7/31/26

Creative engineers took the spotlight in Week 6 as campers built, designed, and created with confidence!

🖌️ For Arts & Crafts this week, campers created a moving caterpillar on a leaf (using paper, a straw, and a paper towel wrapped around and scrunched on a rod); rocketships (using tissue paper, cardboard, elastic, and tape); and Marble Mazes (using cardboard for the base, wax sticks for the track walls, and of course marbles)

🧬 For STEM, campers tested tested chain reactions using dominos, worked in teams to build bridges using different materials, and did cup races (used a straw to blow a plastic cup along a taut string, racing to see how quickly it could travel)

👟 For Physical Activity,  they did a Problem-Solving Relay (worked as a team to overcome and obstacle course), dance with Miss Tina, and 4 Corners Dodgeball (separated into four teams positioned at the corners of a square and threw the ball to try to get players from other teams out)

🧘‍♀️ For Mind & Body, they participated in an Inventors Challenge (used gears, rubber bands, and magnets to make original creations), and Confidence Popsicle Sticks (picked a popsicle stick from a cup with fill-in-the-blank affirmations, like “I’m confident because…”)

🌟 Campers wore outfits fashioned after who they look up to!

🚴‍♀️ Bold Adventures visited Meriden Markham Airport to learn about aviation in our very own community and explore small building projects related to aircraft repairs and construction. They also visited the New England Air Museum to learn about aviation history, see some really cool aircraft on display, and use a piloting simulator. Unfortunately, the trip to the West Hartford Reservoir was canceled due to weather but will be enjoyed next week!

💵 For this week’s Ellafi Specialty, campers played a financially-thoughtful game of “would you rather?” answering questions like “would you rather buy a brand new bathing suit for the summer, or use the one you had last year?” They also played a game of identifying money myths vs facts.

✈️ A specialty brought to us by Meriden Markham Airport was all about aviation! Campers folded, decorated, and flew paper airplanes to test how far they could go and how well they could fly. They also colored pictures of different kinds of aircraft/famous pilots, and learned the phonetic alphabet (and got to guess what their initials corresponded to in the phonetic alphabet).

NEXT WEEK – WEEK 7 “MOVEMENT AND MOTION” 🏃🏽‍♀️🥏🤸🏽‍♀️

ADVENTURER CHALLENGE

Activities: Obstacle courses, Problem-solving missions, Create pedometers/step-tracking challenges, Color war games

Learning Focus: Confidence, Resilience, Sports, Team-building, Physical Development

Wednesday Dress-Up: Wear All White to get MESSY 🏳️🫟

FIELD TRIPS (UNIT 7/8 and UNIT 9+)

Bold Adventures (U7/8) Field Trips:

• Monday – NO TRIP
• Tuesday – Tree Trails Adventures (Mystic, CT)
• Wednesday – Roller Magic (Waterbury, CT)
• Thursday – Hike at West Hartford Reservoir (West Hartford, CT)
• Friday – NO TRIP

Leaders in Training (U9+) Field Trip:

• Friday – Roller Magic (Waterbury, CT)

Please make sure Field Trip campers pack appropriate items for the trips, including cold lunch, water bottle, a light jacket or sweatshirt, bathing suit (when applicable), towel, sunscreen, and closed-in shoes for all trips (flip flops can be carried in a bag).

SWIM SCHEDULE 🏊

REMINDERS:

• LOST AND FOUND
  • Please LABEL all of your child’s belongings, so we may reduce the number of items that end up in the Lost & Found. Please check the Lost & Found throughout the week for any items your child may be missing. Unclaimed items will be donated or disposed of at the end of each camp week.
• LATE PICK-UP FEE
  • In order to account for staffing and maintain smooth operations, families will incur a late pick-up fee of $25 if your camper is picked up more than 10 minutes after their scheduled pick-up time. We understand that delays can happen, and we appreciate your effort in picking up your child on time. If you anticipate being late, please notify us as soon as possible.
• SWIM LESSONS
  • Please be advised, that during free swim time, beginner swimmers do have the opportunity to use life vests. However, during swim lessons, our swim instructor does not allow use of them for the following reasons:
    • They prevent proper learning of swim skills and managing body position.
    • They create a false sense of security. It’s important during lesson time that they create trust with the instructor in the water.
    • They interfere with learning water confidence!
  • All swim lessons are taught with an Water Safety Instructor (WSI) in the water with the camper at all times, and a lifeguard supervising from outside the pool.
  • If your camper expresses that they are not comfortable getting into the water, our WSI always allows them to opt out when it is time for their lesson.
• FOOTWEAR
  • To ensure the safety of every camper, please make sure your child comes to camp with closed-in footwear (Ex: sneakers, Crocs in “sport mode”, fisherman sandals or all-terrain sandals). Flip-flops and other open-toed or open-back sandals may be worn for pool-time only; closed-in footwear must be worn for all other activities. 
• UNIT 7/8 and 9+ LUNCH
  • Unfortunately, lunch is NOT provided by Meriden Schools for Unit 7/8 or 9+ field trips for the duration of Summer Camp. Please send your camper with a cold lunch on their field trip days. Free lunch is available for their days on-site at our Center.
    • Unit 7/8 – Lunch provided on Friday ONLY (Field Trips on Mon-Thu)
    • Unit 9+ – Lunch provided on Monday-Thursday (Field Trip on Friday)