The first few days at camp can be a bit of a whirlwind – exciting, confusing, overwhelming, and amazing all at once.
But dial it back to near the beginning. Watch a first-time camper walk into the dining hall on day one. They pause at the entrance, taking in the wildin’ out chaos of everything happening around them.
The concert-level cheering. Some old-school inside jokes bouncing around the room. The constant (kinda chaotic, in a fun way) musical chairs of where to sit and when to stand.
Look in their eyes, and you’ll see a couple of competing thoughts:
→ “What is happening?!!
→ “There’s a whole world here, and I’m about to become part of it!”
Some kids dive right in, a few observe first, others give a mix of both. There’s no right way to do it, but there is a phrase to describe it.
What they’re experiencing is what my friend George brilliantly nicknamed “Hiddy Cricks” – taken from the concept of the Hidden Curriculum, an idea shaping every social space your kid will ever enter. Heck, it’s what shapes every social space you’ve ever been a part of.
And mastering it (or at least knowing it exists) might be the most valuable skill they’ll develop at camp this summer.
The Rules Nobody Explains (But Everyone Follows)
Think about your own experience walking into a new environment. Maybe it’s a dinner party at a new friend’s house. Do you take your shoes off at the door? Bring a gift? Offer to help in the kitchen? Wait to be seated or find your own spot?
Or maybe you’re simply walking through a new place. In NYC, everyone’s jetting past you and avoiding eye contact. In a small Midwestern town, maybe strangers smile and say hello just a tad more.
None of this is written down anywhere. There’s no manual. No street sign. Nothing. Yet somehow, we’re all expected to just know.
Now multiply that feeling by about a thousand (or way more), and you’ll get a sense of what kids experience at camp (or school, or sports teams, or basically anywhere) when they’re new.
The K&E Hidden Curriculum
I’ll be honest – I’m still learning the Hidden Curriculum of Kenwood & Evergreen myself. It’s part of the fun for a bunch of different reasons, and I’ve learned some great stuff already.
Did you know that signing up for anything Adventure Dave leads is going to be awesome, but you never quite know what’s going to happen? Might be jumping in a lake . Might be exploring off trail.
Or that some of the higher-ups are affectionately called “The Brass” and live above Oak Lodge? Or that everyone knows Cypress is where our youngest girls stay?
Oh, and there’s some stuff about camp life too – evening activities happen every night (They’re like mini special events. Those happen on the weekends. Can’t wait for Big Weekend), but Color War can happen over several days, and you’re never exactly sure when it’s going to break (that means start).
I’m learning these pieces right alongside many of you, and I can’t wait to discover more (there’s surely way, way more) because every time I learn some new piece of the Hidden Curriculum, I’m doing one thing: Making sure everyone (kids, staff, you) know it also.
Sometimes I’ll get it wrong, but I can be the crash test dummy for learning so more shy new campers don’t have to
Why This Actually Matters
The Hidden Curriculum isn’t just about social comfort or “fitting in”—it’s deeply connected to anxiety and belonging.
You’ll hear me talk a ton about Lynn Lyons and her work in this field. One of the major triggers for anxiety in kids is not understanding what’s happening around them or what’s expected of them.
When we don’t understand the hidden rules, our brains often:
- Overestimate the problem (“Everyone knows this except me!”)
- Underestimate our ability to handle it (“I’ll never figure this out!”)
Sound familiar? That’s the exact formula for anxiety.
And here’s the thing – this isn’t just camp trivia or ‘inside baseball’ stuff. There’s actual science behind why this matters.
Understanding the Hidden Curriculum helps kids accurately size up situations.
Camp: The Hidden Curriculum Laboratory
And yeah, great news, camp is set up perfectly to help kids with this concept.
Unlike most environments where the Hidden Curriculum stays hidden (or hidden long enough for you to frustratingly figure it out on your own), camp is a place where we can bring these unspoken rules to the surface.
Why? Because every summer starts somewhat fresh. Even returning campers find things have changed since last summer. The playing field is more level than almost anywhere else in a child’s life.
Plus, camp creates a contained world where the hidden rules are:
- More concentrated (making them easier to spot)
- More consistent (creating clearer patterns)
- More navigable (with supportive staff who can explain)
And we’ll try hard to call this stuff out so kids will know we’re here to help them to understand an activity or just what makes K&E tick.
The Transferable Superpower
What makes me most excited about kids learning to spot the Hidden Curriculum at camp is that it becomes a superpower they take everywhere.
First day of school? They’ve learned to look for the unspoken expectations.
New sports team? They know to watch how the returning players go about their business.
First job? They understand that every workplace has its own culture and rules.
Once you see it in one place, you start seeing it everywhere.
It’s not about conforming. It’s about understanding.
And unlike academic skills that might or might not transfer to “real life,” this awareness follows them forever. It’s there in college interviews, job settings, relationships—literally everywhere.
What Parents Can Do
Before your child heads to camp, you might:
- Share a story about a time you felt confused in a new environment
- Remind them that everyone feels this way sometimes, even the kids who look completely confident
- Let them know that figuring out these unspoken rules is part of the fun of camp
- Tell them, just ask Jack about the Hiddy Cricks. He’s learning it, too.
We aren’t trying to eliminate the Hidden Curriculum. Not at all. Often the coolest parts of camp are these special inside jokes and magic moments. We’re helping kids become skilled at identifying and navigating it.
I’ll be talking more in future weeks about specific frameworks we use at camp to make this stuff visible (get pumped for SWAP!). But for now, just knowing this concept exists gives you a powerful lens for understanding one of the most valuable things your child will learn this summer.
It’s about your kid having that ‘aha!’ moment when they crack the code and think, ‘Hey, I belong here!’ Nothing more valuable than that.
Can’t wait to see it in action.
Let’s do this,
Jack
PS: I am on a mission to better understand K&E from your perspective. If you have a few minutes I’d love to chat. Just send me a message saying “Hey Jack let’s chat.”
