Tag: sleep away camps

Aaaaachoo! How Camp Weequahic Keeps Kids Healthy

Many parents ask us about what happens if their child gets sick at camp, and what we do to keep everyone healthy. These are very valid questions, and ones that we take extremely seriously. We want all of our campers to enjoy every day at camp and be in the best health possible. We are serious about maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings, and encourage campers to be avid hand washers and reduce the sharing of germs whenever possible.

 

There are sinks, hand washing stations, and access to hand sanitizer all throughout camp, making it easy to quickly wash their hands before a meal or after as sport or event that involved a lot of hands-on activity.  Our main focus is on the health and safety of all of our campers, and so we try to implement these 4 tips to keep campers performing optimal health.

 

We Keep Them Hydrated

We know that dehydration can be a major risk for kids who are on the go all day, especially when the temperatures start to climb. Drinking a lot of water is great for the immune system and flushes out toxins that can make campers feel sluggish and sick. We have water available all over camp and are always encouraging campers to drink up before, during and after each strenuous activity.

 

We Let Them Sleep

Although kids may not be excited about bedtime, as parents, teachers, couches and well-educated adults, we all know that sleep is vital in keeping their growing minds and bodies at their peak. This is why we’ve set specific times for our campers to rest throughout the day, as well as encourage them to get a good night’s sleep each night. Campers have different “bedtimes” depending on their age, but all campers get plenty of opportunities to rest and recharge their batteries each day

 

We Feed Them Well

We provide our campers with freshly prepared and healthy food choices for every meal. They have access to fruits and a salad bar and have every opportunity to make good, healthy food choices. We teach campers that when you put healthy foods in, you’ll get power and speed and energy out. We know kids will want to indulge in sweets every now and then, and that is perfectly okay. But for the most part, they are eating nutritious food that fuels their bodies and boosts their immune systems, making it easier for their bodies to fight off colds.

 

We Encourage Good Hygiene

At camp, we encourage campers to wash their hands regularly and teach them proper etiquette when sneezing or coughing around other people. We discourage sharing of drinks or snacks that could spread germs, encourage high fives and fist bumps to reduce the transfer of icky germs, and if a camper does feel like he/she is coming down with something, we have a fully staffed medical facility on campus that can help.

The Benefits of Inter-camps

AC9U1771

One of the really great aspects of Camp Weequahic are our Inter-camp competition options. Inter-camps give our campers a chance to compete with other camps in different activities including sports, dance, gymnastics and more during the summer. These opportunities give everyone an opportunity to show off what they have learned in their respective activity.

They are also a great way to show Weequahic pride as well as team bonding. In our opinion, Inter-camps are about showing good sportsmanship and motivating campers to do their best by giving them some friendly competition. Most of all, our campers are meant to have fun and always remember to show gratitude towards their coaches and other teams, a positive attitude no matter the score and the courage to ask for assistance when they need it!

This coming Wednesday we have 3 Inter-camps that many of our campers have been practicing for a great deal. First off we have a dance competition. A number of our girls (and some of our boys) have been working daily in order to get ready for this competition. They gave a sneak peek of their step routine at last night’s Dancing with the Weequahic Stars and it was absolutely amazing. The girls were completely in sync, had huge smiles on their faces and really gave it their all.

We also have a 5th and Under Boys soccer tournament next week. They have been practicing really hard for this tournament and are all really determined to do their best. You can be sure to catch our soccer players practicing their dribbles and passes on the soccer field. They are all so excited for this tournament and cannot wait to throw on their Weequahic t-shirts and go out on the field and represent this camp.

Finally, our Senior girls have a volleyball tournament they have been getting ready for. They are always on the volleyball court practicing their spikes and making sure they are communicating with each other effectively. It is easy to see that our Senior girls volleyball team loves the sport and that they are ready to show the other teams what they’ve got!

We want to wish all of our Inter-camp teams the best of luck and to always remember to have fun!

Lights, Cameras, Weequahic in Action!

Our Theater department has done a fantastic job making both Tribal and Olympic session’s productions memorable for each and every camper.jungle book

Tribal session’s performance of Jungle Book was an absolute hit! The movie is a classic and always a crown favorite. The costumes were really well done, the singing was great and you could tell that all our campers had a lot of fun putting the show together. Click here to view a short clip of a group of campers singing and dancing to one of the Jungle Book songs during canteen.

After seeing Jungle Book everyone was anticipating what our Olympic session’s production would be! As soon as our campers learned that this session’s choice would be Shrek, everyone was ecstatic and jumped at the opportunity to participate; whether it be a role in the play or designing the set. Our theater counselors were very impressed at tryouts and are thrilled to be working with such talented actors/actresses! The cast list went up yesterday and every camper was pleased with their role.

Sonya, our Theater Program Head, said she chose Shrek because “it is one of [her] favorite shows and has a great storyline. It has a ton of roles and is always a good laugh.” What are some of our campers excited about with this play? “Dragons, knights and castles, of course! And don’t forget the fact that Shrek is a fantastic movie!” one camper said. “It’s a lot of fun being able to a different person while still being yourself at the same time. You can be as dramatic or silly as you want. That’s what I’m looking forward to with this play!” said another.

jb

It is wonderful to see campers using their creativity and imagination not  only in their acting skills, but also in designing set pieces or sewing  costumes. Everyone is really excited to see the production of Shrek and all  the cast members and crew are working hard to make sure it’s a great  show.