Daughter is 9+ hours into the Hi Rickety session of Camp Crimson. She said it’s incredibly loud and busy, but she is having fun. She was the first in her suite to check in, and she was able to score the best bed. The Camp Crimson volunteers expertly culled the parents from the kids in the dorm lobby as soon as the kids had signed in, so we said our goodbyes within a few minutes of walking into Walker. Definitely have your kid bring a water bottle! And super-comfy shoes and shorts. I’m looking forward to her report when she’s home Friday evening.
A brief dispatch this morning from Norman: the beds (Walker) are not great. I’m regretting not sending her mattress topper. I highly recommend getting one for your freshman if you haven’t already!
Are there a lot of kids driving in for the camp themselves?
I do not know, sorry. I did hear there are 600 kids in this session.
Oh, and daughter took some of the circus peanut earplugs (mainly in case her roommate snored) but the earplugs have come in handy during waking hours. 600 kids screaming nonstop can be a lot for anyone to handle.
Hope your daughter will have a great camp experience. I know that the dorm mattress is not tall so I wonder if a regular (instead of XL) twin sheet will work just for the camp?
Thank you! Nope, they specified bedding for Twin XL mattresses for camp.
I also sent along Clorox Wipes, because I know the dorms have been hosting tons of summer camp kids from all around before Camp Crimson.
My son is on staff for all the summer incoming students camps. He will be a junior there next year. He also attended one of the summer camps when he was an incoming freshman and loved it. He loves OU. All your kids will have so much fun at camp and make many friends I promise. Yes if the student is planning on living in the dorms get a mattress topper. Twin Extra Long. Twin XL sheets too. JC Penneys and Bed Bath and Beyond is where we got ours The beds are hard. It will make a big difference. We got our mattress topper on line from Walmart and my son said it was really good and thick. He even has it up there with him right now while he is working and living in Walker.
Anyone who needs a twin XL mattress pad is welcome to mine. I no longer use it since my bed is bigger (thank goodness). It’s a memory foam one and is very comfy. Just PM me if you want it for your child.
Thanks for the ear plug tip! I’ll have to remember that, D is very sensitive to loud noise.
Daughter’s take on Camp Crimson:
*It’s quite loud. If your kiddo is very noise-sensitive, send earplugs.
*It’s very close. Lots of kids. Lots of moving around.
*It’s nonstop. The group leaders pack A LOT into these three days!
*Comfy clothes (sneakers, shorts; loose-fitting and cool) are a must.
*It’s very fun. Even my introvert really enjoyed the events and games and presentations. She just had to bench herself periodically when everything got too overwhelming.
*The SGLs (Small Group Leaders) are a fantastic bunch of motivated and caring upperclassmen. They worked hard to engage each new student in conversation. I am impressed most with this aspect.
*Attention to the safety and well-being of the campers is a priority. From the ever-present and plentiful tubs of iced water bottles to the late-night escorted walks to-from dorms, the SGLs paid attention to the kids’ needs.
*It will require downtime and recovery afterward. We picked daughter up at 4, and she has been passed out on the couch since. Not even the smell of pizza awakened her.
Daughter rates the whole experience as an 8 on a scale of 1-10. The only downsides for her were the noise and breakneck pace. She is glad she went.