Tag: summer camp activities

Create a Camp Atmosphere All Year Long

October 15th, 2011

Just because your children are no longer at camp doesn’t mean you can’t create a camp atmosphere in your home.  There are several things you can do to keep the camp spirit alive all year long.

This doesn’t have to be a radical flip of the switch that completely eliminates conveniences and luxuries from your lives.  In fact, such an act is probably not very realistic for many families.  But taking small steps to reduce your children’s reliance on things such as television, video games, and cell phones is a great way to remind them that don’t need them as much as they think they do.  Designate a day or two each week in which you won’t turn on the television or play video games.  Have a family game night instead.  Board games and card games are a great, light-hearted way to bring the entire family together for a few hours.  Turn off cell phones during meal times, before a designated time in the morning, and after a designated time in the evening.  Yes, with the invention of smart phones, we’re becoming increasingly reliant on these convenient little gadgets, but you may be surprised at just how much you enjoy the peace and quiet of a few hours without them each day…and, your family will also likely remember just how much they appreciate having a conversation with someone who is not looking at their cell phone or texting the entire time.

Keep supplies for creative bursts.  Arts & Crafts, Eco Science, and Nature don’t have to be activities restricted to the camp setting.  In fact, many of the projects that your children do at camp can quite easily be done at home, and they’re a great way to fill an afternoon or evening on which you’ve decided to have a break from television and video games.  There are books readily available that walk you step-by-step through such popular camp projects as tie-dying, candle making, beading, shrinky dinks, Mentos geysers, goo, and many more.  YouTube also has a host of videos that demonstrate kid friendly home science and nature experiments.  Keeping a closet or a chest of standard supplies for these types of projects will prevent you from having to make a shopping trip every time the kids want to have some summer camp style fun.

Have a “campfire”.  You might not have a backyard big enough (and there may be some local ordinances against this, even if you do), but consider having a backyard fire.  A patio fire pit, if you have one, is actually ideal.  An operable indoor fireplace works, too.  Make s’mores, tell stories, share memories.  This makes for a great evening to invite friends over because, as every camper will tell you, the more the merrier at a campfire.  If you live in an area in which weather permits, actually taking a weekend camping trip is always fun, too.

Start a garden (if you have a yard) or cook with your children once a week.  Gardening and cooking programs are popular at camp.  Even if you don’t have the space in your yard, herb gardens are easy to maintain and can be grown indoors.  Besides being enjoyable and fun, cooking is a valuable life skill for children to learn.  Let your children look up healthy recipes, talk about nutrition with them, and, most importantly, let them do the work in the kitchen.

Have regular family “out of the house” trips.  At camp, children regularly take “out of camp” trips to places such as local sporting events, the movies, or bowling… They look forward to these trips as a special treat and time to create some very special memories with their camp friends.  Why not make special memories like these as a family?

By making just a few (fun) adjustments, your entire family can enjoy the spirit of camp throughout the year, and it just might make those ten months of waiting a little more bearable for the kids!

Weequahic Soccer…Kaizan!

October 14th, 2011

There is a great Japanese word, “Kaizan.”  It means improvement or change for the better.  However, it is more than just increasing productivity, or producing a final result.  It is a culture, a daily process that involves praise and encouragement to reach big goals.  At Camp Weequahic “Kaizan” is the perfect word to describe our soccer program.

Soccer has doubled in popularity over the past three summers and is now one of our top team sports.   Campers have the opportunity to participate in daily skill development, tactical instruction, recreational play, and private lessons.

Our choice based program allows campers to choose as much time at soccer as they want.  Instruction for the first time player or more advanced player is available throughout the day.   Campers may also choose our specialty soccer camp during our once a session Wee Excel day. When it comes to instruction, each player is evaluated and placed in soccer classes with other campers of similar age and ability.

Weequahic’s soccer program is directed by a professional soccer coach and staffed with NCAA level college age players who have experience coaching and playing at the college level.  More importantly, they understand the importance of praise and encouragement while creating a fun and engaging environment to grow as a soccer player.

Camp Weequahic’s soccer culture is also supported by Director Kate Kelly and Program Director Sue Baldwin, who were college soccer teammates at Dartmouth College. Kate, a three time team captain for Dartmouth, went on to coach soccer at Northfield Mt. Hermon, a prestigious boarding school in New England, for four years.

Sue was an All- American player who continued her soccer experience with coaching stops at Stanford, Virginia, and Michigan State. She continues to coach actively for local clubs in her hometown of Athens, Georgia.  She also offers private instruction.  Sue guides Weequahic’s soccer director throughout the summer as well as offers special clinics and private instruction to Weequahic’s most enthusiastic soccer players.

Weequahic soccer players are also reaching new heights competing in inter camp soccer games with the Wayne County Athletic Association.  (The Wayne County Athletic Association is comprised of over 20 camps that host tournaments and games throughout the summer.) Camp Weequahic  fields girls’and boys’ soccer teams in all age brackets.

If you are looking to improve your game or just have fun playing soccer then join Team Kaizan at Camp Weequahic this summer!

Waterskiing Fun!

September 28th, 2011

We are blessed with a lot of natural physical gifts at Weequahic – a quiet setting, a beautiful tree lined camp, great field space, and incredible indoor facilities. However, when you ask the campers and our families what they like the most about our property, they always respond that it’s the lake.

Camp Weequahic is located on Sly Lake, a deepwater spring fed lake our campers enjoy on a daily basis. It’s a stone’s throw from our girls’ bunks and teems with activity every moment of every day. And, while it’s hard to determine which water program is the most fun, it would be hard to argue against our water ski program!

Many campers are introduced to waterskiing for the first time at Weequahic. With a set of docks reserved for our motor boats and a big lake to enjoy, our campers get a lot of time behind the boats on water skis, wakeboards, knee boards, and tubes.

During the program day, Weequahic’s professional staff of drivers and teachers support our campers as they get up on water skis or the wakeboard. Our boats are outfitted with a ‘boom’ a teaching aid that allows campers to learn to ski without being pulled on the rope. Once they’ve mastered the boom, they enjoy the long rope.

We find campers evenly split between water skiing and wakeboard (basically snowboarding on the water). Regardless, it’s our goal for them to ski as often as possible. That’s why we run the program every day of the summer and incorporate as many teaching spots as possible.

When campers aren’t improving their skills on skis, they are laughing and screaming around the lake with their friends on the tubes. Tubes are used as a fun outlet for all campers and each bunk is invited for a tube run or two each week. The look on our campers’ faces when they get off the tube is priceless – they simply could not have more fun!

A summer at camp would not be complete without having fun on the lake. We are thrilled to have a great lake at Camp Weequahic and can’t wait to see our campers enjoy it again in for Summer 2012!