Camp Peniel’s weekend adventures help strengthen family bonds
Chris and Emma Linenburger enjoy some father-daughter time together during a Camp Peniel weekend camp. The Smithwick camp hosts weekend family camps during the fall and winter months to help families strengthen their bonds. Courtesy photo
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
SMITHWICK — While Camp Peniel might be best known as a summer youth camp, the staff knows the key to healthy children is a strong family bond.
So, during the fall and winter, families can participate in several weekends designed to celebrate those bonds between parents and children.
“We want to promote opportunities for families to strengthen those bonds,” camp director Brian Anderson said. “These weekends give parents and kids a great chance to really focus on what’s important. We remove all those distractions and just let them get to know each other again.”
Camp Peniel offers mother-son, mother-daughter, father-daughter, father-son and family weekends. Some center on a particular activity such as horseback riding.
The Mother & Daughter Horse Camp on Sept. 20-22 gives mothers and daughters the chance to learn about horses. The camp’s equestrian director leads much of the program, which includes daily trail rides and equine-related instruction.
But, according to Anderson, the horseback riding sets up the opportunity for mother and daughter to spend time with each other.
“We often are so wrapped up in our lives that we go from one thing to the next but really don’t spend time with the ones most important to us,” he said. “This horse camp helps slow it all down so. Sure, you’re learning about horses and riding, but it’s really about giving them time together where they’re sharing the same basic experience.”
The following weekend, Sept. 27-29, the camp hosts the Mother & Son Weekend. From Oct. 4-6 is another Mother & Daughter Horse Camp with a Father & Daughter Camp Out on Oct. 18-20.
One of the camp’s longstanding traditions, the Thanksgiving Family Camp, is Nov. 27-30.
“These weekends are great for building those memories that you really will remember for the rest of your life,” Anderson said.
The weekends include an itinerary, but campers can chose how much they participate.
“Every family is in a different place,” Anderson said. “Activity wise, they can do all of them or they can chose one. Our family camp weekends are really about options.”
By getting families outside and out of their normal routine, the weekends open up new possibilities and growth.
“Our vision is to really bring people face to face with God through Christ-based adventure,” Anderson said. “These are opportunities for families to be equipped to become better parents and better children.”
Go to www.camppeniel.org or call (800) 848-1731.
daniel@thepicayune.com