Spread Happiness: Make Sunshine Project

Spreading sunshine would be a wonderful craft for a rainy day! Start by cutting circles and orange flames, then gluing them together. Next, write "You brighten my day!" or any message, really. Next, spread happiness to others across camp. I think it would be fun to "sun attack" a cabin.

"I Am..." Posters for Older Campers

I hope that these "I Am" posters will reinforce campers' feelings of self worth and confidence. I have a lot of thick, cardboard mattes that can be used for this project. 

Process:
1. Paint the mattes (optional).
2. Decorate the wet paint with glitter (optional).
3. Decorate with scrapbook paper.
4. Draw picture of face (optional).
5. Choose description words from a pile of pre-printed slips
6. Glue on poster and add stickers//beads/more glitter and any finishing touches.

Personality Bracelets

1. Cut strips of thick cardboard.

2. Tape the entire surface of the band.

3. Use a gluestick to glue a strip of a book page to the inside. (optional.)

4. Lightly paint over both sides with watercolor paint.

5. Tape the ends together so it is a bracelet.

6. Glue a blank piece of paper over part of the front side or a typed word that describes you (brave, fearless, dreamer, kind, etc.)

7. Wear it with pride!

I want to do this with older cabins on the last day of camp. I want to write every camper's name on a blank sheet of paper and pass them around the table. Every camper can write one positive word about their cabin members on the papers and then make the bracelets based on what they said. By the end of camp, hopefully everyone has grown close and had plenty of bonding time. Doing activities like this can be incredibly transforming in a pre-teen's life: I remember during my first candlelight when I was 11, Cricket said that I was the "fun and mature one." Having her say that and label me in a way has really impacted my life. Those three little words. Since then, I have connected with people way beyond my years and really grown as an individual. I hope this activity can do the same for campers this summer!

Camp Counselor Job Description

Summer Staff

I would love to make this poster with watercolor paints for the staff room.

And write Dudley Staff 2014, of course <3

It's a great reminder of why we're here.

Camp and Comfort Zones.

This quote speaks the truth!! At camp, kids step miles out of their comfort zones as they try new things and make amazing friends. In such a supporting environment, campers are able to refine themselves for the better and reach their fullest potential. Camp offers lots of new, exciting activities that may appear scary or crazy at first, but end up opening new worlds and possibilities in the form of the words, "I can." Daring the rock wall or the talent show can lead to inner confidence that will be evident throughout the rest of their lives.

Camp is like a vitamin, but it tastes better

Genius.

X-TREME Week- May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

I'm going to order several copies of this (or make my own), and give them to every cabin for XTreme week and sign it, "Love, Katnip." Did I ever tell you about the year my cabin won XTREME week? We dominated.

Life-Sized Board Games With Chalk

While Monopoly might be too much, I think it would be fun to play Life-sized board games on the basketball court. Maybe everyone could help make a board game for arts and crafts, and then people could play as a session of all camp?

Counselor Characteristic-Driven

A driven individual is committed to excellence and high-quality performance through organization, resourcefulness, and natural optimism. A driven person takes initiative and has a solid work ethic. If something is expected of them, it will get done, and it will be done well. A driven person sees the bigger picture in a cause, and strives to unite the team around that vision. Also, a driven person has the ability to thrive in a fluctuating environment and transform unexpected obstacles into stepping stones for achievements and growth due to a broad range of social circles, interests, and experiences.

Counselor Characteristic-Role Model

Role models are positive influences on the people around them by exercising maturity, good judgment, and optimistic attitudes about life. A role model is a mentor who sincerely cares about others and shows it through actions and words. Positive role models are needed in a summer camp environment to provide campers with influential nurturers who will guide them towards strengthening their character, building confidence, and discovering their individual strengths. From what I’ve seen, the best counselors have that unique combination of a kid’s enthusiasm and an adult’s sense of responsibility, making them easily relatable to campers but also reliable as a staff member.

Counselor Characteristic-Team Player and Leader

A real leader is an influential individual of strong character with vision and direction, who leads by example to express love for others and unite the team. An effective leader takes initiative, solves unexpected obstacles and conflicts with poise, invests in others, and finds great satisfaction in helping others. In a summer camp environment, dedicated leaders with firm teamwork ethics are of utmost importance. Success depends on the team’s dynamics. No single person can do everything on their own, but with a united front, a team can reach great heights. Open communication and a willingness to improvise and be creative are important aspects of achievement. Always having the best interest of the team, a caring leader is dedicated to a cause and puts others’ needs ahead of her own.

Arts & Crafts Shack Project!

Here's what I did over the weekend! Major deep cleaning, organizing, and painting to prep for camp! Can you believe we only have 40 days til' camp?!?

BEFORE

 BEFORE AND AFTER

 AFTER

 

Flying airplanes at camp is not a thing.

Just don't do it.

That's all :)

2014: Summer of Change

(I meant to post this a while back but never did, so here it is.)

 

The Rusch's have been a positive influence in my life for the last two years; they and the rest of the camp family helped me gain self-confidence, develop strong leadership skills, and feel like I truly belong. Their love, appreciation & acknowledgment of my budding strengths and individuality have been invaluable. They have given so much love, time, and devotion to making Camp Dudley a magical place that we all consider our second home. This summer will be a year of change, but who said change is bad?

Change is new, and camp is about trying new things, pushing our comfort zones, and growing because of it.

The camp staff has always had a gift for adapting, and this year we will come together as team and a camp family. I am so excited to be a part of a new, exciting chapter of Dudley history <3

Cabin Unity/Counselor Gift/Craft Idea

For this craft, buy a puzzle with relatively large pieces and paint it all white. Each camper will get to paint a piece to make a village (or camp wide) puzzle. It would make a great counselor gift, caring for campers award, or a great object lesson for chapel. (Talk about how every piece is an important part of the puzzle, just like every camper is important in the cabin.)

Craft Shack Clean-Up Idea!

I think this would be a fun, effective way to get campers involved with craft shack clean-up. Each ball will have a small, simple task like clean paint brushes, wipe a table, empty garbage, pick 20 beads up off the floor, etc.) and every camper can pick one ball from a bag.

XTreme Week- Paint Balloon Mural Competition

   

Admit it, you've wanted to do this since you watched Princess Diaries. Here's how it'll go down:

 

XTreme week 2014.

Village competition.

Cabin-colored paint balloons.

XTreme points.

 

Every camper will be given three chances to pop the paint balloons that are on a poster board with darts. They will try to hit their cabin color, but if they accidently shoot the wrong one, too bad!

After everyone has a chance to go, whichever XTreme color appears more on the piece of art will win XTreme points.

 

*Use a funnel to put one TBS of paint in each water balloon, then blow it up with lots of air (the more pressure, the more splattering fun!). Hang them to the poster board by string or with thumbtacks and lay a plastic tablecloth down to catch the extra paint.*

 

(Here's another way to fill the balloons with paint.)

 

Arts & Crafts- BIG & NEW -Craft Ball

I'm sure you've all played this game: everyone sits in a circle and races to rip prizes from the nearly-impossible-to-open packaging tape/saran wrap ball. (The way I've played it, you viciously try to rip it open while the person to your left rolls two dice and continues until rolling doubles, at which point you must pass the ball to the right and begin rolling the dice.)

What makes my idea different? Instead of putting candy and prizes in it, I will put a wide array of arts and crafts supplies in it (glue, bottle of glitter, paint brushes, crayons, friendship bracelet string, etc.) and when we're done, campers will only be able to use the arts & crafts supplies they opened (and their wild imaginations) to make crafts. (However, keep in mind that sharing is caring, and caring is cool, and caring is what Camp Dudley's about.) I also think it might be fun to change locations for this activity so the craft shack isn't immediately available. Maybe go down to the Leap of Faith by the lake? Oh the possibilities!