Tag: America’s finest summer camps

4 Tips For The Perfect Cannonball

December 11th, 2014

Things every camper should bring to camp to ensure an amazing summer:

Extra underwear
Bathing suit
This classified, top secret, limited edition guide to doing the perfect cannonball.

As the summer temperatures peak, most campers find themselves lounging around the beautiful swimming pool at Camp Weequahic, or splashing the day away in the lake. Hanging out in the water is a great way to beat the heat, while hanging out with new friends and making memories that will last forever. When it is time to make things a little more exciting, initiate a camp wide Cannonball contest! Equipped with these researched, tested and proven tips, you can leave camp as this year’s Cannonball Champion.

First, it is important to remember that safety is always of the utmost importance. Remember to always check the depth of the water where you are going to jump. Jumping into water that is too shallow could cause serious injury. If the cannonball contest is taking place on the pool deck, remember not to run. You could slip and fall, and then you’d never get to show off your cannonball skills. You can achieve a perfect 10 cannonball without running and jeopardizing your safety.

Get Some Height: If there is a diving board, use that bad boy to get some extra height and land with a splash. The simple logic behind the perfect cannonball is that the higher you go, the more gravity you have to pull you back into the water with a splash.

Loosen Up: Many believe that the perfect cannonball is created when you fold yourself into a tight, round ball. This is actually not the case. The more area you take up when you hit the water, the bigger the splash. To accomplish this, wrap your arms around your legs, but keep your elbows out to the side, don’t pin them tightly to your body. Remember to keep your form loose and focus on taking up as much space when you land as possible.

The Landing: You loose a lot of splash potential when the bottom of your feet are the first thing to hit the water. If you angle backwards a little bit, your bottom should be the first thing to touch the water. To avoid a knee vs. head accident, keep your knees slightly apart so the force of the impact doesn’t cause your knees to come up and hit you in the nose. Remember to keep your head up so you can see the faces of everyone who is in awe of your perfect cannonball style. Don’t be surprised if there is a line of campers waiting for you when you emerge from the water who want to learn a thing or two from the cannonball master.

Unique Opportunities at Camp Weequahic

December 4th, 2014

When your child heads back to school after a summer at Camp Weequahic, they will hear a lot of their classmates talking about what they did over the summer:

“I went swimming in my pool. Every day.”

“I played baseball with my friends.”

“I visited my Grandma in Oklahoma.”

But when your child stands up to share his or her experience, it might sound something like:

“I don’t even know where to start! I tried archery and gymnastics, I learned to bake INCREDIBLE French pastries, I crafted my mom a necklace in arts and crafts. I swam a lot, but I also went water skiing and sailing! I went camping and learned important outdoor skills. I was in a musical. I even went down a zipline!”

The great thing about Camp Weequahic is that it’s not a place to send your kids where they’ll do the same ol’ thing they’ve always done. Once they step foot onto camp, they’ll be surrounded by new activities. A camper may discover their love for archery or sailing, but would have never had the opportunity to try it back home.

At camp, your child has a hands-on opportunity to learn outdoor skills such as navigating a hiking trail, learning to make a fire, cruising through an outdoor fitness trail and getting pro-level instruction in tennis, lacrosse or basketball. These are things they would rarely have the chance to learn outside of a summer spent at camp. These skills prepare campers with a sense of confidence and self–sufficiency that can be carried over into many other aspects of their lives.

The lessons campers learn while trying out new activities at camp are invaluable. Learning to work together as a team, whether in flag football or during a mountaineering adventure, is an essential character trait built upon at summer camp. Campers learn to trust themselves and step out of their comfort zone, while also learning to trust their peers and building lifelong friendships in the process.

Campers can explore their creative side, and try new artistic outlets not found in their typical English class or art elective. Jewelry making, cartooning, ceramics, music production, jazz dance and cooking are just a few activities geared toward right-brained campers. When was the last time your child had the opportunity to really get their hands dirty and create a piece of ceramic art? Or learn first-hand what beautiful art can be created out of a piece of scrap metal? At summer camp, giving each camper a once in a lifetime experience is our goal, and we strive to make sure there are unique opportunities for everyone to take part in.

Your child could go back to school with thrilling adventures of playing Bingo with grandma in Oklahoma or delight the class with play-by-plays of their neighborhood baseball games. Or they could teach their class a thing or two about archery, French pastries, sailing, outdoor skills, jazz dance, flag football, ceramics and what is involved in training for a triathlon, just to summarize their first couple weeks at camp.

Give your child the gift of brand new experiences by sending them to a camp where they can do it all. It’ll be a life changing experience for the both of you.

In Search of the Perfect Gift

November 7th, 2014

The leaves are falling, the days are shorter, and there is definitely a nip in the air. That can only mean one thing – the time has come to think about a wonderful holiday gift for the kids or the grandkids. This can also be the time for an “ah ha” moment. The perfect holiday gift just might be a magical sleepaway camp experience for your loved one.

If you are like most people, you want your gift to stand out from all the others. You want it to be unique. And you want it to be memorable. These days, many youngsters have an excessive number of toys, and they probably own all the latest electronics, too. In your heart, you know that in the long run people relate best to the experiences they’ve had and the friends that they’ve made, and not so much the material things they have acquired.

Sending a youngster to camp can offer a supremely enriching experience. Under the guidance of a caring staff, youngsters participate in team activities like roller hockey and gaga, and they can improve their ability in individual sports like tennis, golf and gymnastics. Campers dance to a hip hop beat, try their hand at magic and experience the thrill of rocketry. For the adventurous – and for those who never knew they had it in them – there are zip lines, mountain biking and camping in the wilderness. Children can become American Red Cross swimmers and learn kayaking, water skiing and tubing in a spring-fed lake.

At Camp Weequahic, campers benefit from a strong 60-year tradition of providing a caring environment for a three or six-week camping experience. Campers are encouraged to try new activities, sharpen their skills and build friendships that can last a lifetime. Summer camp allows a child to reap the joys of spending time in a naturally beautiful environment and builds self-esteem for a job well done. Camp also provides the opportunity to learn essential lifeskills like cooperation, teamwork and problem-solving that will serve them well at home, in school and eventually in the workplace.

Can any other gift really compare?

If you would like to learn more about giving the gift of Camp this holiday season, email our office at [email protected]

Let's Talk Camp!