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A Visit to Fairyland with the Lower Junior Girls

Friday, July 20th, 2012

The Lower Junior girls recently traveled via carriages Fairyland, where they had a fairy party at which they visited with fairies, built fairy houses, made magic wands, wrote fairy tales, and then shared them. It was clear from the very imaginative stories that we heard that we have quite a few blooming authors here at Camp Starlight. The stories were so creative and entertaining, that we decided to share some of them:

Once there was a very famous man. He lived in New York and loved magic and rally had great times doing magic. I love magic, just like that man! So this man was very nice and loved this trick. The trick was about turning people into frogs. I think it’s okay to give love magic and had a great time and he loved magic.—Katie, Bunk 2

Once upon a time, there was a mermaid. Her name was Patricia. She wanted to learn how to fly, but her mother would never let her because flying was above the water. One day, Patricia swam away and left her parents and flopped to shore, and for some reason, she got legs and she started to walk, but she fell a lot. At 12:00 a.m., she had to go because of her parents. She did sooo much in only one day! At about 11:00 p.m., she climbed back into the water and got her fins and swam back to her cozy bed. –Hanna W., Bunk 2

Once, a princess came along a trail of fairy dust. She followed the trail until she saw something. It was green. Guess what it was. It was Shrek’s cousin. At first, all the princess did was stare. Then they just walked side by side. Then the princess was returned to her castle and the ogre was never seen again. –Dori, Bunk 1

Once upon a time, there was a little girl at home with her parents. She said, “I am sick of this shirt. I am going to change it. “ But when she got to her closet, she saw an ogre. She said, “OMG! I saw an ogre!” Her parents said it was a stuffed animal. She felt better. –Carly, Bunk 2

Once upon a time, there was a leprechaun that lived in Arizona, and it never rained there. So there was never any rainbows. He couldn’t last after a few years, so he went on a gurney to find a rainbow. He went so far and one day he sat on a log, but that was not an ordinary log. Fairies lived in it and a fairy named Tinker Bell. And he asked if she knew where there was a rainbow. She said there was a camp called Starlight and there was a rainbow there everyday. She too him there and he lived there for the rest of his life.—Hannah S., Bunk 2

One day, there were two children wondering in the Starlight woods. They came upon a strange little house. One of the children asked, “What is in here?” So the child started to shake the house. A leprechaun came out and said, “Get off my property! If you do, I’ll grant you three wishes.” Then a fairy came and said, “That is just mean. The children were crying.” The children wanted three wishes so they got off the property and got three wishes. They all lived happily ever after.—Juliette, Bunk 1

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess. She was so pretty but one day there was an ogre who walked into the castle and stole the princess while she was sleeping. The princess’s name was Belle. The ogre lived in an old cottage and when the princess woke up, she didn’t recognize where she was. But the ogre was a very nice man because when the princess woke up, he was making scrambled eggs and coffee, and she kissed the ogre and he turned into a prince. They lived happily ever after.—Skyler, Bunk 1

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“Sunwise” at Camp

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

One of the biggest challenges of summer camp is also one of its greatest aspects, spending lots of time in the sunny outdoors. Indeed, time in the sun is an important aspect of maintaining good health. The sun is a source of vitamin D, which has been linked to happiness. However, over-exposure to the sun’s rays can be harmful, as nearly everyone knows. So taking appropriate measures to reduce risks is essential.

Summer camp professionals are extremely aware that proper sun care goes beyond the frequent application of sunscreen. Many of them are parents themselves whose first priority is the safety of their campers, and they work very hard to incorporate sun-care tips, such as those offered by Sunwise, an organization established by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2000 to help those who work with children, into their daily routines.

Staff and campers are instructed to apply sunscreen frequently. Almost all camps either supply sunscreen or require campers to bring it with them and encourage re-application between activities throughout the day. Many camps place large containers of sunscreen throughout campus, so that it can be easily accessed and reapplied throughout the day. The staff is required to insure that both themselves and their campers regularly use sunscreen.

Camps take measure to insure that children wear proper clothing. Campers receive proper dress instructions daily. Counselors supervise to make sure each child dresses appropriately for the day’s weather and activities. Daily weather-appropriate instructions such as reminders about sunscreen application and instructions to drink plenty of water are also typically given during a camp’s morning announcements.

Camp programs naturally incorporate a mix of outdoor and indoor activities in order to balance the amount of time one spends in the sun with time in the shade. While summer camp is about reconnecting with nature and a natural environment, campers also spend ample amount of time indoors so as not to be overexposed or at risk.

Extra precautionary measures are also taken when necessary. With an increasing emphasis on helping campers develop lifelong healthy habits, camps are increasingly choosing to train their staffs in proper suncare.

Vitamin D intake is optimized through diet. Camp menus are carefully planned to optimize nutritional value for campers. Health and fitness have risen to the forefront of the camping industry in recent years. Naturally rich in vitamin D foods such as milk, eggs, yogurt, and oatmeal daily are typically available daily at breakfast. Other foods high in Vitamin D, such as tuna and mushrooms, are also offered on lunch and dinner salad bars.

Teaching children and the people who take care of them proper measures for protecting oneself against overexposure to the sun is a critical element in the promotion of good health that many camps now embrace. It not only helps protect children at camp but could help them for life. A study by the American Camp Association established that habits formed at summer camp are continued by more than 60% of campers once they return home.