Summer Days Camp - Our Mission

Our Mission

Play is the child's work.

The children at Summer Days Camp take ownership in their play. Children learn life skills through play. We offer a range of play opportunities so that they can achieve their full potential. Our team provides a safe and nurturing environment for this play. In the project room, Art Smart and Kitchen Science focus on the physical world either with a creative direction or from a physical science point of view through exploration with hands-on projects. Children can build or create from the materials provided fulfilling their need to establish a creative and aesthetic voice. Fair Play takes place under the big tent, outside on the lawns, in the bog natural playground or on the pirate ship playground, providing group social and intellectual opportunities through games and imaginative play.

The Summer Days Camp team is there to support the child in the play process. Children instinctively know what they want from play. The upside from a developmental perspective is that, as a result of this play, they develop fine and gross motor skills, muscle coordination and sucess in role playing (which allows children to see things from others’ perspectives). Play is challenging and risky, occasionally uncomfortable and it challenges the space between participants. Ultimately, play is beneficial, restorative and healing. Play happens with direct experience with real and intangible objects and concepts. The social skills developed in play are the same skills with which children will succeed as adults.

Our team honors the child by mentoring, modeling and reflecting together on this concept of play. Summer Days Camp enables and engages the child's self-directed play, co-constructing environments where play can be most fully expressed. This fundamental respect for the child is our reason for success at Summer Days Camp.

~ Janna Genereaux, Summer Days Camp Director

Our Team

Janna Genereaux, Director

Camp director, Janna Genereaux believes in play and loves to experience the joy of creation with all our campers. Janna holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design.

Annie Hansen