Life Outdoors
Our Camp Programs are immense in offerings and experiences! There is something for everyone. Outdoors and indoors, athletic and artistic, academic, and just pure fun! Take a look at just a small sample of all of the adventures to be had at RSSA. These programs are already included in the camper's daily schedules based on their divisions so there is no need to choose ahead of time.
At our Archery Range, your camper will learn proper technique, form, terminology, and range safety. Starting with the Owl Division, campers will learn archery safety and the basics of shooting an arrow. Then, campers are allowed to practice their skills. Campers step to the line to shoot using recurve bows and fiberglass arrows. Our bow inventory will cover all experience and strength levels, from the youngest budding Robin Hoods to the expert Katniss.
Mr. Reynolds has a lifetime certification in Archery Instruction, and safety is #1. Safety, fun, and learning happen every day at our archery range. While down at the range, your camper might have to answer some trivia, hear some “jokes,” or play some bocce ball while they wait for their turn to shoot… but for some, that is the best part!
Renbrook School has one of Connecticut’s oldest and one of the largest tree-based adventure courses. Our older campers will get a chance to enjoy this historic course as they continue their journey at Renbrook School Summer Adventure. This course utilizes both low and high rope elements. Campers start with ice breakers and team-building exercises to acclimate themselves with their co-campers and the course. They then move on to low ropes, where the elements have fun names like swinging log, triangle traverse, and whale watch. Here cooperation and communication are key to their team's success. Once they have accomplished the low elements, they will move on to the high elements.
Vertical playground, pampers plank, flying squirrel, these are just a few of the names of our high ropes elements. Here campers will have to support each other as they jump from tree to tree, fly like a squirrel, or balance high in the trees.
All of these challenges are supervised by experienced and certified challenge course instructors. The campers will learn to trust the rope and each other as they climb, jump and fly through this course. Confidence in themselves and their teammates will help campers complete each element.
Capture the flag, freeze tag, soccer, kickball, and the famous slip-n-slide. These are a few of the games your camper will play during their time with us in PE. We meet multiple times a week with every group to play cooperative and competitive games. Each game is played at the age-appropriate level with guidelines and rules specific to the campers' abilities. You will often see our staff playing along, with giant smiles on their faces (not as big as the campers).
The younger campers will play our easy to learn and easy master games, with our older campers having some options to play each time they visit Williams field.
Once a week (weather permitting), we will roll out the tarp and turn on the water… and that can only mean one thing!! SLIP-n-SLIDE. Some campers will timidly slide to the bottom and enjoy watching their friends slide; others will spend the entire period sliding, climbing back up the hill, and sliding again. Small groups, large groups, on your back, or your tummy; you name it, the campers have tried it…and loved it!!
The RSSA Tennis Program allows players of all levels to work on skills, and challenges and inspires them to participate in this life-time sport. Campers will participate in a variety of drills and games, led by experienced tennis coaches, with a focus on ground strokes and serving. Lessons usually start with some sort of warm-up, which includes stretching, some light running and a short game to build coordination and racket control. Younger campers are given a chance to develop hand-eye coordination, and learn the basics of tennis. To make it even more fun, targets are used to develop accuracy and provide some competition, helping everyone participate and play at their own level. More experienced campers are given more advanced instruction, with more repetition of skills. They will also be allowed to play singles or doubles matches against their peers, learning proper scoring, and may even challenge their counselors in a quest for victory! Lessons in sportsmanship and working together as a team are also provided to help develop a more well-rounded player. The most exciting part of tennis comes at the end of each lesson, when campers compete against one another in the camp favorite… JAILBREAK!
Our hiking trails not only circle our campus but also provide your camper with an opportunity to join nature at its best!
Our red trail is a full circle around our campus with many side trails to either bring you back to the main campus or even take campers to the pond or archery range.
Our blue trail brings campers to our brook and view of the waterfall. This short trail is great for a chance to see the waterway that put the “brook” in Renbrook.
The yellow trail is a quick trail from the main campus to the archery range or pond.
Each trail is unique in design and in the small ecosystems you might see. You will see great big oak and maple trees on the red trail, venture through a pine forest, and see giant boulders coming out of the earth. On the blue trail, you will see a brook, tunnel, and waterfalls. Finally, the yellow trail takes you through the forest to a swamp!
All of this is within our beautiful 75 acres on Renbrook Campus.