Camp Facilities Development – Another Viewpoint
Editor’s Note: Sylvia Dresser, executive director of the Association for Challenge Course Technology and long-time experiential educator, contacted us after reading a story we published on page 22 of the July
Backward Day
On August 16, 2006, YMCA Camp Ernst campers and counselors woke to the lovely sound of taps, put their clothes on inside-out, lowered the flag, listened to announcements, ate dessert,
Trails to Nowhere
Not in Douglas County, Colorado, where trails, and the things you do on them, remain as popular as ever.
Programming for Tweens
Way, way back when I started working at Bellingham, Washington Parks and Recreation, (okay it was in 1979), youth programs fell into three age groups. Pre-school activities were geared for
Geocaching Adventure
Scavenger hunts are a common program at most camps. As with all camp programs, the specific details of the hunt (how many people to a team, how many items to find, etc.) may
Building For The Future
You’ll see them at the major entrances into our hometown--in the Wal-Mart parking lot on the north side, in front of Hawkins Market on the west side, and at the Antique Mall shopping
Gonzo Girl
It was morning meeting at Camp Unalayee, high in the Trinity Alps wilderness in northern California, and it was time to make a decision. Actually, it was time to choose a hike from all
Parachute Power
Take a large billowy mass of nylon, a group of children and what do you have? Instant fun and excitement with a parachute! Using a parachute draws children of all ages together in a
Global Camps Africa
For those of us who experience it, camp is a pivotal life event, providing memories, friendships and skills that last a lifetime--snapshots of time etched into our very beings and unwittingly
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag is to camp as apple pie is to America. It’s easy and fun--all you need are some flags, some cones, and, if you want to get fancy, some color-coded armbands. We here at YMCA Camp Ernst
Spread The Word
You probably offer a crowd-pleasing array of programs, such as road runs, craft classes, senior excursions and soccer clinics. How about adding an additional element to a class or activity? Pick a project
And The Award Goes To …
For a camper, it isn’t the amount of money or the size of the award, but the reason behind it. As a camp coordinator, it’s important to understand the distinction.
What’s Next?
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” -Sir Winston Churchill
Predicting the future isn’t in my job description, but then neither was converting everything I knew about real-world facilitation and transferring it to virtual space.
Crafts Most Camps Have Never Done
As summer approaches, camps across the country start to gather supplies for the inevitable craft classes, such as Popsicle stick picture frames, painted rocks and apple prints. Now there's
A Basketful Of Ideas
Every month, I compile an e-newsletter and invite camp directors to submit information to be included in the publication. It’s seen as an honor for their ideas to be used, so I thought I would
Sugar Explosion
Hungry for a new programming idea? Camp counselor can create a pretend world where children are in a candy factory and play games centered on confectionary delights. Let their
Made For The Shade
On hot summer afternoons when the sun is baking the playing fields and a group’s turn for swimming is over, camp counselors wonder what they can do with restless campers. Here are
Human Foosball
Foosball--or table football--can be traced back to the original patent in the 1890s, according to Wikipedia. Aleandro Finistierre wanted to make a table form of soccer that would be fun for
A Royal Treat
It is a typical camp setting. Lake Whatcom sparkles in the background; tall fir trees drop pine cones on cabin roofs while happy campers swim, tie-dye T-shirts, and shop in the camp store.
Exploring The Stages Of Group Development
Throughout the season, camp staff members progress through various levels of group development. These stages are both necessary and normal: