Focus Activities Create an Extraordinary First Week of CampPosted by Beigette Gill on June 30, 2017
The first week of focus activities in the Extraordinary World was everything we expected it to be and more. The counselors of Fernwood Cove were ready and excited to welcome all of the campers to their activity areas. The focus activities provide campers the opportunity to learn new skills and experience new things. And while the focus is on each of the campers, the counselors are also learning and growing as they lead and guide campers through the week. The first week of focus activities was a great start to our extraordinary summer.
First Three Focus Activities
When heading to the first focus counselors were filled with excitement for the week. Sharing skills and knowledge with campers brings counselors amazing joy. However hearing about their campers’ daily adventures brings a sense of pride in our girls. A sense of pride that is very similar to what parents feel for their daughters at home. Here is a sample of one Fernwood Cove camper’s first week’s adventures in the Extraordinary World.
This week’s adventure starts in the waterfront. The most popular options continue to be wake boarding and water skiing. Seeing a camper’s face light up as she pushes through her struggles to get up on skis for the first time is so rewarding. Hearing her re-tell the story and share her excitement for her accomplishment is even better!
The next focus was Archery. Trying Archery for the first time is like a childhood dream come true. Camp is often where campers experience Archery for the first time. There’s nothing like the joy campers experience as they pull back the arrow and hear it hit the target. Each day brings the opportunity for campers to improve upon their personal best as they participate in the JOAD archery program.
Land Sports is also exciting. There are many sports to experience. Each provides campers with the opportunities to learn skills like dribbling and shooting. However the life skills of communication, fair play, and teamwork are often the most valuable. The first week of Field Hockey was a great example of this with counselors utilizing fun games to teach new skills while also keeping campers on their feet and active.
Second Half of the Day
Ceramics is one of the focuses where campers can express their creativity as they build and create. Campers were most excited to hear about the process of starting off with the clay and how to complete their own creations. While many returning campers know the basic process they still had lots of fun being creative with the Ceramics staff. This group of Fernwood Cove girls also enjoyed having a CIT assist in the activity period. CITs gain hands-on experience while leading campers in various fourth focus activities each week.
The Natural Horsemanship Program is one of the most interesting focuses there is at Fernwood Cove. It is a comprehensive activity that uses the Parelli philosophy of love, language, and leadership. Campers learn about these concepts through a variety of games they play with their horses. Campers soon progress to being on horseback where they continue to build their relationship with their horse while applying the principles they learned on the ground. The connections built between the campers and their horses within a week is magical.
Outdoor Living Skills, also known as OLS, inspires campers to be comfortable in the outdoors. Campers learn how to safely start fires and cook their own food. Valuable skills in basic first aid and Leave No Trace philosophies are also learned. This created a great ending to the second half of the day and the first week of activities.
The first week of focuses was so rewarding. Seeing campers so excited and eager to learn about everything is a lovely feeling. And being with campers brings out the fun in everyone, helping to create an extraordinary experience for everyone at camp.