Camp Life

Unplugged. Unscripted. Unforgettable.

A Place to Run Wild

Two young women jumping into a body of water, smiling, in a wooded outdoor area.

Campers do not have access to Wi-fi while they are at camp, and no one has ever complained! There are no TVs, laptops, or video games at Camp Strawderman—and no one has ever complained! While we have wifi for staff and counselors, the campers remain blissfully unplugged. 

We are engaging, challenging, exciting, fun, nurturing, authentically rustic, and wonderfully traditional.

Nestled in 300 secluded acres of pristine Shenandoah Valley and Allegheny Mountains, there is a timelessness to Strawderman that brings out the best in our campers and keeps them coming back year after year, generation after generation.

It’s a place where fears are overcome, challenges are faced, confidence is developed, nature is respected with healthy appreciation, and friendships are born that last a lifetime.

In addition to all the scheduled activities in a typical day, Strawderman allows free time during the day to just let kids be kids: to play, explore, hang out in a hammock on a hot day, play cards in the cabin on a rainy day, lean over a fence and pat a favorite horse, curl up and read a good book, or write a letter home. That’s right! An actual letter! (We’ll even show them how to address an envelope!)

Line drawing of various sports equipment and attire, including a baseball cap, tennis rackets, a shuttlecock, an artist's palette with brushes, a ballet tutu, and an archery target

A Typical Day at Camp

Rising bell, flag-raising, and a hearty breakfast

7:00 am

A group of children and teenagers at a buffet table inside a dining hall, with some serving themselves fruit and others chatting.

Cabin duties (shared responsibilities)

8:15 am

Morning activities:

  • Riding

  • Swimming

  • Tennis

  • Archery

  • Arts & Crafts

  • Loom Beading

  • Dance

9:00 am

A woman riding a brown horse on a grassy field during sunset.
Two women standing next to a large archery target outdoors on a grassy field, smiling at the camera. The woman on the left has long blonde hair, wearing a purple t-shirt and holding a few arrows, while the woman on the right wears a pink hat, gray tank top, and shorts, pointing at the target.

Grooming

12:00 pm

Lunch & Store

12:30 pm

Rest Hour

2:00 pm

A woman working on a beading or jewelry project at a wooden table, surrounded by tools and supplies including scissors, a ruler, beads, and threads.

Recreational activities (chosen daily), including:

  • Free swim

  • Trail rides

  • Jumping

  • Hiking

  • More arts, tennis, and dance

  • Special activities

3:00 pm

Senior Choir or free time in the cabins

4:30 pm

Junior Choir

5:00 pm

Girl scout girls saluting the American flag during a flag ceremony outside at a camp or park with green hills and trees in the background.

Dinner & evening colors
(Thursday & Sunday nights are “Supper Hikes” – dinner outdoors!)

5:30 pm

Group games or cabin time

6:30 pm

Campfire: songs & skits

8:00 pm

A large group of people standing in a circle on a grassy field during sunset with trees and mountains in the background.

Goodnight Circle under the setting sun

9:00 pm

Taps and lights out

9:30 pm

Strawderman Traditions

From goofy skits to starlit songs, campfire nights and everyday moments are stitched with laughter, reflection, and a dash of theatrical flair. These cherished traditions are where friendships deepen, confidence blooms, and the Strawderman spirit shines. They’re not just part of camp—they’re what make Strawderman, Strawderman.

Campfire

Campfire is a nightly tradition. It brings the entire camp together to sing favorite Strawderman camp songs and enjoy skits performed by a different cabin each night.

Special Campfires include:

“Shakespeare” – a play by “That’s All” (the oldest cabin) featuring a humorous adaptation of a classic with camp themes

“Showboat” – a musical revue by “Barcarolle” (the second-oldest cabin) 

“Meddival Faire”- a night of games, sno-cones, and more!

Listen to some Strawderman classics:

Sundays at Strawderman

Sunday mornings include a morning “Service” where there is time to reflect on our time at camp, as well as listening to the choir sing–all of it done while surrounded by mountain views and nature’s calm.

Sundays include:

  • A day off from scheduled classes

  • A special Sunday dinner at lunchtime

  • Rest hour

  • Optional afternoon swims, a simple supper, and an evening hike

Music at Strawderman

Though not an official activity (besides choir), music is part of everyday life at Strawderman. From raising the flag to Goodnight Circle, song and melody are part of nearly every tradition.

You’ll hear:

  • Impromptu cabin songs at meals

  • Refrains around the campfire

  • Live instrumental performances

  • Harmonies from choir services

  • Music echoing through the valley and into the Shenandoah air

Special Programs & Events

Strawderman has special awards given to campers who exemplify Camp Spirit

Page
 A merit-based honor awarded at a candlelight service.

  • Campers must be at least 10 years old and have attended camp for a cumulative four weeks. 

  • A girl who is given her page consistently demonstrates true Strawderman spirit.

SCS (Strawderman Camp Spirit)
 Another honor for campers who:

  • Are at least 12 years old

  • Have received their Page

  • Attended camp for at least 8 weeks cumulatively

  • Exhibit consistent Strawderman spirit

Cabin Honors
Awarded nightly (Can only be earned by an entire cabin):

  • Spirit

  • Inspection

  • Schedule

Horse Shows

Competitive shows for all levels

Swim Meets

Competitive swim races and form events

Water Pageant (every other year)

A major showcase of camper talent, all themed around a familiar story or fairy tale.

  • Synchronized swimming

  • Dance

  • Acting

  • Singing

  • Set design

Choir Program

  • Senior & Junior choirs sing at Sunday Service.

  • The 7th Sunday includes a special concert performance

  • Music is a mix of historic and new pieces

  • Reflective, moving, and tradition-rich

4th of July

Fireworks and a festive cookout celebration

Christmas in August

A beloved camp-wide tradition:

  • “Secret Santa” names drawn

  • Homemade gifts crafted in the art room

  • Encourages creativity, inclusivity, and cross-cabin connections

A large group of people, mostly children, sitting on the floor inside a rustic wooden pavilion, watching a performance on a small stage with three women sitting and talking.
Two women holding hands on a stage, surprised looks on their faces, with a backdrop painting and other performers in the background.
Children performing a play on a wooden stage with a painted backdrop, audience watching, and adults seated nearby in a rustic venue.
Two young women sitting on a bed inside a wooden cabin, engaged in a conversation. One is wearing a visor and colorful socks, while the other is in a tank top. The room has wooden walls with graffiti, a shelf with belongings, and various personal items around.
A group of children riding horses, with a female instructor in front. The instructor is smiling and wearing sunglasses, a navy shirt, and riding pants. The children are wearing helmets and casual riding attire, sitting on horses outdoors on a grassy field.
A group of girls in white and green uniforms standing on a grassy field in front of a wooden building and trees, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
Two young women smiling outdoors, wearing white polo shirts with a staff logo, leaning on a wooden railing with a tree and mountains in the background.
A group of women singing together on a stage in the rec hall for a choir or musical performance. They are dressed in white clothing and holding sheets of paper.
A large group of people holding hands and forming a circle on a grassy field at sunset with target circles and archery equipment in the background.
Three girls smiling and holding cups at an indoor event
Children and adults holding candles and forming a large circle outdoors at dusk, surrounded by trees with a dark sky overhead.
Happy children dressed in costumes, wearing black hats and yellow neckerchiefs, smiling and posing for a photo.
A person swimming in a lake near a forested area with trees
Young girl smiling while riding a horse, wearing a helmet and red shirt, at an outdoor event with blurred spectators in the background.
A young girl with a purple helmet and a red rosette ribbon, smiling and holding a brown horse's reins, in a grassy outdoor area with other people and horses, and green hills in the background.
A rider on horseback participating in a equestrian competition on a grassy field with spectators watching from the background.
Three girls swimming in a natural body of water, each wearing colorful swim caps, with one girl in the foreground reaching forward and another with her hand on her forehead.
Children and adults gathered at a Christmas party, some kids receiving gifts, adults sitting on the floor and benches, in a rustic setting with wooden beams and blue scenery outside.
Group of women and girls celebrating Christmas while horseback riding, wearing festive hats and helmets, with a large tree in the background.
People dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz on a stage outdoors, with painted scenery including a purple sky and large red flowers, surrounded by trees.
Two young women, one dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz with a blue and white checkered dress, and the other dressed as a princess with a pink gown and a crown, smiling outdoors.
Group of girls singing on stage, holding music sheets, dressed in white shirts, in front of curtains and stage setting.
A young girl with face paint smiles while holding an ear of corn, sitting on a blanket in a grassy area at an outdoor event.
Group of children and a young woman making funny faces and posing together outdoors on a grassy field with trees and hills in the background.
People dressed as Santa Claus and a woman in Christmas attire sitting in a blue convertible car outdoors.