In a culture that seems to constantly decry the poor diets and health habits of children, it’s somewhat ironic that Fitness has become one of the hottest camp activities for both boys and girls. Aside from some innovative and creative activities that pair fitness with fun, Camp Starlight’s fitness director Richelle has some pretty good ideas about what makes Fitness so much fun: perseverance, good music, and effort. During a recent fitness session, she proclaimed to her very enthusiastic campers before beginning a new activity, “We were all given two arms, two legs, and we’re healthy.” In other words, if there is nothing preventing you from doing otherwise, there’s no excuse for not at least trying. The message was well received by the campers in the class as they divided into small groups that rotated from one station to another on 
Richelle’s whistle. And she wasn’t lying about the good music either…the soundtrack was rockin’ and so were the campers, who were obviously enjoying themselves. Probably one of the most impressive things about the class was that no camper seemed too self-conscious to give each activity an honest whirl. Fitness is clearly fun at Camp Starlight, which is no doubt what makes it so popular. Perhaps, too, campers will go home with renewed enthusiasm for maintaining a regular exercise regimen that will drive them to “persevere” over the winter.
Posts Tagged ‘summer camp activities’
Fun Fitness
Sunday, July 29th, 2012Miss Starlight 2012…Plenty of Pomp and Circumstance
Sunday, July 29th, 2012
Miss Starlight…Part mock beauty pageant. Part Camp Starlight’s take on dress up. Each girls bunk chooses a male camp staff member and transforms him into a pretty pretty princess…or something like it. The contestants then strut their stuff on stage in a display of pageantry and talent that would put—well—really no one to shame. But it’s all still very funny and fun to watch. Fortunately, the contestants are not only great sports when it comes to their “makeovers” but they’re incredibly inventive when portraying the characters their bunks have invented for them. Whether Scandinavian royalty, country girls, or even elderly women, they put their heart and souls into their performances as they fight to win the title for 
their respective girls bunks. This year, girls bunk 18 proved themselves the most likely to land their own reality makeover show in their transformation of Armani, who every other day but the one on which he emerged as Miss Starlight 2012, is normally a counselor in boys bunk 21.
It’s Almost Trip Time!
Friday, July 27th, 2012
What do Binghamton Mets, Skate Estate, the bowling alley, movie theater, Lake George, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Cooperstown, Long Eddy, Jim Thorpe, California, and Toronto have in common? They have all been or will be 2012 Camp Starlight trip destinations for one or more divisions this year. Camp trips are a big part of camp and our campers always look forward to them. Whether it’s tubing for a morning or afternoon or an overnight adventure, they love the adventures. And it’s almost time for the big trips!
Yes, you read that correctly. The divisional trips are next week. It’s hard to believe that the majority of the summer is behind us and, in a few days, the 
phones at camp will go (mostly) quiet, the fields and courts will be (mostly) empty, and the familiar sound of laughter, cheering, and chatter will be significantly fainter after the buses pull out and head to their respective destinations. And the campers are ready!
A few reminders, parents, to…
*Make sure all of the proper forms are completed. Yes, we know this one is kind of a no brainer and a tedious pain, but we believe it’s still better to err on the side of caution by reminding everyone that without all of that pesky paperwork, your children will be waving goodbye to the trip bus rather than on it.
*Insure your children have spending money in their accounts. There’s no need to go dipping into their college funds. A modest amount to pick up a souvenir or two and indulge in something yummy is enough to make most campers happy.
*If your children are Seniors going to Toronto and you haven’t already provided their passports, call Fedex. Toronto is in Canada and border patrol gets kind of cranky when people attempt to pass through without passports.
We can’t wait to hear the stories about our campers’ trip adventures and we know that you can’t either. Divisional trips are always some of the best memories of each summer.
MTV Night 2012: A Rockin’ Good Time!
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
MTV Night 2012 was a close competition with thirteen divisional winners battling it out for overall champion. From remixes to movie soundtracks, the music was about as varied as the costumes. Everyone fabulously demonstrated why they’d won their divisional titles with excellent lip syncing, dancing, and choreography. The judges had a really tough decision, but in the end Junior Girls bunk 6 edged out the Senior Boys of the Lodge to take the title with a number called Waka Waka. Congratulations to girls bunk 6 for their victory and to all of the competitors for putting together some extremely entertaining acts!
Catching up with the Junior Girls
Tuesday, July 24th, 2012The Junior girls have had a very exciting year so far. In addition to Wayne County and Camp Starlight leagues, they’ve also had Spirit of Starlight, their camp show as well as the all camp show, a gymnastics meet, a dance competition, and more incredible evening activity and S-Day fun than we can mention in this blog. This year’s Junior girls are a spirited group who showcased their Junior pride very well when Junior girls bunk 6 won the 2012 MTV Night competition. They’re a spunky crew, lead by Division Leader Dena, that is always ready for a new day’s adventures and can’t wait to try everything! We recently spoke with one of them about her experience so far. She was happy to give us some insight into an exciting summer. Here is what Danielle S. of girls bunk 4 shared with us:
CS: What is your favorite camp activity?
Danielle: Dance. It’s so much fun and we learn a lot of cool dances.
CS: What has been your favorite S-Day so far?
Danielle: Alice in Wonderland. I liked square dancing with Lou & Sue, swimming, and making shrinky dinks. It was a really fun day.
CS: What has been your favorite evening activity so far?
Danielle: SWF and the Fourth of July fireworks.
CS: What is your favorite Option and Super 6th activity at Camp Starlight?
Danielle: Creative Writing for Option. I’ve gone three times. And Tie-dying for Super 6th. I really like tie-dying things.
CS: Do you have a favorite camp meal?
Danielle: Chicken nuggets and fries and cookout.
CS: What is your favorite part of camp?
Danielle: The first day because you have the WHOLE summer!
CS: Are there any activities that you tried for the first time at camp and now LOOOVE?
Danielle: Yes! Tubing, waterskiing, and paddle boarding. They’re all awesome!
CS: Are you on any Wayne County teams?
Danielle: Yes, I’m on the dance team and also the soccer team. The Starlight dance competition was so much fun. There were so many dances.
CS: To what are you most looking forward during the last few weeks of camp?
Danielle: The pickle ceremony cookout (aka “The Anniversary Party”), banquet night, Skate Estate with all of my friends, the dance competition on Wednesday, and making smoothie recipe cookbooks in Creative Writing.
Danielle also assured us that even though she’s had an amazing time at camp so far, she’s really excited about everything coming up within the next couple of weeks. She said that she’s sure her least favorite day of camp is going to be the last day because that means there aren’t any more days of camp left. We agree, Dani!
Sunshine Not Required
Saturday, July 21st, 2012
Even though it never officially rains at camp, every now and then we do get thrown a curveball in the form of water falling from the sky. One might assume that such a day might not be one of the best for campers or staff, but the truth is that the fun doesn’t stop just because it’s a little wet outside. In fact, wet days are often filled with special activities like movies, the “man cave”, cooking, and creative options. The Camp Starlight campus also has sufficient enough indoor space that we can sometimes just move outdoor activities inside and continue on with them as usual. Of 
course, we have amazing dance and fitness studios that are already indoors, along with one of the most impressive gymnastics facilities in Wayne County, video production and robotics areas, a covered arena, and a Field House with a full basketball court. Campers enjoy spending extended periods of time with their bunkmates and counselors and certainly don’t let a sprinkle or two get the best of an otherwise great day!
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
An Entertaining and Successful Dance Competition
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
A big day for virtually all of girls camp at Camp Starlight is always the Camp Starlight dance competition. This year, we hosted twelve camps at our annual competition. Literally hundreds of campers from surrounding Wayne County camps brought their dance teams, soloist, duos, and trios for a morning of entertaining friendly yet competitive competition. After watching everyone compete, one thing is for sure: There are some VERY talented dancers in Wayne County. The numbers ranged from cheer to lyrical, and many of the costumes and music choices were almost as creative as the dance moves. The morning was very successful and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Thanks to everyone for their cooperation and congratulations to everyone for great performances!
Catching Up with the Upper Inter Boys
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
The Upper Inter boys, led by Alex, have had a pretty exciting summer so far. They’ve been busy playing on their Wayne County sports teams, competing in Starlight Leagues, and have even gone bowling and to Skate Estate. Evening activities have been pretty wild. All of Boys Camp recently participated in The Hunger Games. There have also been a Wild Dance Party, Bunk Challenges, and a Magic Show, among other things. This week, the Upper Inters will be competing in their divisional MTV Night competition. All of the Upper Inter boys bunks have been working very hard on their acts. Recently, we caught up with Luke, an Upper Inter in bunk 12. Here’s what he shared with us about his summer so far:
CS: What is your favorite camp activity?
Luke: Track and Field. I love to run!
CS: What is your favorite camp meal?
Luke: Chocolate chip pancakes. I like to make a stack and then pour two packets of syrup over them…perfect.
CS: What is your favorite evening activity?
Luke: Challenge Week Auction because you never know what you’re going to get. This year my bunk got brownies in the bunk. We wanted to get the smoothie party. But we didn’t win the auction for that.
CS: What is your best moment at camp so far this summer?
Luke: Every morning when I see my brother and sister. We have a spot where we meet every morning. I’m a middle child and my brother and sister are here. My brother is older so he kind of checks on me to see how I’m doing. My sister is younger. This is her first year here, so I kind of check on her. We’re looking after each other.
CS: If you could make up one new activity at Camp Starlight, what would it be?
Luke: A hip hop dance competition for boys.
CS: Which camp activity would you do every day if you could?
Luke: It’s one I do every day…Super 6th because I get to do everything. I don’t think there is just one thing that I’d want to do EVERY day.
CS: If you could be any staff member at Camp Starlight, who would you be?
Luke: David Miller–even though his job is really hard because he has to remember a lot of names.
CS: To what are you looking the most forward the second half of the summer?
Luke: Spending more time with my friends.
The Adventures of WAKA FLAKA (the Lower Debs Mascot)
Monday, July 16th, 2012Anyone even remotely familiar with Camp Starlight knows that our Lower Debs are some of the most spirited campers. Their enthusiasm is driven by their love of Camp Starlight and Megan, the Lower Debs Division leader. One of the ways Megan promotes Camp Starlight spirit amongst the girls is through the use of a mascot. Megan’s mascot has become a Lower Debs tradition and its identity remains a closely guarded secret for which the answer is highly anticipated by all incoming Lower Debs. This year, Megan chose WAKA FLAKA. If you’re wondering who or, rather, what a WAKA FLAKA is, then read on and enjoy the following blog written by Lower Debs counselor and blog contest winner Rachael M. of bunk 17. Well done and congratulations, Rachael!
My journey as a flamingo has not been typical. I have been on many adventures already in my life. When I first arrived at camp Starlight, it was a quiet and beautiful place. I could tell many amazing things had happened here in the past, but I stayed with one lady wearing Canadian clothing and her cute baby for those first days. Finally, through my window, I saw others arrive. They all had smiles on their faces and were so energetic! Everyone was running to each other and hugging, but I was still alone.
One day, the Canadian lady took me out of her room, which made me very confused. However, before I knew it, she took me out of the bag I was in and what seemed like hundreds of girls were cheering around me! It was then that I realized I was no ordinary flamingo. I was WAKA FLAKA, the mascot for the Lower Debs. I found out that the nice Canadian lady’s name was Megan, their Division Leader. She explained that I represented their division, and I even have a cheer for me now! Everyday, the Lower Debs chant the cheer loud and proud, and learn a fun fact about my species.
The best part about being their mascot is that I get to go around with them at camp everyday. I spend my days at Starlight watching all of the kids play basketball, go swimming, and I get to watch them cook! I don’t eat that food, though. I’m fed by camp spirit! These ladies, like all of the Starlight campers, are awesome, and I can’t wait to see what the best of the summer holds!
