Day In The Life of Summer Camp
Ah, summer camp. For many people it’s their fondest memory; for others, it’s their first job. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a teenager who wants some volunteer experience or a kid who just wants to touch some grass, there’s a place for you to fit in.
Today, we’ll be focusing on the campers, the most important part of summer camp. More specifically, I’m going to take you with me as I experience arguably the most impactful day of summer camp, the first day.
The first day of summer camp is valuable for many reasons: the campers meet the lovely educators, make new friends, and they get a feel for how the rest of the camp week will go.
So, here’s my day in the life of a summer camp at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Welcome To Camp
We start in front of the Robins Visitors Center. Car by car, campers are signed in, and the ever anticipated week of camp finally begins.
As the campers get out of their cars, the first activity awaits: button-making. The campers can write their names on pins and decorate them however they want. We have crayons and markers, and the campers get really expressive with their decorations.
I asked a camper if they were excited about camp, and they replied “yes, I’ve been here about a thousand times.” It’s nice to know that the kids want to come back no matter how many times they’ve been here.
After each camper finishes making their buttons, they get a camp journal, where they can write down everything that they learn throughout the week. On the first page, there’s an “All About Me” section which asks some icebreaker questions.
“What’s your favorite flower?”
“What’s your favorite animal?”
I noticed that one of the campers was hesitant to answer “What’s your favorite color?” So, I asked them which color they liked the most, and they said (with a lot of enthusiasm I might add) “every color!”
On the way down to the Children’s Garden, the educator led the campers to a shady spot. We had a brief team huddle, where everyone proposed rules that could help them be respectful of the garden and each other.
After we left the garden arch, we made our way to the tent. While walking past one of the flower beds, the educator pointed out a butterfly to the campers. As the kids gathered, the instructor began telling the kids all about it. I think they really enjoyed it!
Discussion
When we got to the tent, the campers were asked to draw their favorite mammal, and write about why it’s their favorite. They wrote about lions, tigers, and elephants, and I was impressed by how much they knew about these animals.
The educator spoke about what makes a mammal, unlikely mammals, and commonalities between them. The kids were so engaged!
Screen Printing Workshop
After talking about bears and badgers, the campers got a chance to screen print their own Lewis Ginter camp shirts.
During the demonstration, one of the camp instructors sang “la, la, la,” and an unofficial rule was made that after each camper prints their t-shirt, they must do the same. A lot more of them sang it than I thought would.
While this was going on, the kids began playing a game of Heads Up 7 Up with one of the camp volunteers, and they had such good sportsmanship. It really helped them bond and converse with each other.
Bear Game
We had our snack break, then played a special rendition of Heads Up 7 Up called ‘The Hibernation Game.’ One camper was chosen to be the bear, and as they close their eyes, the other kids sang:
‘Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
In a cave, in a cave
Wonder when he’ll come out, wonder when he’ll come out
In the spring, in the spring’
By this time, one of the campers will have tapped them on the shoulder, and when the bear opens their eyes, they must find out who tapped them.
They had a great time, and so did the educators and volunteers!
Wrap Up
Unfortunately, the time came when the kids had to get picked up. It was bittersweet, because it feels nice to get into an air-conditioned vehicle in the middle of summer, but the campers had to hug their new friends and say “see you tomorrow.”
In my opinion, the first day of summer camp was a success.