Special Day Olympics and Positive Moments!
Dear Parents & Friends,
What a day at camp. It was of course “special day” here where we don’t run normal programming and all the activity leaders have the day off. We just finished our Vespers campfire and the theme was Gratitude for God’s Gifts. That’s a broad topic and as you might expect there were a variety of thoughts, songs, and words passed along by campers and staff alike. Of course we rose about 30 minutes later this morning which is nice and everyone got a bit more rest. Pancakes and fresh fruit with bacon was on the menu and there is no substitute for pancakes, except maybe French Toast.
The theme of “special day” was GV Olympics. There were 10 Stations including Archery, Crab Soccer, Track & Field, Water Polo/Water Volleyball, Basketball/9 Square, Beach Ball Lane Swim, Water Mat Diving, Rafting and Small Sailing. It was a good day to get wet and there lots of opportunities to do so. Everyone wore their bathing suits and stayed hydrated in the morning and afternoon. We had some thunderstorms during lunch and rest hour today and our internet has been on and off. We hope to get pics loaded from today and are working on that now.
Mountainside and Riverside left today and will be out through Wed. evening. We look forward to hearing stories from their trips. Camp is just one of the great things about summer. Camp is filled with laughter and positive moments. There is growing research that suggests that we should do everything we can to expand the attention and energy that we give to positive moments. When children experience positive emotions, their brain begins to function differently. They become more open, more flexible in their thinking and their attention is broadened. The opposite occurs with negative states, such as anxiety, frustration and sadness. Thinking is narrow, possibilities are not seen and emotional/cognitive skills are more rigid. Positive emotions seemingly “undo” negative emotions or memories. For example, the aftermath of a painful event is dramatically improved by having a happy, pleasant experience. Positive emotions allow children (and adults) to be more resilient. With an abundance of positive moments, research shows that children can better cope with change, adversity and struggles. Kids recover from stress faster, and remain more open to healthy, creative and rewarding experiences. In every way, building optimism is good for your kids now, and even better for them as life goes on.
Camp creates so many positive moments throughout the day. Cabin life, activities, meals, unstructured freeplay, time with each other, vespers, adventures out of camp, animals, and the list goes on. Everywhere a camper turns in our camp world, they access positivity and optimism. And all that creates joy. Simple joys as we call it here at camp. Together, we are partnering with you to sprout and feed the seeds of growth and betterment of your children. Maggie, our assistant director, says, “camp brings out the best versions of ourselves”, and I believe that. Camp does us all a world of good. Stay tuned for our last week of C, C-2.