“Camp friends are the best friends. Even if the communication has lapsed over weeks, months, years or decades, the memories and relationships remain strong and alive for a lifetime,” says Mason Goldberg, owner/director of Meadowbrook Country Day Camp in Long Valley.
Goldberg should know. He started his camping adventures at age six, boarding a bus from New York to a sleepaway camp in New Hampshire. After nine years as a camper, he worked as a counselor at a day camp during high school. “I was able to grow as a camper and then give back,” he says.
As an adult, Mason worked in the fitness industry for a decade, but his thoughts kept returning to the magic of camp life. In 2017, he came full-circle when he purchased Meadowbrook and moved his family—wife, Alissa, and children Carter (8), Cooper (6) and Sage (3)—from New York City to the bucolic campgrounds nestled on over 50 acres. His mission: to teach children to try new activities, gain life skills and bolster their self-esteem while they’re having fun.
The camp runs eight weeks—each with a special theme—but families can select the weeks they would like to attend. Campers from pre-k to ninth grade explore sun-dappled wooded trails, challenge themselves among the treetops and mastering the water in a heated pool and private lake. The camp features activities such as boating, biking, sports, ropes courses, cooking, ninja warrior and woodshop.
And teamwork. Lots of teamwork.
This is the top skill learned, Goldberg says. “You have no labels. You’re in a group, growing and developing socially. You bond, connect and learn to work together in completing tasks,” he says. “For example, those who are athletic or good at woodshop help those who are not. You’re just focused on the goal and everyone has a chance to shine.”
The TIGER core values—Teamwork, Integrity, Generosity, Enthusiasm and Respect—are Meadowbrook’s guiding force. The end goal is for campers to become more persistent and generous, have more integrity and respect for others, and to bring enthusiasm to the team.
Meadowbrook builds physical, mental and emotional life skills. In addition to teamwork, the activities teach rule following, understanding persistence and being respectful of others. Goldberg explains it this way: “You know rock-paper-scissors? It’s a competitive game, but the way we play it the kids win by matching. If they don’t match the first time, they try again until they do. They achieve success through perseverance and working together, not against, each other.”
With a staff of over 300, individual attention is paid to every child. “Everything we do is based on personal growth and recognizing that achievement comes in different ways for every camper,” Goldberg says. “Maybe a child’s big achievement is not going on the zip line, but rather getting to the platform at top of the stairs. Maybe it’s not swimming a lap, but just putting their head under the water. And those kids should feel like a million bucks because for them that is a huge accomplishment.”
During the pandemic, the camp used guidelines from the American Camp Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a safety and operations manual. “Last summer, we had no cases of COVID-19 and camp was as magical as it ever was. Keeping kids safe and healthy was consistent just like any other year, and we were able to hold onto all of our great traditions like Color War, swim instruction and our dance show,” he says. “The camp gave families a sense of normalcy. It allowed the kids to be outdoors, playing and laughing.
“Children gain their voice at camp. Their wings open up,” he continues. “There is a level of comfort that comes from trust and being part of a team. When you feel that people have your back, that’s when you start to become yourself and gain confidence.”
Experience Meadowbrook Country Day Camp at meadowbrookdaycamp.com.