Posts Tagged ‘Kites’

Meadow Day!

Friday, July 30th, 2010

The Eldorado Canyon program had an awesome, intense meadow day today–we drove all the way up to the Meadow, and then hopped out to start our day! We began with sunscreening, and then played with MDC’s giant parachute–it was tons of fun! We tossed our hats really high into the air. :) Then, we sang a fun morning song with Counselor Kaela, involving gum trees and waffle irons, before splitting into our cabin groups for the day. The Campfire Camping Animals and Purple Water Diamond Thundercats immediately set out on an epic trek–they hiked all the way down to the river on the Walker Ranch Trail! They spent the whole day away from camp, it was amazing! They made bookmarks and played 5 minute mysteries by the river, and had fun creating a new dam by throwing rocks into the river!

The Electric Pinecone Throwing Bunnies trekked across the meadow to do some animal tracking–although they found no animal tracks, they found lots of animal scat and a deer bed as well! In the afternoon, they did lanyards during some free play and also made kites and dissected owl pellets. They had tons of fun “chillaxing,” in one camper’s words, and generally having lots of fun with Counselor Kaela. We finished up our day with some delicious smorgasgorp mixed by Director Betsy, and some afternoon songs, including a special version of “Fred the Moose,” involving a Vermont Moose, sung by two of our returning campers! The Purple Water Diamond Thundercats did an amazing job helping pack up all the gear, and the campers did a great job finishing up their Friday!

The Meadow was an awesome day–expect your campers to be tired, we had lots of campers fall asleep on the bus on the way home! :) We drank tons of water, and the campers will probably want to drink even more when they get home!

Monday, we’re back in the Canyon, and we’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Gold Rush in Eldorado Canyon!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

We had an awesome day in Eldorado Canyon–we began our day with some great morning songs, including “Three Short-Necked Buzzards” and “The Princess Pat.” Then, after everyone was sunscreened and getting full water bottles, we started up our all-camp game of Gold Rush! Each group headed out into the canyon to find gold nuggets that had been left behind by the gold diggers who used to explore Colorado. Then, they had to bring the gold nuggets back to the collection bin–but along the way, they had to look out for the Guards, who steal gold because they are too lazy to search for it themselves. The game was described by campers as “fun, but hard.” Ask your camper how they ended up winning!

We played Gold Rush until lunch, and then the campers ate lunch while they discussed the game. After lunch, the Dolphin Horses made crazy sunglasses, while the Black Wolves made their kites in preparation for meadow day tomorrow. The Grubby Greens made some fabulous pet rocks, and then all three groups enjoyed some free play before snack. For snack, we had some delicious gorp, and after snack we had fun trying to solve some one-minute mysteries. We ended the day with some quieter afternoon songs, including “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” and “On Top of Spaghetti.” Then, we all jumped on the bus and headed home!

Tomorrow, we’re headed up to the Meadow to fly kites and go exploring! Please wear long pants if you have them–the grass is really tall up there! See you tomorrow!

A Day at Crescent Meadow!

Friday, June 4th, 2010

It was a beautiful day in the Meadow! The sun was out and there were a few clouds in the sky that provided us with some much-needed shade throughout the day. Each cabin group had their own canopy tent which acted as their cabin area and were able to hangout in the shade and talk to each other.

The Eldorado Canyon campers started off the day with a few songs, including “Baby Bumblebee” and “Chicago Fire.” Then we played with the large parachute, which is always a camp favorite. We threw in some “tossables” to see how far they could fly in the air, it was awesome! Then each cabin group set up their canopies and loaded up with sunscreen to start their day.

The Junior Leader groups did leadership activities and some team building before lunch. After lunch they made their personal kites from paper and barbecue skewers and flew them! They also went orienteering and debriefed in the “lycra tube” which allows all of the members of the group to be confined in a stretchy piece of lycra fabric. The junior leaders really enjoyed it!

The Flaming Mountain Kids made lanyards and a large group puzzle. They also went orienteering and used their binoculars to look for birds! After lunch they read a story and also made kites and flew them!

The Flying Fire-Breathing Pigs started their day making kites and flying them. They also really enjoyed minute mysteries and riddles, many of them said they were going to try and stump their parents! The group also went on a small trek to look for bugs and saw a snake in the grass! While on their trek, they found pet rocks to decorate and take home.

The Fat Funky Green Party Lizards started their day off with a bug hunt in the large grassy meadow. They also took part in  an extended safari that included some orienteering. The group also went hunting for some animal tracks in the afternoon.

We ended the day with some more mellow songs like “The Canoe Song,” “I Love the Mountains,” “Black Socks,” and our traditional afternoon song “On Top of Spaghetti.” All of the campers, counselors, the bus driver, Ed, and the directors enjoyed the meadow and be sure to ask your camper what the “groover” is!

Meadow Madness!!

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Breaking away from the routine of Eldorado Canyon, today we ventured higher into the mountains to enjoy a day in the sun at Crescent Meadows.  With a little longer drive ahead of us, some classic camp songs got us in the mood until we touched down at our destination.  After setting up our cabin group tents and adjusting to our new surroundings, the day kicked off with a bang.

After continuing our morning songs, we experimented with the bounce of a parachute as we flung our stuffed mascots into the air and hid ourselves beneath the large multi-colored circle.  Getting into our cabin groups, we then began our day in all sorts of ways. 

A hike ending with an epic view looking out over the whole canyon and across to the Gross Dam let us enjoy the pristine quality that came with our new location.  Moving over rocks and logs, we found further evidence of our wilderness prophet Shokdee who shared even more valuable lessons with us about spending time in nature.  Crazy sunglasses were an immediate hit as kids covered the lenses with googly thingys and pipe-cleaners galore!  

Making and flying our very own kites today was a perfect way to enjoy the flowing breeze of the meadow.  Snipping, folding and taping left and right, the kites began to take shape and gradually gain lift off.  With kids running every which way and kites high in the sky, smiles spread across the faces of anyone who took part or watched.

With a great end to our first week, it is now time to rest and recharge before embarking on the adventure of week 2!

Thursday in Eldo Canyon!

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Heading back up into the canyon after pool partying all yesterday was a much enjoyed return! After unloading our plethora of gear for the day, it was time for an high-energy game of “Ship/Island” and energetic it was! Never have more monkeys and mermaids appeared in Eldo Canyon!  Putting this energy to good use, the vocal chords did their part as we belted the tunes of our good friends “Princess Pat,” “The Fishing Song” and “Little Red Wagon”.  

Transitioning from a motley crew aboard the raging sea into our cabin groups brought about the creation of high-flying kites, of ever-domesticated pet rocks and of course many other fun and wacky adventures. During the morning hours we saw the fishing lines cast and GORP recipes come to life!  With Meadow Day only a day away, our energy and style reflected the need to do it all with no reserves wasted on the future; it was a time to break free.

Throughout the day, each cabin group found themselves constructing what would become their high-flying machine in the meadow tomorrow.  Kites were being born as if we believed they could carry us away.  With the highly regarded duty of decorations the kites began to take on a life of their own.  If you happen to be in the neighborhood tomorrow, shift your gaze to the skies with the hopes of witnessing the spectrum of color bound to paint the clouds.  

As we all prepare now for a day in the meadow, I would like to make a friendly reminder for high shoes and long pants…too much dry grass!  All we have to do now is to drink all the water we can before we begin and then ship out!

Day 5 of CCSP Session 2

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Today was a very nice, hot day. We started out with our usual song time and then we played Group Jump Rope, in which the campers had to figure out the correct combination of people to go through. It was an awesome team building activity and everyone had a great time! To debrief, we did ‘My plate is Full’ which allows everyone to say nice things about each other. After that we drank lots of water, and started making kites to fly! Everyone made their own and decorated it. All the kites worked pretty well, but everyone had to run a lot because there was little wind.

With all that running, we went to a nice shady spot under a tree for lunch, and enjoyed the beautiful day. After that, we re-applied out sunscreen and bug spray, jumped into the van, and looked for a nice stream to pan gold in. The first one wasn’t very good, but it was a fun hike, and the second one was much better. We got to cool off next to the stream, and found some fun bugs too!

When we returned to our normal spot, we had play. The jump rope returned, and everyone had fun taking turns. We played some Body English (all the campers had very difficult words) and we planned for Monday and Tuesday.

All and all, it was a great Friday, and we can’t wait for Monday!

Day 5 of Cherry Creek!

Friday, June 5th, 2009

We started our day singing some great songs, like little red wagon, and playing a new tag game called asteroid tag (which everyone really enjoyed!). After we all warmed up with the activity Body English (spelling words with our whole bodies), we made some awesome kites to fly. Even though the kites were only made of paper, tape, and string, each one flew amazingly well! the wind was just right, and we all got to run around a lot before lunch time.

We ate lunch in a new spot today, and were able to be close to the water and nature. We saw our favorite baby Canada Goose, and a pelican! We also had a squirrel come a little too close to our table! Right after lunch, all the campers got to see Camp Director, Tommy, and play some Sleeping Bunny with him.

During the afternoon, we built animal houses. One camper made a great house for worms to go to when it rained, and some of the others built a house (fit with a dam and drains) for crawdads! Such creative designs! Afterward, we returned our surroundings to their original states, so as to practice Leave No Trace ethics.

Then we calmed do with some play time, and moved onto starting our pages for The Book. Everyone got their own big piece of paper and wrote down/colored/ drew the best things that have happened so far a camp! Every one’s pages look amazing, and we can’t wait to see what they look like done.

All and all, it has been an amazing start to the new Cherry Creek Program, and we can’t wait for all the fun next week!

Eldorado Pool Day!

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

We had an awesome pool day at Eldorado today–it started out a bit cold, but quickly warmed up for some fun swimming and splashing! We started out the day at Mesa Trailhead, where we sang the swimming song to get us ready for the pool and warmed up our muscles with a rousing game of Ship-Island. We then had some fun learning about each other’s preferences with the game “Commonalities” before heading to the pool at 10.

Once at the pool, we set up camp, had a quick snack, and then got changed into our bathing suits for a day of fun. After a super-efficient swim screen, about half our campers stayed in the pool to play and half headed up onto the deck to catch some sun. We played in the water and the rays until lunchtime, when we all hopped out, toweled off, and chowed down. After lunch, the Tigers worked on their lanyards, while the Lizards and Blue Striped Trees made their kites for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Junior Leaders worked on perfecting their friendship bracelets.

After taking a break and drinking lots of water–as well as re-applying sunscreen–we headed back into the water for a fun-filled afternoon. By this time, it was pretty warm, so we had lots of fun going off the diving board and, of course, sliding down El Dorado pool’s famous water-slide. Later in the afternoon, the Tigers made their kites, and the Junior Leaders got their kites all decorated for the Meadow tomorrow.

After a fun afternoon of splashing around and free play at the pool, we hopped out and had some delicious watermelon for snack–everyone got two pieces! Then, we packed up, got changed, and headed to our home picnic tables to sing some songs to round out the day. We sang the always-lovely Canoe Song, and did “I Love the Mountains” in a three-part round! It was pretty impressive. Then, we packed up the bus and headed home, tired, but full of a good day of fun.

See everyone tomorrow at Meadow Day! Remember, please wear long pants and bring a hat–it’s gonna be fun!

Wild Weather Winds Down

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Our final day of Session D, Wild Weather week, was super exciting. We began the day by decorating individual puzzle pieces, which we then put together to make a big, awesome puzzle. Each camper got to take his or her puzzle piece home, so look for it in their backpacks! We then sang all of our favorite songs from the week–Bubblegum was a big hit, as was the Water Cycle Boogie and There Was a Bear.

After opening songs, we separated into our cabin groups to make kites. Each camper got to decorate their kite with markers and stickers, and then got to pick out which two colors they wanted for their kite’s tail. Folding the kites was a bit of a challenge, but the campers really enjoyed themselves and the kites ended up looking great.

We then packed everything up and headed out to Boulder Creek for some lunch. After eating, we trekked to Boulder High School, where we played some water drinking games, some tag, and re-applied sunscreen. It was hot hot hot today! Then, we flew our kites all around Boulder High’s grass field, and they really flew!

After kite-flying, we headed back to home base and had some rest and rehydration time, followed by free play. During play, we had a visit from the Mad Scientist (Counselor Gretchen); she showed us a tornado in a bottle! We closed the day by singing the Weather Song and talking about the week’s weather with Counselor Gretchen, and then sang the Circle of Friends song. Of course, we closed with our MDC classic, On Top of Spaghetti. Wild Weather week was fun for all the counselors, and we hope the campers had fun too!

The Meadow!

Monday, June 9th, 2008

A breezy, sunny day at the meadow started week two of Session 1! Campers and Counselors sang camp songs in the bus on the way to the meadow, starting a day filled with exploring, kite flying, and crafts!

SPSMMCT started the day with face painting, followed by an orienteering challenge, kite flying, and a rousing round of Frisbee golf! The Flying Flaming Cheesy Sunglasses mixed the G.O.R.P. for the day, flew kites, practiced some orienteering, and had a great all-cabin play game. The Buggies Under Cover made puzzles, played a few rounds of camouflage, and also flew kites! The U.S. Dinos practiced their lanyard skills, flew kites, and went on an exploratory hike around the MDC meadow area. The Pirate Booty Champs had a relaxing day of kite flying, play time, a little bit of napping, and even found some caterpillar nests in a bush nearby!

Tomorrow is Climbing Day in the Canyon!