Tag: American summer camps

Birthdays at Camp Weequahic

September 21st, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-09-21 at 12.35.45 PMWhat could be better than celebrating your birthday with your closest friends and amazing mentors? Campers and staff whose birthdays fall during their stay at Camp Weequahic have an amazing day from start to finish.

The day starts with a phone call home. Parents simply need to call our office to set up a time to speak with their camper at a time convenient for both which is normally at breakfast. Plus, it starts everyone’s day off with smiles.

At breakfast, our birthday camper gets the safety neon green birthday shirt to wear in addition to a sharpie for their friends to sign the shirt. Following breakfast and morning clean up (which everyone has to do, whether it’s your birthday or not), our birthday people get to come forward and raise the flag at the end of our morning meeting.

The birthday celebrations come to a crescendo at dinner and evening meeting. Near the end of dinner, our birthday friend is invited forward to stand on a chair in front of the entire camp. Director Cole leads them through some fun questions and then helps direct a camp-wide rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ while a homemade birthday cake is presented, candles and all.

Once the cake has been shared with our birthday camper’s bunkmates, everyone heads to Free Play and our evening Flagpole. This is when things get a little goofy. With the entire camp cheering them on, our birthday friends are challenged to catch a frosted cupcake… that is launched about 100’ in the air with a slingshot! Everyone gets three attempts and, if desired, can call on friends to help.

It’s a wonderful thing to have a birthday at camp. We do our best to help each birthday person enjoy a number of fun (and delicious) memories!

Home Visits before Camp

September 14th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 12.32.39 PMDuring the school year, there is no better way to learn about camp than to have a home visit with our camp director, Cole Kelly. These roughly one hour gatherings give each family time to ask any and all questions they have about the camp, learn more about the overall program, and see pictures of our campers’ daily lives.

The goal of each visit is to build a connection between your family and camp. We are going to be caring for your camper for three or six weeks. Therefore, it is vitally important that each family feel comfortable with Cole as he sets the tone, oversees all staff hiring, and is an integral part in each camper’s experience. And, when parents call during the summer, Cole will be the person calling them back to answer questions.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 12.33.21 PMAnother reason for the home visit is answer all the questions that arise. What is the daily program like? How do you select, hire and train your staff? What are the campers in my child’s age group like? These questions, and many more, are asked in the comfort of your own home and with (or without) your camper present.

If you are interested in learning more about CW, please call us to speak. If after learning more you’d like a home visit, we’ll be happy to schedule a time when Cole and stop by to learn more about your family.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Lots of Ways to Enjoy the Lake at Camp Weequahic

September 7th, 2015

 

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 12.29.19 PMCamp Weequahic is blessed with one of the best camp lakes in Wayne County. Sly Lake lies beautifully below our Senior girls’ bunks and is the stage for a wide variety of fun-filled activities.

The jumping off point (quite literally!) for most of our lake activities is our sandy beach. Campers find a buddy and check in with our head lifeguard before heading to one of their waterfront choices. Should they bounce on the water trampoline? Paddle a kayak or stand up paddleboard? Perhaps they should choose free swim or play volleyball on the beach? There are lots of good choices that require several trips to the waterfront to enjoy.

In addition to our waterfront activities, campers interested in learning how to sail do so under the tutelage of experienced instructors. Our Sunfish sailboats stay out on Sly Lake a good part of the summer and are used by complete beginners all the way up to experienced sailors.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 12.29.47 PMWhile most of the activities at the waterfront are on the surface, one program that explores the depths is our fishing program. Anglers at CW get their lines wet every period of every day and we’ve got plenty of fish stories to tell.

Most of our fish are catch and release. However, when we catch a good large mouth bass or large ‘sunny’, our staff will teach the campers how to gut and prepare the fish to be cooked over an open flame. And, yes, they all get to enjoy a bite!

Not to be outdone, our waterski and tubing program is a frothy blast. Campers interested in learning to waterski do so with the help of experienced teachers and boat drivers. We have had many children learn to waterski for the first time at camp and even learn to drop a ski and go slalom! In addition to waterskiing, our wakeboard program continues to be a popular choice as well.

We hope that you will come have a blast at Camp Weequahic’s amazing waterfront next summer!