Sometimes, gendered messages to children are subtly coded. And sometimes, as in the case of the Christian Royal Purpose camps, boys are sword-rattling warrior princes and girls are pink-clad princesses. Check out these videos.
The Houston-based camps are for children ages four through third grade, and their "royal purpose" is to inspire evangelical worship of Christ (the king). Here's how they describe themselves:
Princess with a Purpose Prep School is where "once upon a time" can become a reality for young girls who dream of one day becoming a true princess. Warrior Prince Academy is a Bible camp for boys to become a mighty warrior for Jesus.
According to the videos, boys learn about "leadership and service" and "how to dress for battle in God's armor" to the tune of tough-guy music. Girls learn "princess manners" and gain the endorsement of Mary Lou Retton. (To be fair, the Houston Astros guy emphasizes that being a princess is not just about "adornments.")
Princess Prep Promo New from Introspect.tv on Vimeo.
Warrior Prince Academy from Introspect.tv on Vimeo.
Royal Purpose via Christian Nightmares [Official Site]
Earlier: Purity Balls Ruining Young Girls, One White Rose At A Time
God's Little Princess: Devotional Bible Teaches Girls Rigid Gender Roles
DISCUSSION
I just want to say that not all Christian Camps are like this! I work in marketing (ok, I am the marketing dept) at a small Christian camp in Northern California, and one of the biggest parts of camp is teaching kids environmental stewardship, in addition to tolerance of all people, etc. The main theme is love your neighbor, which if you think about it, is a pretty good message. It's all the kooks out there who subvert it.
I am non-practicing myself, but I couldn't work here if my co-workers were all crazy, evangelical zealots! Then again, the camp is geared towards main-line denomination kids, and thankfully they are starting to become more liberal.