Every moment at Chewonki offers a chance for growth, connection, and discovery. From polar bear plunges to caring for farm animals, our students and campers take away meaningful gifts—curiosity, resilience, and inspiration—that last a lifetime.
This November and December, we’re celebrating the gifts of outdoor education with stories from our community. Want to share yours? Email Alexis Grillo at agrillo@chewonki.org.
Creating Chewonki "Magic"
At Chewonki, we specialize in magic. Not the kind with wands and capes, but a unique kind of creativity that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. It’s the kind of magic that inspires our students and campers to think outside the box, makes them laugh until their sides ache, and helps them see the world — and themselves — in a new way.
This magic happens when we give each other permission to let our inner clowns shine and cheer for each other’s wildest ideas. It’s what happens when kids and teens feel safe expressing themselves, supported by a community that celebrates creativity and individuality. It’s when things get delightfully, irreverently, and unapologetically weird — in the best possible way.
Griffin Davey, Associate Director, Camp Chewonki for Boys, says this “magic” is one of the things he loves most about camp:
“One counselor described camp magic to me as something that happens when we give extreme legitimacy to the absurd and everyone is onboard,” Griffin explains. “It happens when we all buy into community and acceptance. When kids and staff feel comfortable being themselves and acting clowny, knowing that the full support of the community is behind them, that’s when things get weird (in an awesome way).”
Nowhere is Chewonki magic more evident than at Carnival, a long-standing Chewonki summer tradition.
Creating the Carnival
At Carnival, each cabin becomes its own creative powerhouse, dreaming up unique booths for games, puzzles, and attractions. Armed with cardboard, tape, art supplies, and any other materials they can scavenge from camp, campers build their creations from scratch. Fortune-telling booths, games of chance, magic shows, face-painting stations, and more spring to life in a giant circle on Orchard Field.
Griffin captures the atmosphere perfectly:
“You can literally watch every individual at camp bring their ideas and creativity to the fore and create a magical space that is unique to that summer and that session.”
The rules of Carnival are simple: every camper gets a cup of dried beans — the official Carnival currency — to spend as they explore and enjoy. With a little negotiation and a lot of ingenuity, campers run their booths, play games, and even haggle over bean prices. By the end of the day, a vibrant marketplace emerges, fueled by imagination and teamwork.
“Cabinmates trade off working their booth and roaming to other booths around the carnival,” Griffin shares. “With a little bit of bean-haggling, a lovely little market of small businesses evolves before our eyes.”
The Magic of Creativity
What Griffin loves most about Carnival is how each one is completely unique. Each summer brings new games, inventive costumes, and hilariously creative challenges, all shaped by the unique energy of that year’s campers.
“Campers bring their collective humor, ingenuity, incredible imagination, and so much creativity to their carnival booths,” Griffin says. “It’s a blast for all and one of those things we say is ‘only possible at camp.’”
And–there’s the spontaneity and teamwork Carnival sparks. Campers dive into wild, silly, and epic ideas, eagerly collaborating to bring their visions to life. The process is just as thrilling and memorable as the event itself.
The result of all this creativity is real magic.
Imagination at the Heart of Chewonki
Carnival is just one example of how Chewonki empowers kids to exercise their imaginations, creativity, and community spirit—serious silliness is at the heart of so many of our traditions. No matter the form these experiences take, the goal is always the same: to encourage kids to dream up their own worlds, bring them to life together, and have the time of their lives in the process.
Help Keep the "Magic" Going
Thank you for sharing, Griffin! The laughter, creativity, and sense of community sparked by Chewonki traditions like Carnival are gifts our campers carry with them for life. With your support, we can ensure these experiences remain at the heart of our work. Click here to donate today—your generosity makes all the difference.
Thank you for being part of the Chewonki family.
