Friday, September 12, 2014

Week 7: Enthusiasm

Our proverb for week 7 is most fitting as we enter our last week of summer camp: "All good things must come to an end".  Look at all the things we did this summer - we made new friends, learned new things, and explored new places. Kids can look forward to returning to school and sharing their new discoveries with their friends and teachers. Our theme this week focuses on a character trait that promotes:


Enthusiasm!


There are great benefits to being the enthusiastic person of the group. It grows into opportunity, achievement and confidence. The more we view the glass as "half full", the more fulfillment and joy we will have in our lives. It's important that each individual child be themselves so that they can be enthusiastic and excited about the activities they enjoy.

Think Outside the Hoop
Davin, one of our older campers, took it upon himself to mentor one of the younger campers, Kyler. Together, they worked on building a fort out of hula hoops. They quickly became the trendsetters during recess, and other campers were excited to try making their own hula hoop forts!
                               


The hula hoop fort is a basic example of how enthusiasm can lead to some amazing ideas within a child's mind. 

Enthusiastic children will become enthusiastic adults. As children grow up, they are faced with more challenges and obstacles. This can easily become frustrating and discouraging, but they can overcome these frustrations with their secret weapon: enthusiasm!


Summer Camp Collaboration
Our field trip to Fort Harrison State Park has become an annual tradition. Campers celebrate their summer together with a day of games and a picnic. So this year, we invited our friends from Kaleidoscope/MLK Center to enjoy the beautiful day with us!  

As we made our introductions, we divided into 4 blended teams and rotated through a variety of activities. Each team was able to play kickball, go on a hike, make a craft, and have some free time on the playground.

All that really worked up an appetite! We grilled hot dogs, corn, and enjoyed watermelon and s'mores for lunch. Yum! Both camps spent the remaining afternoon participating in the field day challenge.

Willie Gupton, Kaleidoscope Director of Youth Programs, raved about how the event was a huge success. 
"Most of my campers had never been to Fort Harrison before, so the experience was especially exciting for those unfamiliar with the park.  The following day, parents commented on how much they enjoyed the field day, and asked why we haven't done anything like this this before." 

Enjoying s'mores!

Free time at the playground

Field day challenge


Working together to create a yarn bowl














Yep, our first collaboration experience gave us a great opportunity to positively interact with another camp. Together we celebrated new friends, old friends, moving forward and remembering all the great experiences we've had over the summer. A big thanks to Kaleidoscope for partnering up with Freetown Village Summer Camp to celebrate diversity, teamwork and positive character skills in action!


It Takes a Village: Thank you !
All these great activities and experiences would not be possible without our amazing partners, sponsors, and volunteers. We greatly appreciate all the support and response to the mission we continue to strive for at Freetown Village. See everyone next summer!

3 comments:

  1. Wow...very comprehensive information,its like best summer camps in ontariothere we can send our kids to learn & adopt new things.

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    2. Yes, we think summer should be fun, but it's also a great time for kids (and adults too!) to learn and adopt new ideas. Thanks for taking the time to view our blog!

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