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!

Racing Through Week 3!

With Fourth of July weekend over, campers came back refreshed and ready to have some serious fun!

As campers gathered for the Morning Circle, the weather was nice and clear. Counselors talked about what was happening for the day and got the campers excited for the rest of the day. Along with this new week comes a new region as well. The East North Central Region takes center stage this week as campers learn all they can about Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Once campers broke off into their respective camps, Discovery stayed outside and decided to have a good old fashioned game of Ultimate Frisbee on the field. Before starting, counselors talked to the campers about the rules and the proper way to throw a Frisbee. Safety always comes first. Afterwards, campers had a blast tossing the Frisbee from one person to the next while trying to get over the goal line. 

No I in Team!

MVP campers took the opportunity to take a quick walk down to Community Park for their Track and Field Day! Campers took turns competing in their versions of famous track and field events. Campers got to the starting line and sprinted to the finish for their team.  They ran and ran but that was not the end of the field festivities. Counselors then set the kids up for shot put and the discus throw. The heavy ball and discs were replaced with softballs and Frisbees. Campers went one by one to see how far they could throw each one. Kids took their best poses and launched them with all their might. No matter what happened, these campers tried hard to make them fly as far as possible. As an extra challenge, counselors threw their own shot put and discus to see if any of the campers could match them. Try as they might, they couldn't reach but they still had a great time.

Getting ready for the throw!

A new week also welcomes a new Specialty Camp: Camp Chefs! To start the day off, campers did some nice arts and crafts projects. Once that was over, counselors showed the campers how to make baked bananas in a toaster oven. It was a nice, warm treat to get the kids excited for the rest of week and everything else they’re going to be learning. They can barely wait for all of the delicious times ahead.

Today, the All Camp Activity focused on Ohio and a special place in Cleveland. Can you guess what it is? It’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! To celebrate the wild and crazy world of rock and roll, campers got to dress their counselors like famous rock stars. With a couple of fake tattoos and face paint of every shade, you could not tell who was a counselor and who was a rock and roll legend. They even got cardboard guitars to sell the look that much more.

Week Three is just beginning but today was a great way to welcome the campers back and to keep everything rolling! 

Science Specialty Camp

Miles covered in the leftovers of his experiment!

Today the Science Specialty Camp got slimy and gooey as they did a paper tie dying experiment with shaving cream and food coloring. Who would have known the cool designs you could get from shaving cream! While making Slime, it oozed everywhere and  it also came out in some cool colors. It only took three ingredients to make: glitter glue, water, and Borax. Lastly today, we were visited by a chemist, Matthew Wasserman, from Church and Dwight Co, Inc. He showed the Specialty Camp how to make gummy vitamins. The ingredient used to make gummy bears chewy is called Carrageenan, which we learned is an element of seaweed. The kids were shown how to extract it by boiling certain types of seaweed. Once the mixture was ready the campers got to pour the mix into their own personalized molds. Mr. Wasserman left some citric acid or souring agent for the kids who were brave enough to try it. The campers were able to enjoy their gummy treats as a special dessert at lunch. The Specialty Camp is set for a scientific field trip this upcoming Friday.

Campers learn how to make gummy bears!

Go Bananas!

Even though Monday started off with nothing but rainy weather, you wouldn't even know it if you were under the tent with YMCA campers and counselors! Instead of letting the stormy weather keep them down, John, our Youth Director, led the campers in the Banana Song. Getting on top of the center table so everyone could see, John led the silliness as campers repeated his singing and dancing.

Kicking Off Week 2!

Camp this week jumped out to a bang as Thunderstorms chased the campers inside for their daily activities, but not before they had some fun under the tent. Campers started this mornings session with introductions of names, groups and favorite desserts which spanned everything from broccoli to warheads. Even though rain pattered around the tent it could not keep the campers down as they engaged in the upbeat and wacky song “Go Bananas”. Continuing with our road trip theme we are paying a visit to the mid-atlantic. This week there are three groups: Discovery, MVP, and our Super Science campers.

Discovery camp got off to a musical start as they played musical chairs in the gym. Campers rushed around the ever decreasing amount of chairs in the middle, laughing and giggling the whole time. This week for arts and crafts the campers will be making lots of 4th of July themed projects to bring home. Due to the rain, campers gathered under the tent and designed their own fireworks!  (Don’t worry, they weren’t real)

 

Our awesome campers having fun under the water!

Today MVP’s theme was Ultimate Frisbee. In case you didn’t know, Ultimate Frisbee is a game played with two end zones like football and players must pass back and forth in order to advance the frisbee to the other end zone. The campers get a great cardio workout while still having a great time! They also played several variations of dodgeball!

This week the theme for Specialty camp is Super Science! Today’s theme for the science camp is Acids and Bases. They were also working on tie dying lab coats to keep their clothes free from the experiments that they will be doing all week. Campers saw what happens when acids and bases mix, they even learned how to make their own lemon powered rocket! The campers have plenty of cool experiments lined up. There is even a BIG field trip to the Liberty Science Center planned for Friday.

            For today’s all camp activity the theme is The Boardwalk. Campers will be participating in some great carnival games including Corn hole, peg the counselor, and ring toss! These celebratory games model our very own New Jersey boardwalk; the only thing we were missing was the Ocean!

Week One Winding Down

The day began with a competitive game of “Inchworm” where three pairs of campers, with interlinked legs and hands, raced to the finish line. Explorers, Voyagers, and MVP campers faced off against each other! The race began with the Voyager and MVP campers darting forward, leaving the Explorers in the dust! Voyagers and MVP were tied for first place. However, the Voyagers made a small mistake with their footing, giving the victory to the MVP campers. The next game of “Inchworm” consisted of two pairs of counselors from MVP and Discovery. As the race began and the campers pumped their hands into the air with excitement, the MVP counselors fell to the side giving the Discovery camp the upper hand! As the Discovery counselors reached the finish line, MVP campers, the counselor race concluded with victory to the Discovery camp counselors.

Friends help each other smile!

During the rotation and field activities, the camp played “Dodgeball” and “Capture the Flag!” The dodgeball game began with campers running to the midline picking up balls to get the upper hand (the balls were extra soft to prevent any injuries). The campers played “Capture the Flag” battling for the opponents flag and defending their home turf. If campers got tagged before they could reach the flag, they had to go to jail. Most visits were very short lived as their teammates freed them to continue the game and steal a win!  

Camper prepares for dodgeball.

For Arts and Crafts today, the campers were having a great time making paper birds. They could decorate them any way they wanted to and some campers just wanted to decorate their counselors. All shapes and sizes were made and the campers had a blast making them. The campers folded paper into parts of the bird and painted them with their favorite color. The different varieties of birds were then hung on the trees around the camp. Don’t be surprised if you see some flying your way!

Campers decide to decorate their counselor.

Along with all of the activities at camp, there is always time for a swim lesson. Princeton Family YMCA has a long history of teaching kids how to swim, and our campers are keeping the tradition alive one splash at a time. Whether they are learning about safety or proper form, the campers had fun and could not wait for more. Even campers not completely comfortable in the water had a blast with their counselors helping them. They also had floaties for even more support. Once free swim kicked off, the campers...kicked off! They splashed from one another and showed off their best tricks under the water. Backflips, somersaults, and even the occasional handstand were no strangers during free swim. The campers could not get enough of the water and were sad to leave. On the bright side, they’ll be right back in tomorrow.

Practice makes perfect!

After swimming things got sticky with the All Camp Activity as campers made apple cider popsicles in honor of New Hampshire’s state drink. The campers made them with the counselors and froze them for tomorrow. Talk about anticipation! Too many popsicles is never a bad thing and after making them, the counselors led the campers in the Popsicle Song.

"The Gibberish Song"

Today camp got off to a silly start as the campers took part in “The Gibberish Song!” John, our Youth and Family Director, led them in the call and repeat song. True to its word no sense was made but fun was definitely had, as the campers pumped their arms, jumped, and screamed. As the campers got ready to board the bus to the Trenton Thunder game, they reviewed proper field trip safety.

Day 2 of Summer Camp!

This morning opened with a great big community meeting!  Everyone aced their first quiz by remembering the YMCA’s four core values: Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Caring. Campers performed a camp song that they learned yesterday and several campers were given the privilege to help lead it.  Everyone had a blast!

Discovery Camp’s summer theme is a Road Trip Across America. This week the campers will be adventuring through the New England Region: visiting ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT all in one week!  Today the campers visited Massachusetts and Maine where they learned about old traditions and events from the Boston Tea Party to the first Thanksgiving. 

Mr. Paul starting off camp in the morning

Did you know the first Thanksgiving celebration was in Massachusetts?  For today's all camp activity,  counselors dressed up as turkeys and played games with the campers. The counselors celebrated Maine’s official dessert, digging their faces into blueberry pie to try and pick out the individual blueberries. Did you know that blueberries in Maine look and taste different than the ones grown in New Jersey?

Our campers painting Hannah, one of our counselors!

For the Discovery Camp Week One kicked off to a great start as the campers improved on their fundamentals in soccer!  The sports and games rotation started with World Cup Soccer.  The campers burst onto the the field, each representing a different country.  At the field activity rotation, the campers worked in teams to get through an obstacle course, jumping through hoops, throwing frisbees and hitting baseballs. They learned the importance of teamwork and perseverance to push their team to victory. Discovery campers continued the theme of interactive learning by making their very own tea bags in memory of the Boston Tea Party at the arts and crafts rotation.  These works of art will surely be coming home soon!  Campers are looking forward to a big day at the ballpark tomorrow, as they will be traveling to Trenton, NJ to see the Trenton Thunders, a Yankees triple A minor league baseball team.

Pioneers Camp (4-5 yrs) practicing their soccer skills

MVP Camp kicked off their first Tuesday with basketball and spent their morning practicing the fundamentals! They began the practice session with a simple dribbling drill. The MVP campers all dribbled their basketballs in place for 1 minute. The next exercise improved the camper’s handling of the ball. They were required to run 2 laps around the gym while dribbling. The campers also practiced passing and defense drills. This was all a good source of exercise, skill improvement and teamwork  while being fun at the same time!  During their break and the afternoon session they were able to put their new skills to work on the court outside, showing off their fancy new tricks and improved fundamentals.  They could really see their hard work paying off.

 

Dance Party at the Princeton YMCA!

Later in the day, the campers had their afternoon swim. The kids could not wait to “cannonball” into the water! However, before the fun, our certified swimming instructors had to give them an important swimming lesson. The older campers practiced proper techniques for backstroke, while the younger campers practiced fundamental skills for swimming like proper breathing technique by blowing bubbles.

The campers have already had quite an exciting week and have much to look forward to in the coming days. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get all the updates about what’s happening at the YMCA camps this summer!

Week 8: A Review

The campers started week eight with a blast. This week's theme is The Greatest Movie, so Discovery Camp is making an awesome music video that is sure to impress. They even made paper guitars to help them out! Yesterday, Campers played a game of capture the flag against the YWCA that ended with a Discovery camp victory! Campers also played steal the bacon and Indian chief in Field and Activities, and The Pioneers had fun making props to help make their video even greater. Tomorrow, campers will get to choose what movie they want to see by donating school supplies to Christine's Hope For Kids! Each group will also have the chance to show their own movies. It's sure to be an eventful day!
And the Oscar goes to...?
 

This week, our specialty camp had great camping experiences in Kamping Kids. On Monday, campers made posters demonstrating their knowledge of safety skills. The kids enjoyed eating alongside a beautiful lake while hiking in the Mountain Lake Nature Preserve on Wednesday. Today, campers had a blast at Sahara Sam's indoor water park, where they got to go down thrilling water rides and hang out in the pool, followed by an overnight camp back at the Y. Campers will even get to sleep in tents they set up by themselves! Tomorrow, Kamping Kids will join the rest of the camps for a delicious barbeque to end their fun-filled week.

Olympian Jamie Redman speaks to MVP

As this great week of camp is winding down, the campers at MVP went on a competitive, fun-filled Scavenger Hunt today through the park, using magnified pictures as hints to find the objects on the trail. Once each of the groups met in the park, they settled down and had a picnic with more games to come after lunch. Although this alone sounds great, the MVP kids encountered an even better experience on Wednesday when Olympic Rower, Jamie Redman, came to visit them.  What a day! Tomorrow, MVP will have an all camp barbeque, a perfect ending to another remarkable week of Sports Camp. It is true that we still have one more week of camp, but we are always looking back on the great times we have had throughout the summer. Camp is almost like a journey, and this year, the campers at MVP completed it to the fullest. .

The campers in MVP Specialty Camp, Lacrosse, have been giving their all this week to enhance their skill in the game. Campers learned how to catch, throw, cradle, shoot, and more. Just after one week, the improvement in each and every one of the kids' gameplay has definitely shown. 

The counselor and teacher of the Lacrosse campers says "their progress is already beginning to show. When we started, some of the kids didn't even know how to hold the stick properly, and now they are starting to throw the ball and get into the other fundamentals." This camp has been a great experience for the kids. Campers learned many essential skills, and have truly improved at the sport!

This week, Leadership Academy continued to make an impact in the community and interact with each other. Not only did they help collect school supplies for Christine's Hope For Kids, but today they were also able to discuss gender roles in society, leading to an engaging debate among the campers. Yesterday, campers watched the movie Invictus, which led to an interesting discussion on racial prejudice versus unity within a community. Once again, Leadership also helped volunteer and distribute food at the Crisis Ministry Food Pantry. This summer, our teens have strengthened their roles as leaders and fostered their own social and interactive skills, reinforcing their confidence and individual identity. We at the Princeton YMCA can't wait to see their roles in the community as they develop into accomplished adults.