Camp Hickory

This week we are having our camp at church.  It's a sports and arts camp mixed with devotionals and songs.  I've really enjoyed helping out this week with the camp!  They opened it to preschoolers this year so Emily and Abigail are getting to attend.  Technically Abigail is too young but since I was volunteering they put her with the 2 year olds.  I was afraid she might feel overwhelmed but her teachers and other staff have been telling me how well she has been doing.  They took the 2 year olds outside yesterday for soccer and they said she paid attention to the coach and when he asked them to put their foot on the ball she did : )  They also had their own worship time once the big kids went to their activities and when the song director was going over the motions to the songs they said Abigail did her best to follow along and did her version of all the motions.  I would have loved to see that!

We started out this weekend getting all the registration packets together.  Here was our kitchen and living room most of Saturday while Joe and I got the packets together:

 Abigail wanted to play in the pile of shirts so I gave her one to wear and she was happy:

Emily and Abigail entertained themselves with the piano and played while we sorted:

Here are some pictures I took today of camp.  I think it's neat how they have the kids separated.  They have them in groups by color so all activities in the worship area and lunch time and bathroom breaks, they are with their color group and team leaders:

But on their name tags they have an Activity 1 and an Activity 2 that they have chosen for the week.  The choices are basketball, soccer, cheerleading, arts and crafts, painting, or mixed media.  So if they pick basketball for activity 1 and painting for activity 2 then those are the two activities they do all week.  So when it's time to break for an activity, those of us helping in the particular areas get all the kids for our activity.  I'm working in arts and crafts:

After activity 1 session we break for snack and have a small devotional time with our kids.  We have 3 group leaders in arts and crafts so we each got 9 kids and sat down to eat snack and talk with each other and share on the topic of the day and pray together:

Then it's back to the worship center for some more singing and then we get the group of kids that chose Arts and Crafts for their 2nd activity.  The devo time and time in the worship center gives the activity leaders time to clean up and get ready for session 2:

I've been really impressed with one of our teens, Matt, who is in charge of all the activities in the worship center.  He has done SUCH a great job with the kids!  He shaved his head for this week : )

 

After session 2 we take them back to the worship center and they have a Bible lesson time and then head to lunch.  We spend this time cleaning up our two arts and crafts rooms and then head to lunch.  All volunteers have lunch prepared for them!!!!  This has been an extra special treat.  After lunch everyone heads back to the worship center for some group activities and free time and announcements and then all groups head to the hallways for carpool time.

I am really having a great time!!!!  And Emily and Abigail are enjoying the preschool version of it.  Their version of camp is more like a day at preschool with art time and outside time.  Emily told me that yesterday she played soccer and today she played basketball with the other 4 year olds.  Emily will be old enough next year to participate with the "big kids".