You have probably heard all about how great camp is, but do you wonder what goes on during an ordinary day? Let’s take a sneak peek into life at camp.
The alarm clock starts blaring bright and early, but instead of hiding under the covers as you do on a school day, at camp you’ll be eager to hop out of bed and get the day going. In fact, some campers are so excited to get their day started that they choose to partake in a zero period. It’s never too early for a fun hike, a jog around camp, or a little yoga to get your morning off to a great start. You’ll throw some clothes on, do a quick brush of your teeth, and you’ll be ready to head out the door with your bunkmates.
As you and your crew stroll to breakfast, you’ll be greeted with the aroma of all of your breakfast favorites. Whether you are an eggs and toast fan or more into fruit and cereal, there is something for everyone in the dining hall. Over breakfast, your counselors will lead a cheerful discussion about the schedule for the day, which of course, is likely to be interrupted by a healthy dose of camp songs!
After breakfast, it’s time to head back to your cabin so you and your bunkmates can get ready for your exciting morning activities. As you finish getting ready, you’ll be sure to tidy up so your cabin is in the running to be named “The Cleanest Bunk of the Week” — a high honor at camp. Once your room is looking sharp, it’s time to head out for your morning activities.
In the morning, you and your entire cabin will travel together to three activities. This morning, your bunk is starting at the ropes course. You cheer as your friend creeps up the climbing wall and slowly overcomes his/her fear of heights. When it’s your turn, you happily make it to the top as your counselors chant your name from far below. You feel like you are on top of the world!
Next up, your bunk is challenging your neighbors to an ultimate frisbee game. Each team has their game faces on as they take the field, but it’s all smiles and laughs as the game gets started. You cheer as your teammates make great plays and at the end of the game, everyone exchanges high fives.
Your bunk is off to go-karts for the third activity of the morning. You and your buddies speed around the curves of the track at what feels like 100 miles-per-hour. The thrill of the open road courses through your veins and you leave the track with a huge grin plastered across your face.
By 12:30 p.m., you’re so ready for lunch. You fill your plate full of all of your favorite lunch goodies — plus some fruits and vegetables to keep your counselors happy. Lunchtime is filled with happy chatter about the morning’s activities and enthusiastic planning for the afternoon. And as you can guess, there are camp songs to be sung once again!
As lunch wraps up, you get ready to sign up for your afternoon activities. With so many great choices, it is tough to decide what you will do today. Should you sign up for the music class? Or maybe today is a great afternoon to head to the pool for a swim? Or will you try your hand at archery? Choosing just two activities is the ultimate challenge, and after that kind of hard mental work, you are happy to head back to your cabin for some rest and relaxation. You spend some time lazing around, and then you make sure to write a quick letter to mom and dad to let them know how much fun you are having (and how much you miss them, too).
Once you are rejuvenated, it’s time to get going to your free choice activities. After a lot of thought, you’ve decided to participate in ceramics for your first activity with a couple of your friends from another bunk. You spend the activity period elbow deep in clay and equally deep in conversation with your friends. You leave ceramics looking a little messy but smiling from ear to ear.
The last activity period of the day is here, and you are off to the pool to try scuba diving. The pool feels great after a busy day, and you are thrilled to learn the scuba ropes. You learn all about scuba safety and then get to gear up for the pool. When the activity period is over, you are thirsting for more and can’t wait to sign up for scuba again soon.
Next up, it’s time for some bunk time. As you get back to your cabin, your friends are buzzing about all of the awesome activities everyone took part in this afternoon. While everyone had pretty great days, you feel confident that your afternoon was the best. After some time catching up with your pals, you squeeze in a quick shower and get ready for dinner and the evening to come.
Your stomach rumbles when you smell the sweet smells of barbecue as you and your bunk walk to the dining hall. You load up a huge plate full of barbecue chicken, baked potatoes, and salad. It’s a feast! You gobble up your food and make time to play some table games with your bunk. And naturally, there’s always time to squeeze in a camp song!
Once dinner is over, it’s time for the evening program. Tonight happens to be Lip Sync, and as the entire camp comes together, the excitement level reaches an all-time high. Each cabin has been rehearsing their dance moves nonstop and tonight is the big night. As each bunk gets up to perform, you giggle along to hilarious renditions of old Spice Girls’ songs and everyone’s favorite Disney hits. When your cabin is called up, you feel a little nervous, but as you get to the stage, the cheers and applause coming from the crowd fill you with confidence. Your dance routine goes flawlessly, and your bunk enthusiastically hugs each other as you leave the stage.
As the night’s performances wind down, the campfire is lit, and everyone turns their Lip Sync cheering into gentle swaying as songs are played on a counselor’s guitar. Counselors take turns recognizing campers who have achieved great things while at camp, and you are proud to hear your name called for your bravery on the climbing wall this morning. You can’t help but beam as the rest of the campfire goes on. Tonight’s campfire skits have you doubled over laughing, and you know this campfire is one you will never forget. You wipe away your tears of laughter as you and your bunkmates make the walk back to your cabin and you think about what a magical day it has been. Even as you get back to your bunk, the ordinarily mundane tasks of teeth brushing and getting ready for bed are filled with inside jokes that only you and your bunkmates will understand. There are so many memories in the making!
By the time your head hits the pillow, you are exhausted, joyful, and extremely ready to do it all again tomorrow!
