Cabin time

[Melk]

So at my camp we have an hour every day where the cabin does an activity together sometimes its mud mask's, other times it's having mud fights with our brother cabin but during our two week sessions I run out of ideas for cabin time or I'v done the same activity a few times already. So what do you guys do at your camp for cabin time like activites?

[code3cadet]

that time is the best time to wright letters home, get some sleep and play games like sock ball. and other games like that.

[camper]

we have a separate time for letter writing so we wouldn't do that. we don't have a set "bunk time" we just do stuff w/the bunk whenever the bunk is all together. we do have bungalow sing though...which is when each pair of 2 connecting bunks performs a song together. it's an evening activity. the girls make up the songs themselves, rehearse them for a couple of days, pick fun outfits to wear and choreograph dances, and then they perform them for the camp. it's one of the best nights of camp.

[collissimon]

We usually make time for some bunk rewards, which sound pretty similar.

If you can get hold of some Glow Sticks, use blankets to cover the windows, and get some cheesey music playing, and you've got yourself a Glow Stick disco!

Or, if you've got face paints, the younger kids usually love face painting their counsellors (as my photo clearly shows :D).

One of my favourite bunk rewards is to have several little activities, like face painting, beads for making jewelry, maybe some bubbles, and allow them some Game Boy time halfway through, after a 'special' snack, and they really enjoy just chilling out for a period. Maybe that's because our camp is so highly structured, the looser times are appreciated!

[Fallen]

We call it Me Time and this is when the campers either take a nap, read, write letters or do other quite activities. We don't really have a time where we do a fun activity like that with our units since they go everywhere all day long with the different activities.

[CAMPFRIEND]

We have cabin time. All of the campers get to pick the thing that they all like to do best. The oldre boy's most of the time will do a sport and for some reason all of our girls like to do arts and crafts. For the younger boys they just like to get dirty doing when ever.

[camper]

we have rest hour but it's really just for kids to pretty much wander around camp, visit friends, play tetherball, go to special tennis or special swim. most of the times kids are in their bunks but they also really love to just walk around camp. the counselors who are in that night have to stay in the bunks and the counselors who are out are pretty much free like the campers to roam around camp.

[collissimon]

We have rest hour, just after dinner, when they let their food go down before the afternoons activities. They sometimes have scheduled things to do, like letter writing, or canteen time, but usually they just do things that are a bit quieter, and can go visit their friends in another bunk in the unit.

We also have 'horseshoe' time after tea. It's called that, because one of the fields is shaped a little bit of a horseshoe. During this time, about half the camp is available for the campers to go round, with specialists on duty at all the exits. They go round socialising with other campers in other units, can play tennis and basketball, and see who they want. The younger ones will sometimes have a 'bigger brother' scheme, and they'll go see them during horseshoe time.

It's a good time for them to socialise without their counsellors in their shadow, but they can still be watched by other people. It's also a great time for us to put away laundry on laundry days, and try to clean the bunk (because though they have clean up, that was just after breakfast: almost a whole day away!), or to get rid of the inevitable funky smell that every cabin has!

[Flukie]

We too have Me-Time at our camp. It's been an hour in the past, whenever the unit feels like it. This year, it is going to be a half hour after lunch for everyone (I think). Units can choose to expand it for an hour, but they need a quiet activity for the second half. We had too many kids sitting in their tents while staff slept or refused to pay them attention cause it was rest time.

Units are together for almost the entire rest of the day - the only exceptions are windsurfing (we have an A and a B group based on ability) and two programs combined in one unit (biking and theater will split).

[camper]

we have freeplay too which is right after dinner. it's pretty much the same as rest hour but sometimes longer or shorter, depending on the day and what evening activity is. on boys side during rest hour and freeplay its like collissimon said at his camp. they have specialists at a lot of the sports for the boys to go and play. the girls only really care about having special tennis and swim, so we do that.

[CAMPFRIEND]

we have freeplay too which is right after dinner. it's pretty much the same as rest hour but sometimes longer or shorter, depending on the day and what evening activity is. on boys side during rest hour and freeplay its like collissimon said at his camp. they have specialists at a lot of the sports for the boys to go and play. the girls only really care about having special tennis and swim, so we do that.

I know when I was a counselor I loved rest hour!!

[rockinsmiles]

We have a rest hour too for an hour each day. For the 4 youngest groups it is right after lunch and for the 4 oldest it is right before supper. It really depends on the counselors how much whispering is allowed during rest period. The campers have to stay in the cabin though (unless they are getting water) and they normally take a nap, write home, journal, draw, or just stare at the ceiling. We dont really have a set "cabin" time...though we have had little "parties" with like food and music/dancing (which is pretty challenging in our cabins) and stuff. Those are always fun times!

[EchoLaker]

We have Rest Hour every day from 3.10 - 4.10, one activity period after snack. Normally we'd suggest that we use this time to write letters home (you must write home at least 3 times a week, a check list on the outgoing mail bag ensures this). Failing that, this is a good time for the Cabin Specialists to check in with your campers, check that everything is going well - other than that, the key thing about this period is to do nothing too stimulating - preferably to have the campers lie on their beds for most of the period.

[Melk]

ok so we have rest hour every day from like one till two I always tell my girls that they can use that time to write letters, read, listen to music, or sleep. And we have time after dinner to go around and do different activites. Right now though my favorite cabin time activity is when you have your kids make signs with random sayings on them and then run around and tape them all over camp...it kinda confuses people and the kids have fun trying not to have any one see them.

[camper]

we have letter writing too which is a separate time from rest hour. it works really well b/c the kids don't feel like they have to write letters during those other free times. its so cute to watch the kids especially the little ones, during letter writing...they all have adorable stationery, fill in post cards, stationery holders, pens...anything you can imagine!

[collissimon]

I know what you mean, I was amazed first time I went to camp how much the kids have in the way of personalised stationary etc. It was so cool! I wonder if I can buy myself some to write my letters home?

[camper]

of course you can get some, collissimon! if you go to some of the camp outfitters' websites you can find all different kinds.

[Fallen]

Yeah it amazes me the kind of stationary they have as well as journals and other things that they use.

[CAMPFRIEND]

When I was at overnight camp I love the parents who would send their kids whit the postcards that you had to check the answers and then send them out. I wish they had that when I was a camper. I hate to write letters!

[Fallen]

I agree. All I had is legal paper to write letters home.

[CAMPFRIEND]

When I was a camper, I just did not write home..

[camper]

lol my mom used to send envelopes w/nothing in them so it would look like she was writing home when she was a camper...she didn't tell me until AFTER i was a camper though so i wouldn't get any ideas...not that she was gonna get the letters anyway, she was there. lol.

[Flower]

Yeah, camper. We're supposed to watch for girls who try the trick of putting a blank piece of paper in to mail home for one of their two required letters each week. The older ones especially will try it sometimes. They don't have to write anything long, but hopefully they'll at least get a couple sentences in.;)

[Melk]

When I was a camper, I just did not write home..

ha...I still dont write home.... never did.... dont know if I ever will.

[collissimon]

I write home every so often, but I am a bit further away I suppose! We sometimes help them with letter writing, and they have to write an email during computers before they do their activity.

[EchoLaker]

I remember that every Saturday morning there'd be a airletter from my grandparents in the mail.

I rarely wrote home during camp, I just tended to call from my office once a week, and then occasionally sent postcards from places I went on my days off.


I wrote to my group whilst they were out on a 4 week trip - we sent them their mail once a week - keep them updated on what they were missing out on.

[johnnyboy73]

Yoga is always a great idea, stretching in the middle of the day is a good thing.

volunteer to clean the outside of your brother cabin, design ect....

write a letter to a fellow cabin members parents

[CampFreak]

Our cabin time, we are required to be in our cabin. Its more like a rest period. I provide several types of cards so that my campers can either play cards or sleep or do whatever they want provided they are in the cabin. Also a good time for writing letters etc. Though there is a rule that all campers are suppose to be in their bunks, I break that rule...

Also the campers love this time, its during the hottest part of the day, and never get upset about rest time.

[campnerd99]

We have Cabin time, after lunch where each cabin decides to do something as a group it can be pretty much anything from canoeing, free swim, crafts or just hanging out in the main building. Rest time is usually right before or right after supper. During rest time we have to stay down around the cabins, we can go visit other cabins so long as we just sort of chill in bunks, play cards or somethign else fairly quiet/restful.

[facade1138]

Our cabin time is like a rest period for the girls and a time for all the staff living in that unit to meet. The girls are suppossed to have "quiet time" and relax and we plan for the next day.

[Indigo]

We have siesta (rest hour) after lunch... I have older girls, and just leave them alone, as long as they're being quiet and good, which isn't usually a problem. I like to sit in the great room of our lodge to talk to and share snacks with anyone who feels like it too, and it's a nice time for bonding and relaxing and such.

[prettysocks]

Huh. I still haven't responded? Here we go!

We have Hang Time before dinner. (After 2 afternoon programs, and before when they choose their programs for the next day, then supper). Hang Time is I think 2 hours, and for whichever counselors are 'on' Hang, it's the most stressful time of the day. Two out of six counselors have to bathe 4 out of eight campers in the 2 hours, with the campers who aren't being bathed basically amusing themselves. It's kind of a stupid system, but it's the staff who's 'off' Hang's break. It's also when counselors shower, and nap, and check email, and check mail, and bond with other counselors. The campers that are 'Hanging' out in the cabin can play cards, read books, have naps, listen to music, chat with other campers, and when everyone is done showering that needs one, the cabin can go outside to play in the field if they so choose.

That was much longer than I expected. Have a great day. :)

[Saintly15]

Hey Bri: Don't forget MY fave job in hang: FLOATER :D lol. the main cabin has 2 floaters, and I'm not sure if the new cabin has 1 or 2, but the floaters wander the halls, help in a cabin, perhaps one that has a runner and needs them watched.. also the float can take kids outside to play if they want to.

L.C

[happy_camper]

We have FOB time - usually in the afternoon to kind of chill out for a while. FOB stands for Feet On Bed - campers can do whatever quiet activity the want as long as their feet are on their bed. Of course, there's those who perform acrobatic moves to keep their feet on their bed while doing some other activity, but whatever. We don't even check to see if feet are on beds, but it's just a way to get the girls quiet and settled. They can read, write letters, chat, whatever. It's a rest time. :)

[facade1138]

I love that FOB...I think I may start telling my girls that during rest hour this year!!

[KiwiCRB]

Oh FOB is amazing, except when it's suuuper hot. One day last summer my clock thermometer said it was 112 in my tent. Yikes. I usually tell the girls they can talk quietly as long as I can't hear them and if they're asked too many times to be quiet they lose the privelage for a certain amount of time. Naps are important at camp and we really encourage everyone to take one... I know I do whenever I get a chance!

[runrachrunn]

I like the FOB time. Although most rest hours last summer, my girls went out to look for frogs. We had the dirtiest girls in the unit, lol.

[campCardinal]

My best cabin times have been when I haven't planned anything to do and it just sort of happened. For instance, we had an amazing chill session one week where all of my girls and I laid on the cabin floor with all the fans blowing on us and we literally just hung out and told jokes and silly stories for about an hour. Other counselors came in to find me and just laughed at the fact that there I am, almost 20 years old, laying on the floor of the cabin laughing hysterically at my 8 year olds jokes. I think the girls loved having that time to just talk to their counselor too.

Another great cabin time session actually involved all 8 cabins in my unit going out to a big field and just hanging out and playing games. We had a pick up game of "Kill the counselor with the soccer ball." I sat with a group of girls (not my campers, but another cabin) and we just sat a talked for a while. We also had a mini talent show with kids doing their gymnastic moves... and we ended up playing the "ha-ha" game where people lay on each other's stomachs and laugh.

All in all, both of these don't sound like much. However, it was so nice to just sit and talk to my campers. Sure, they 8 and 9 years old, but they have some great stories they want to share and all they want is for someone "big" to listen to them.

[happy_camper]

aww campCardinal, that is so sweet!
I'm sure it was really uplifting for them to just chill out and talk with you!
Great Stories!

[Mouse...]

That's really sweet and sharing stories is an important part of getting to know people.

[Melk]

depending on how old your campers are, Over winter camp we played apples to apples a lot... you just have to weed out the questionable cards.

[CAMPFRIEND]

What is that?

[Melk]

There are two sets of card decks. Each player gets a hand of Red cards the red cards have things on them and the green cards have descriptions "Each turn, the current referee selects a Description and players try to pick, from the cards in their hands, the Things that best match that Description. The referee then chooses the Thing that appeals most and awards the card to the player who played it. The unusual combinations of Things and Descriptions are humorous to the extreme, and will quickly have the entire room in an uproar. Once a player has won a pre-determined number of cards, that player wins." (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/74)

Its a fun game and it does tend to be kind of loud sometimes but still fun none the less.