Helping Your Child Debrief Their Camp Experience

March 13, 2025

by Jon Bisset

Your camper’s journey doesn’t end when camp does. The days and weeks after camp are a critical time for reflection, connection, and building on the spiritual, emotional, and relational growth that began during their time away.

Your role as a parent is key in helping your child process their camp experience, celebrate their growth, and continue their faith journey. This post provides practical tips to help guide your child through this important debrief phase and integrate what they learned into daily life. You can check out the previous posts in this series on how prioritizing growth over comfort can help kids thrive and how to prepare them for a transformative camp experience.

1. Start with Open-Ended Questions

Instead of simply asking, “Did you have fun?” try questions that encourage deeper reflection, such as:

“What was your favorite moment at camp?”

“Did you learn anything new about yourself?”

“What was something you found challenging, and how did you work through it?”

“How did camp help you grow in your faith?”

These questions invite your child to think about their camp experience on a deeper level—beyond the fun—and recognize their growth. Parents have shared that these conversations often reveal surprising moments of bravery, spiritual insight, and self-discovery.

2. Celebrate Their Courage and Growth

Take time to affirm and celebrate the ways your child stepped out of their comfort zone at camp:

“I’m so proud of you for trying something new, like the zipline. That took a lot of courage!”

“You worked through homesickness and made new friends—that’s amazing!”

“I love hearing how you saw God working in your life. That’s so encouraging!”

Your encouragement reinforces their growth and helps them recognize their accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Many parents have said they notice their child returning home with more confidence, resilience, and maturity—and it’s worth celebrating.

Camper smiling on high ropes course

3. Revisit Spiritual Lessons

If your child attended a faith-based camp like RVR, ask them to share what they learned about God:

“What did you learn about trusting God, no matter what?”

“Was there a Bible story or verse that stuck with you?”

“How did you feel during worship or cabin devotionals?”

This year’s camp theme, “No Matter What,” is a great place to center these conversations. Remind them of the story of Daniel and how God was faithful through every trial. Encourage your child to think about how they can trust God in their own challenges—at school, in friendships, or when they feel uncertain.

You can also utilize RVR’s Life After Camp resources for devotionals, spiritual tools, and encouragement to keep their faith journey going.

4. Prioritize Attending Church Together

One of the best ways to nurture your child’s post-camp spiritual growth is to stay rooted in a Christ-centered community. Make attending church as a family a priority, even when life gets busy. Church provides consistent encouragement, biblical teaching, and opportunities for worship and fellowship.

If your current church doesn’t feel like it’s connecting with your family, consider searching for a new church home. We’ve compiled some suggestions to help you get started: Find a Church. Remember, being part of a healthy, supportive church community is key to long-term spiritual growth.

5. Encourage Youth Group and Local Fellowship

Help your child build on their camp friendships and spiritual growth by connecting them with a youth group at your church. Youth groups provide mentorship, community, and opportunities for kids to stay engaged in their faith.

If your church doesn’t have a youth group, encourage your child to join a local fellowship group like:

FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)

Young Life

Youth for Christ (YFC)

These groups offer Christ-centered environments where kids can continue to grow spiritually, develop friendships, and feel supported.

6. Foster New Routines

Camp often teaches kids valuable new habits, like daily devotions, unplugging from technology, and spending time outdoors. Build on these routines at home:

Daily Time with God: Encourage your child to continue their camp devotional habits with journaling, prayer, or reading Scripture.

Outdoor Adventures: Plan family hikes or outdoor activities to recreate the joy and simplicity of camp life.

Screen-Free Time: Establish screen-free evenings as a family to foster more intentional conversations and connections.

These routines help solidify the positive changes camp has sparked.

Camper playing in creek

7. Help Them Reflect on Challenges

If your child faced difficult moments at camp—like homesickness, fears, or cabin conflicts—help them reflect on what they learned:

“How did it feel to overcome your fear on the ropes course?”

“What did you learn about working through disagreements with friends?”

“How do you think God was with you in those tough moments?”

These conversations reinforce the idea that growth happens through challenges and equip your child to approach future difficulties with faith and confidence.

8. Encourage Continued Friendships and Counselor Contact

Ask your child about the friends and counselors they bonded with at camp and encourage them to stay connected. Friendships formed at camp can have a lasting spiritual and emotional impact.

If they’d like to stay in touch with their counselor, you can fill out the Camp Communication Sheet to facilitate that connection. Many parents find that ongoing mentorship from camp counselors can be a huge encouragement to their children’s faith journey.

Campers and counselor group picture

9. Pray About the Future

Spend time praying with your child, thanking God for their camp experience and asking Him to continue the work He began. Pray for:

Continued spiritual growth and trust in God’s faithfulness.

Opportunities to apply what they learned at camp to daily life.

Strong friendships and a sense of purpose as they face challenges at home or school.

Share verses like Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

10. Create a Memory Keepsake

Encourage your child to preserve their camp memories in a creative way:

Create a scrapbook with photos, notes, and letters.

Journal about their favorite camp moments and lessons.

Print out a Bible verse from camp (like one tied to “No Matter What”) and display it in their room as a daily reminder of God’s faithfulness.

These keepsakes serve as tangible reminders of their growth and the way God worked in their lives at camp.

The Takeaway

Camp is more than just a week away—it’s a catalyst for lasting growth, transformation, and faith. By asking thoughtful questions, fostering spiritual habits, and connecting with church, youth groups, and mentors, you can help your child carry the impact of camp into their everyday life.

Don’t forget to explore RVR’s Life After Camp resources for tools, devotionals, and encouragement to support your child’s continued spiritual journey.

In this series, we’ve explored how to prioritize growth over comfort, prepare for camp, and now how to debrief afterward. Together, these steps equip your child to grow in confidence, faith, and resilience—no matter what. Ready to see what’s next for your child’s faith journey? Learn more about RVR’s camp programs here.