Teens finishing grade 8 and 9 take on roles where they must:

• Support younger campers

• Respond to changes in plans

• Lead games and make group decisions

• Reflect on choices and try new approaches

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It’s more than prep for future jobs—it’s building confident, thoughtful leaders with strong problem-solving skills.

Redwood’s Natural Approach to Growth

We don’t call it a “lesson”—we call it a day at camp.

Kids at Redwood:

• Feel free to ask open-ended questions

• Explore solutions with their peers

• Practice the idea generation process across a wide range of activities

• Learn how to think, not just what to think

This gentle, built-in approach is what makes our campers more confident, curious, and ready for anything.

The Redwood Difference

At Redwood Country Day Camp, kids don’t just grow taller—they grow wiser. Every challenge becomes an opportunity. Every “what if” becomes a spark for creative thinking.

And long after the summer ends, these skills stay with them:

• A clearer way of thinking

• The courage to try

• The ability to adapt, collaborate, and keep going

  
  

Because the best problem-solving tools aren’t apps or gadgets—they’re the habits we build, the people we become, and the confidence we carry.