Week 8 Is Going To Be Great!

Welcome to Week 8! You can’t even tell that camp is almost over with how excited these campers were to start the day. Even though the weather was a little shaky at first, the sky cleared up and the sun shined down. New campers got a chance to introduce themselves to the rest of the camp before any of the activities began. Another new week also brings another new region of the United States to the front lines and the East South Central Region, consisting of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, is ready to shine. Campers broke off into their groups and began a brand new day.  Discovery campers went down to the races during Arts and Crafts as they drew horses in honor of Tennessee’s famous walking horses. Campers could draw whatever horse they wanted. There were even some mythical ones in the mix! Campers also a got a chance to play a great game of trash can ball. Teams tried to get the ball in the opposing team’s basket. Using teamwork, the campers had to move the ball from one side of the field to the other before scoring a goal. It was an awesome way to stay active while still having a lot of fun!

Connor can't wait to keep drawing!

Afterwards, Discovery and MVP got together on the field and played a game of disc golf. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Campers had to get a Frisbee to a target with the least amount of throws. Campers got a chance to compete against one another and see who could get the farthest the quickest. Frisbees went all over the field as campers tried their best to let their aim and their arms do the talking.

A new week also welcomes a returning Specialty Camp, Super Science. All week, campers in this camp will be learning how to make interesting things with regular household items and the science behind. To start off today, they made their own catapults using only a clothespin, a Popsicle stick, a bottle cap, and glue to hold it all together. Instead of shooting rocks, campers shot marshmallows at paper cups to test the accuracy of their new toys. Later on in the day, the campers made Frankenworms! With baking soda, vinegar, and a very tasty treat, campers got a chance to see the sugary creepy crawlers move and jiggle like they had come to life. Camp is off to a great start and it's only Monday!

Austin and Christopher can't wait to let the sweets fly!

Week 7 Already Here!

    Week seven is finally here and camp is sadly almost over. With only two weeks left, campers are making sure to make the best of the time that they have left. With a new week comes new campers so kids got a chance to introduce themselves to the camp. They got an awesome Princeton YMCA welcome in return. After introductions, campers broke off into their groups for a fun filled day! A new week also marks a new region. The West South Central Region moves on up to the Princeton YMCA. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas will be getting their time in the limelight as campers learn interesting facts and do crazy things to celebrate these awesome states!

With this new week, Camp Chefs is back with a vengeance as new campers learn healthy eating methods while having a great time cooking. Today they paid a visit to the new talk of the town, Agricola, which is an organic restaurant that only uses fresh produce. During their visit, the kids made their own personal pizzas which they rolled and put their own fresh ingredients on. The kids had a blast and they loved getting down and dirty with the flour. In the afternoon they made aprons. Campers designed their own plain white aprons with as many great designs as they wanted. Some drew their favorite food while others just painted fanciful food fantasies. Later on they melted chocolate and dipped pretzel sticks into it. Afterwards they put sprinkles of various shades of color to decorate them.

    To kick off the week, the MVP campers and counselors played an intense game of floor hockey. However, before the campers got to play the game, they had to learn the basics. They were taught the original hockey stance, along with how to pass the puck to fellow teammates. After practice, the excitement of the campers reached new heights! They anxiously  pumped their fists in the air as they waited for the game to begin. Campers rushed up and down the gym floor passing the puck to their teammates in hopes of scoring a goal!

     Discovery started the week off by paying homage to Texas in their Arts and Crafts by making cowboy boots out of paper. Campers got a chance to decorate them however they wanted. They couldn’t wait to rustle up some color! Later on, they played dodgeball in the gym for a rip roaring good time and after that, they played an interesting game called trash can ball. With two teams protecting one trash can each, players had to race up and down the field while passing the ball to try and score points. If a player was tagged while the ball was in his or her possession, he or she would have to give it to the other team. It was fun and lightning fast as the ball changed hands more times than the campers could keep track of!

     For the All Camp Activity, campers played a game of Lasso in honor of Texas. Played in the style of a relay race, campers had to race to knock a baton off a pole using only a lasso before their other teammates could advance. It was a great way to celebrate the Lone star state and a fantastic start to the week!

Campers Make a Splash!

The campers made their own boats today and made the voyage across the pool! Check out all the fun in the video above.

Week Six Begins!

Week six is already here! Campers came back from the weekend refreshed and ready to start a brand new adventure. New campers got a chance to introduce themselves to all of the campers and tell the camp something about themselves to start the day off. Afterwards, campers broke off into their groups for the great activities that awaited them. With a new week, you guessed it, comes a new region. The Pacific Region comes to the forefront so campers will be learning about Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Campers were excited to get started in their pacific adventure. 

To start, Discovery campers celebrated Washington and it’s famously rainy city, Seattle, by making their own 3D umbrellas. Using half of a Styrofoam bowl glued to a piece of paper, the campers brought their umbrellas to life. Campers got a chance to color them however they wanted and made them their own. They even got a chance to make their own rain soaked character to hold the umbrella. It was like they were there themselves! Afterwards, campers played World Cup Soccer in the gym. Different teams picked different countries to represent and they went head to head for the win! Whether it was Brazil or the United States, campers represented their countries with pride while they tried to score for their team. While that was going on, other Discovery campers outside played Steal The Bacon. Two opposing teams lined up with a ball in the middle. Each camper was assigned a number and once a number was called out, campers with that number raced to grab the “bacon” to get points for their team. It was an interesting way to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

Miles can't wait to start!

 

A new week also brings a brand new specialty camp, Multi-Sport. Throughout the week, the camp will be playing sports related games against one another with an Olympic flare. To celebrate their camp, the campers made banners for their two teams to hang up for all of the YMCA to see. MVP went down to Community Field and focused on lacrosse for the day. With lacrosse sticks in hand, campers got a chance to revisit the basics that they had learned before. With counselors walking them through it, campers got acclimated to it very quickly and began playing. Campers broke off into separate teams and tried their best to win for their team. Campers passed the lacrosse ball back and forth to get to the goal and score points for their team. For the All Camp Activity, the camp played a living board game in honor of Washington. Did you know that Cranium was invented in Washington? Now you do! Campers were separated into five teams and had to guess answers based on picture drawing and gestures.

Camp may be more than halfway done but you wouldn't have been able to tell from the camper’s enthusiasm!

Week Five Extravaganza

It’s the beginning of a brand new week! It’s hard to believe that it’s already week five. Time sure flies when you’re having a great time. With the massive heat wave behind us, today started off on a cooler note as campers came together for Morning Circle. A new week also means new campers so John Groeger, our Youth and Family Director, helped new campers introduce themselves to everyone. Kids got a chance to share what their favorite holiday is and what they’re looking forward to. They were given a warm YMCA welcome as campers broke off into their separate groups. We all know what a new week also means: A new region! The Mountain region of the United States takes center stage this week so campers will get a chance to learn about Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Today, it was Montana and Discovery campers paid homage to the treasure state by making treasure chests out of Popsicle sticks. Campers used glue to hold their treasure chests together and once everything solidified, they got a chance to decorate them with anything they wanted. From pirate chests to ballerina boxes, the campers showed the weekend didn't stop their creative juices from flowing.

A treasure chest in the making!

With the weather finally cooperating, Discovery campers also got a chance to play Prison Ball outside on the field. Players lined up and tried to get players on the opposing team out by throwing balls at each other. Once a player was out, he or she was certainly not done. Campers had to move behind the opposing team and then the players that were “out” could get back in if their teammates could throw the ball to them and they could catch it. It was an awesome twist to an already great game. Inside the gym, MVP campers and Explorers from Discovery teamed up to take on the counselors in a game of dodge ball. Balls flew back and forth as campers and counselors tried their best to let their teams come out on top. The counselors may have been bigger but the campers outnumbered them. It was an epic contest of dodging and ducking away from oncoming balls. The campers and counselors rushed the line, picked up any balls they could and threw them at the opposing team. It was a fun free for all! 

A new week also welcomes a new Specialty Camp, Kamping Kids. Campers started the week off by learning simple rules about camping such as making sure to leave no traces behind and some simple first aid tips to help them in a pinch. Later on in the day, Paul, a professor from Ryder University, came down to the YMCA to show campers different marine life such as crabs, snails, and various types of fish. Campers had a blast learning about these fascinating creatures while also getting a chance to hold them.

Sara's playing with her new friend

The All Camp Activity had campers on a treasure hunt in honor of Montana. With the help of counselors, teams of campers got a chance to follow clues and find the treasure before other teams could. With these great activities and some much cooler weather, week five is already off to a great start!

Critter U's Creep Crawlies!

This week’s specialty camp, Critter U, got an extra crawly surprise today when John Cambridge, a Rutgers University entomology graduate student, took time out of his schedule to come and teach the campers about the wonderful world of bugs!

It's Huge!

The campers gathered around John as he began his lesson about what entomology actually means and what he does in his studies. That quickly turned into the perfect segway to show the campers the bugs he bought for them to see: Madagascar hissing cockroaches! Campers took turns passing the bugs around the room as John described the differences between males and females and how they get their famous name. Once that ended, the fun certainly didn't when John proposed that the campers go on a bug hunt and whoever found the biggest bug earned a

prize. With a winner crowned, the camper received a preserved Madagascar butterfly to take home. All in all, the campers had a fantastic time learning about insects and digging around for their own!

Everybody's a winner!

Minnesota Lakes Challenge!

Campers and counselors paid homage to Minnesota, “The Land of 10,000 lakes”, with a fun and messy eating challenge. Four counselors and John, our Youth and Family Director, each had their own body of water made up of melted marshmallows, whipped cream, and blue food dye. Swimming at the bottom of their lakes were multiple Swedish fish. Whoever got the most Swedish fish within the time limit was the winner. With that much sugar, they were all winners!

Boldly Going Into Week 4!

Campers welcomed the new week’s fantastic weather with awesome activities and a totally new region of the United States!

At Morning Circle, John Groeger, our Youth and Family Director, led the campers through introductions. New campers got a chance to meet everyone at camp and all of the kids told everyone their favorite activities. Whether it was basketball or swimming, the kids got a chance to learn something new about their fellow campers even before all of the fun started. With another new week, another new region steps into the limelight: the West North Central Region. Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are all going to get their time to shine this week. The campers went into their separate groups and began their own activities. Discovery took advantage of the sunny weather immediately when each camper got a jump rope and went to town. Nothing beats jumping rope on a warm day! For their arts and crafts project of the day, Discovery campers paid homage to Iowa and it’s Hot Air Balloon Museum by coloring their own hot air balloons. Colorful balloons filled the tables outside and made the day even brighter.

Campers Caleb, Amira, and Sophia can't wait to start Arts and Crafts!

To add even more silliness to the mix, Discovery campers played a great game of Giants, Wizard, and Elves. Imagine Rock, Paper, Scissors, but a lot more epic. Two teams of players stand on opposite sides of a field and charge towards the middle. Once they meet in the middle, the two teams had to look and sound like a giant, wizard, or elf.

MVP’s sport of the day was lacrosse. Campers visited Community Park yet again to take advantage of the wide open fields. Each camper got a lacrosse stick and safely started learning the basics from the counselors. Stick handling was covered as well as how to catch and cradle a lacrosse ball. Once the basics were covered and campers were comfortable handling their lacrosse sticks, they broke off into different groups and started playing different games.

Go Long!

     This week’s new specialty camp, Critter U, focuses on different animals and learning more about them. To start the learning process, the camp took a trip down to the Princeton Public Library and started doing research on endangered animals and what they could do to help. Later on in the day, the campers got a chance to listen to Princeton Animal Control worker, Mark. He talked about how he deals with animals that escape or animals that may be dangerous and the importance of animal safety all of the time. Kids learned how to safely approach dogs and what animals to never approach.

Campers Ashlena and Michele enjoying the library

The All Camp Activity was a good old fashioned trash bag fashion show. Campers got a chance to show off their inner designer as they made various outfits for the counselors to wear. Dresses, fancy hats and even the occasional shiny pair of shoes were seen as counselors strutted up and down the makeshift walkway.

Week Four has just begun, but it’s already promising to be another great time!

Camp Chefs

Riana can't wait!

Camp Chefs started the day off right by making chocolate lollipops. These tasty treats are simple enough to make. All you need is some melted chocolate, a mold to pour it in, and sticks to make it all come together! Counselors heated up the chocolate and helped campers pour them into the molds. Campers then got a chance to smooth them over with a spoon to get that classic lollipop shape just right. They also had a choice to dye the chocolate various colors just for the fun of it.

The finished product

 While the chocolate cooled and hardened, the campers also got a chance to visit the local farmer's market to learn about different fruits, vegetables, and healthy eating habits. Afterwards, they took a trip to Mediterra, a local Mediterranean restaurant where the campers got a lesson in Mediterranean culture and cuisine. All in all, it was a day filled with food and that's never a bad thing!

Discovery Volleyball!

Discovery Camp took some time to play their own version of volleyball. Campers on opposing teams threw the ball over the net. If a camper on the other side went to catch the ball and dropped it, they were out of the game. If they did catch it, the camper that threw it was out. Not even the counselors were safe as campers tried their hardest to get them out!