The Camp Week for Kids Who Thrive After Dark
Night Owls is for the camper who cannot stop talking after lights out, who asks "what is that noise?" every time a sound comes from the woods, and who has been begging you for years to tell them what actually lives outside after the sun goes down. This week answers those questions. Night games. Stargazing. Night hikes. Nocturnal animal education with real critters. All the classic camp activities during the day, and two late-night sessions that stretch bedtime deeper than any other Gretna Glen program for this age.
Night Owls ramps up across the week. Campers get more and more nighttime programming, with late breakfasts the mornings after the big night sessions. The week builds toward a Glow Party celebration that puts the whole experience together in one night of color, music, and community.
Night Programming for 9 to 12 Year Olds
Nocturnal animals, glow games, stargazing, and two late-night sessions built for younger campers.
Glow-in-the-Dark Night Games
Capture the flag, tag, and group games running on glow sticks and black light. Night Owls is the first Gretna Glen program where Junior-age campers get this kind of after-dark energy.
Nocturnal Animal Education
What actually lives in the woods at night? Staff bring in hands-on learning about bats, owls, frogs, and the full Gretna Glen nighttime ecosystem.
Stargazing & Night Hikes
The Gretna Glen meadow has some of the darkest skies in the area. Campers go out with staff to identify constellations, hike by headlamp, and listen to the forest actually wake up after sundown.
The Glow Party
The week's signature night. Music, lights, and the whole Night Owls crew celebrating everything they have stayed up for. It is the moment the theme lands.
A Night Experience Built for 9 to 12
Night Owls is not a youth program running late. It is built from the ground up for Junior-age campers, with bedtime that stretches gradually, not all at once. Two late-night sessions land during the week, each followed by a late breakfast and a slightly lazier morning. The rest of the daytime hours run on the classic Gretna Glen rhythm.
By the Glow Party, campers have earned the late bedtime and have friends they never thought they would make by the end of a five day week. For a lot of Night Owls campers, the glow stick they bring home is the thing that still has pride of place on the dresser in October.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Campers stay in cabins on Gretna Glen's main campus. Cabins feature bunk beds, a changing area, and a modern shower house built in 2018. A counselor is assigned to every cabin.
This is a mainsite program, so campers eat meals in the Dining Hall and have full access to Gretna Glen's main campus facilities.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Night Owls has two late-night sessions during the week. Each is followed by a late breakfast so campers catch up on sleep before the next full day. Staff are trained for nighttime programming with this age group, and supervision, lighting, and safety protocols all reflect that.
Gretna Glen is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards. Staff are Ministry Safe and UMC Risk Management trained.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Kids 9 to 12 who thrive after dark and ask questions about the night sky
- Returning campers ready for their first "stays up late" camp week
- Kids curious about nocturnal animals, stars, and after-dark ecosystems
- Junior campers who want the glow-party and night-hike experience