We slept in a little bit this morning–instead of hopping out of bed at 7 am, we slept in till Director Tommy rang the wake-up bell at 7:30. The campers really enjoyed the extra sleep! We headed to breakfast straight-away, and then, after enjoying some cheese omelets and breakfast potatoes, headed back to our cabins to do a big cabin clean-up. Sheets were tightened, laundry was put into laundry bags, toiletries were straightened up, clothes were folded, and shoes were straightened. It was quite a task, but the campers worked together and managed to pass their Cabin Inspection, which was done by none other than Director Tommy himself. Once cabins had passed their inspection, they headed to the pool for a fun morning swim!
After swimming, campers headed back to their cabins to get dried off and changed–we then reconvened on the commons for lunch. Some campers had parents come to visit, and it was so wonderful to get a chance to show them around camp. The parents ate lunch with us (which was a yummy taco buffet) and then got a chance to take a tour, led by their campers. After lunch and a quick tour, we headed back to the cabin for rest hour, which the campers enjoyed very much–some campers even asked if we could do a two-hour instead of a one-hour rest time! Once we were rested up, we met back at the Commons for a super-awesome game of Predator/Prey. The campers split up into four groups, and each group took on the identity of an animal in the food chain–we had moths, frogs, snakes, and owls. The different groups had to find different amounts of “food,” “shelter,” “water,” and “prey” to survive–and while the food, shelter, and water were hidden around the camp, the only to get prey was to tag a member of another group! There were also evolution cards the groups could find, which would give them special abilities for a limited amount of time. As Counselor Tim put it, Predator/Prey is like a gigantic scavenger hunt, game of tag, and game of Monopoly combined!
When we completed Predator/Prey, we had a chance to discuss with our original groups how the game went–campers got a chance to say what they thought went well, what didn’t work so well, and how they would play the game differently if they had a second chance. We also thought about what it would be like to really be a moth, frog, snake, or owl. Then, we headed to the gym for some organized free time, where campers had a chance to mix and eat some delicious GORP for snack, relax in the game room, and work on their lanyards, tumblebugs, and water bottle slings. At 6 pm, we headed over to Grizzly Jack’s (the camp dining hall) for some yummy dinner, and then met in the Opera House to play Minute-to-Win-It!
Minute-to-Win-It was awesome! Every camper got the chance to participate in a challenge, and there were such games as using a yo-yo to knock over empty cans, stacking ding dongs on a friend’s forehead, and successfully re-combining the cut-up front of a cereal box. The trick to the challenges is that each contestant only has a minute to complete the challenge! The campers really enjoyed cheering each other on, and especially loved when the counselors got in on the action–it was tons of fun to see Counselors Phil and Jasmine play, and everyone enjoyed seeing Director Tommy try to unwind a whole roll of toilet paper in one minute without breaking it!
After finishing up Minute-to-Win-It, we headed outside to do our closing circle. We ended our evening with a strong rendition of “Taps,” and then headed back to our cabins to debrief our day, brush our teeth, and get ready for bed. Everyone was eager for some much-needed sleep after our super-great day–and everyone is excited to see what Sunday brings.