ITK TIPS: Mail Call

“It’s the mail that never fails, it makes me wanna wag my tail, and when it comes I want to wail, maaaiiilll”

Mail time at Sonlight is a favorite daily happening in the summer. If you were ever curious how we get 70+ people to sit quietly in the dining room – singing this song is our secret! Campers eagerly await to hear their name called before coming forward to receive their letter(s) – offering a fist bump, high five, or hug to a staff member first.

We introduce the inner camp mail station on night 1 of camp. You can write mail to anyone at camp (fellow campers or staff) and send it through our “post system”. All mail but be signed and contain at least 5+ words because no one enjoys spam mail, am I right? Inner camp mail offers space for affirmative language and connection building throughout the week as campers make new friendships while having shared experiences.

Another type of mail given at mail time is from our one-way parent email system! Daily, we print off emails from the secured online portal that guardians have access to and can share with loved ones. Campers aren’t able to reply but love hearing about what is going on back home, how the family pet is, and what’s on the itinerary for when they return. We’ve seen how campers’ faces light up receiving mail from family! Here are a few do’s and don’ts that we’ve seen with parent communications at camp:

Do’s

• Daily happenings from home
• Good pet updates
• Exciting upcoming plans
• A fun riddle or question to ask cabin mates
• Let them know you are excited they are at camp (even if it means missing them)

Don’t

• Communicate big life changes (death, divorce, etc) .. crazy I know, but we’ve seen it happen
• Tell your homesick camper how much you miss them
• Over convey sibling attention
• Give half statements that elicit unknown conclusions:  ex). “Grandma had to go to the hospital.” 
• Overwhelm them with what they have to do when they get home 

In a world that is overly connected with technology, reverting back to “snail mail” can offer intentional communication resulting in a tangible effort of relationships. Thank you for partnering with us to show your camper their community of support shown through this daily activity.

Please note: New for 2026 Sonlight has a “no package” policy. This reflects our goal of reducing disparity between campers.