Today is national BE A KID AGAIN DAY. If you could go back and pick a day to be a kid again, which day would you choose? I would definitely choose a day at camp - a day with my best friends, playing outside in the sunshine and then I’d throw in a super fun carnival night with games, prizes and junk food! That is the exact day we had today on Old Forge Mountain, and it was amazing!
Saturdays are so fun at camp because they are full of our favorite things! After sleeping in late this morning, campers cheered upon entry in the dining hall to see boxes of Dunkin Donuts waiting on the tables, the first of many joyful moments in our day. YUM! We love “Sleep-in Saturday”, especially when it comes with donuts and no cabin inspection!! This is the best way to start the day, according to the campers! After breakfast, we headed out for a day full of activities for our camper choice day!
Today our campers got to choose their favorite activities for campers choice and embrace the freedom to laugh, learn and play…the freedom to just be a kid. As I watched them play at activities today, I was in awe of the way that they make jumping off the diving board an artform. I was fascinated that these campers can simply bond over their mutual love of music at Taylor Swift Appreciation class. My heart was exploding over the campers who signed up for Jedi training class, embracing their imagination. I love that campers got dirty, soaking wet or sweaty and couldn’t care less about what they looked like or about documenting it for instagram. They just got to be…to be a kid.
It feels like the world is pressuring our kids to grow up faster than they should, to be more and do more at a younger age. Sometimes children are criticized for being immature, impulsive, insensitive or thoughtless, even told to “grow up”…at Camp Highlander, we call this just being a kid. I love that camp is a place where kids are allowed to just be, and here they are loved and celebrated for it.
Today I am thankful that your children remind me that it’s ok to be silly and just be a kid again. They remind me that it’s fun to dress up, to play and pretend or to get a little dirty. They are keeping me young, and still they challenge me to grow up and learn. I am so grateful that here at Camp Highlander, we are reminded every day to stay forever young!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Weather: We woke up to warm sunshine today. The sun was out all morning and the clouds fell over rest hour, which cooled the cabins and made an afternoon nap absolutely perfect! Just as our evening program was starting, there was a drizzle that started at camp. We were all dry and having a blast inside, so it didn’t matter. By the time EP ended, the drizzle stopped.
- Meals: For breakfast this morning we had Dunkin Donuts, scrambled eggs, sausage and a fresh fruit and yogurt bar. For lunch we had copycat chick-fil-a sandwiches with waffle fries and a salad bar. For dinner we had our Greek chicken, roasted vegetables, red pepper hummus and pita bread with salad bar!
- EP: Tonight’s evening program was the biggest EP of the session, Monte Carlo, our Session B carnival extraordinaire. The gym was transformed into a carnival for our campers to play games, win prizes, enjoy yummy food and spend time with friends. It was SO MUCH FUN!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
