Many summer camps and summer day camps have canceled their seasons, or are having to restrict so many aspects about camp that it might not be worth attending. It seems like we live in a state that still has more restrictions than most other states, but whether your state is not allowing your children to attend summer camp, or you’re just not very comfortable with it, many children will not get to attend summer camp this year.
Along with that, many churches have even had to cancel Vacation Bible School! So, we can either stand by and watch our children miss opportunities and be thoroughly disappointed, or we can bring some fun back into summer! You can be that mom! And you can start by organizing a mini-day-camp for your children, and if you’re really feelin’ it, invite a couple of their friends too! I’m here today to hep you plan your own summer day camp, either at home or at a park.
When I was in second grade, I joined Brownies (the junior version of Girl Scouts). That summer, the Girl Scouts hosted a day camp in the park. I remember two things about that day camp. First of all, the third-graders got to tie-dye and the second-graders didn’t. It was torturous. Even though the third-grade girls were in a separate group, we could all see their beautiful tie-dyed t-shirts hanging on a clothesline at the campsite next to us, while we drew lady bugs on a piece of wood! Moms, listen to me—younger children can handle tie-dye too! That might be why I wanted to make sure my children have gotten to experience the joy of tie-dying!
The other memory…well…it was the first time I remember telling a lie. I probably told a lie before that in my life, but this one left an impression. We were roasting marshmallows and mine caught on fire. There was a one-marshmallow rule at this day camp. I hate charred marshmallows, so I scraped the burnt marshmallow onto the ground and just ate the rest of the s’more without a marshmallow. My leader came walking by, barefooted, and stepped straight in the charred, gooey marshmallow. She quickly snapped, “Who put this marshmallow on the ground?”
Well, let’s just say, that “no one” did it because I definitely wasn’t fessing up. And in the end, all the girls decided that it was another girl there who just wasn’t fessing up to it. Not a proud moment for me. I let that one go by and thankfully, there wasn’t much more made of it, but the things that sticks with me because I knew better. Those, however, are not the kind of memories that you want to be making when hosting a day camp!
I know that planning a day camp might seem daunting, but remember that you can keep it as simple as you want. You could plan it at the park, or in your backyard. It can last all day, or just a few hours. You can make it educational, or you can just make it about having fun, but it can also be both! It is entirely up to you (and I’m sure your child would love to be included in some of the decision making).
Five things to Include in Your Summer Day Camp:
- Organized games—
There are options for games, no matter the size of your group. You’ll likely have a smaller group so games like softball, kickball, and dodge ball are out. But that’s okay! I love going retro with my kids and busting out old school games like egg toss (fun with a water balloon on a hot day!); gunny sack races; three-legged races; etc.
You could also have a water fight; play a solve the clues to find something special game; or old standbys like ring toss (make it more fun using 2-liter bottles of pop that the kids can take home! Parents will really love you for that one!); or pin the tail on the donkey. There are so many more options than these too! Ask your child what types of games he wants to include in his day camp with friends.
- Craft—
There are so many camp crafts to choose from; your choices should be based on the children’s ages and abilities. A classic camp activity is to tie dye and there is nothing wrong with asking the kids to bring a white t-shirt along when they come so they can participate. Of course, if you’re just not up for that, I can understand! You could decorate shirts with puffy paint, or even just Sharpies.
It’s also fun to decorate draw-string bags; make and/or decorate a photo frame that can hold a picture from the day; woodburn on tree slices; make a caterpillar out of pom-poms on a clothespin magnet; or make lady bug magnets (as long as no one else is tie dying their clothing next door!)
- Free play—
Whenever I planned my children’s birthday parties, I didn’t want much downtime. This is because when kids are left to play freely for too long, they don’t always get along! I had a birthday party in Kindergarten with a lot of girls. We were pretty much left to play freely and well…two of the girls didn’t like each other; other girls chose which girl they liked better and played with that group; and where did that leave me? The birthday girl who liked all of the girls or they wouldn’t have been invited? It was not fun…and I think it may have been my last birthday party!
With that in mind, I have never allowed for much free play time at parties, but sometimes, my kids and their friends have been playing so great all together that they would like more time!
So, what I’ve learned is that free play time is great if scheduled in a short period of time that can be flexible. That way, if they’re playing really well together, you can let them keep playing and cut into the next chunk of time. But if it’s not going so well, move on to the next planned activity.
- Campfire—
A campfire is not a must, but it’s definitely a “Figure out a way if you possibly can” kind of thing. It would be great if you could have some songs around the campfire and roast a few marshmallows and the best thing is that if you have a small group of kids, you won’t have to make the one-marshmallow-rule!
A campfire can happen during the day. It’s not one of those “only at night” things that sometimes we make it. Kids will have fun roasting hot dogs for lunch, followed by marshmallows for s’mores and a few camp songs. If you have the opportunity to throw in one of those flame-coloring packets, go for it! But do remember that once you throw that in, you’ll not want to roast food over the fire so save it for the grand finale!
- Lesson—
What is a day camp without some sort of lesson? I like to give a short Bible lesson on kindness, friendship, or, if around the campfire, on being a light for Christ. If you’re not sure you want to include a Bible lesson in your day camp, you can teach a lesson on manners; keeping old friends when new friends come along; being kind to siblings; and one of the most important lessons for young girls—you can have more than one best friend (and how not to be exclusive of others). Oh, how early that starts! Sometimes, I think that girls need to be taught that they can have several close friends and each one can be the best in her own way!
Now, you can be the mom who plans a summer day camp for your kids and their friends! Other moms will love you for giving them a break and their kids something fun to do. And most importantly, your kids will make great memories this summer!
RElated: Plan a Great Summer Break!