Week Two at a Glance

by Jackie Popper
Session 2

Though the internet has been down at camp we certainly haven’t stopped having fun here. This week has been filled with smiles and laughter, with a few goofy dance moves thrown in the mix.

We started the week off with a whirlwind check-in– what our Camp Administrator, John Stephenson, calls “controlled chaos.” To a stranger check-in can appear as madness, but fear not, everyone has a place. Our wonderful staff lead each camper and their parents or guardians through the process, and finally, to each campers’ respective cabins.

After everyone was settled in their cabins half of the camp attended a luau-themed pool party whilst the other half won prizes and played games at casino night. We ended Sunday night with a camp tradition– The Goodnight Song, and soon to bed to rest up for a fun-filled day to follow.

Monday was filled with zip line, tubing, waterslide, riflery, nature, bocce ball, music, and fishing. At every activity campers were smiling and laughing, and some of them were even tackling their fears! Monday afternoon campers had some free choice time that offered choices like demo farm and boat rides, as well as many other great activities. The evening program was scheduled to be a repeat of Sunday with swapped groups, but a little inclement weather prevented that. Instead all of our campers competed in a bingo tournament that brought out the competitive side in everyone.

Tuesday was another beautiful day at camp. In addition to our regularly run activities, campers also had the choice of archery and paper making at nature during free-choice. We also caught many smiles in the pool yesterday afternoon where some campers chose to cool off for a few hours. Yesterday, we concluded with a camp favorite– the talent show! Campers prepared songs and dances (some, a combination) and stood up to perform for their fellow campers and staff. Most of the staff will tell you, hands down, that the talent show is their favorite night of the week.

This morning we ran regular programs in the “cooler” weather. Though it was still hot, it was a welcome break from the higher temperatures earlier this week. During free choice this afternoon campers had the option of horseback riding or extreme riflery in addition to the regular free choice activities. We had some fantastic moments at canoeing this afternoon, and a few of our campers and staff even took a dip in the lake (even if it was accidental.)
Tonight’s evening program was Banana Olympics– a creative twist on a classic sports game. Campers were divided into groups, each of which decorated a banana as their group mascot. Then the campers take their banana around to different sports games where the banana is the object of play in each game. The goal is to make it through Banana Olympics without destroying the banana, while still winning the various games. Unfortunately, the banana usually doesn’t survive, but it makes for a fun night! And fear not, a medic is always on hand to patch and repair the bananas so the game can go on.

Tomorrow is a full-day of activities followed by most of the campers’ favorite nights– the dance! The dance tomorrow is luau themed, and there are sure to be some great costumes from our staff and campers.

You can find the pictures from this week here. Make sure to check back at the end of the week for more additions.