This week was a really long week of camp. It was my first real week working with the kids at the center since last week I was on a field trip every day. My tasks were to help run Nickelodeon Camp for 6-8 yr olds in the morning and assist with Sports Camp for 6-8 yr olds in the afternoon.
The Nick Camp was a blast. We played messy games like finding a piece of chocolate in a plate of whipped cream w/o their hands. We also had a shaving cream fight and slimed the kids. In return the kids got to slime us counselors on Friday…talk about gross! The slime we made was corn starch and water…we decided dying it green would be too dangerous considering we only have 3 camp shirts for the summer. I got some really close to my eye and it began to instantly dry which was really weird feeling. My hair was so covered it felt like I was wearing a swim cap or something. The kids had a blast, and it was great to work with such enthusiastic kids.
The Sports Camp was really draining. We had 22 hyper-active kids probably 10 of which did not like sports but whose parents had signed them up because it was the only 6-8 camp in the afternoon. Unfortunately the leader of this camp was Youth Programs staff instead of Camp A which meant the activities were geared more towards the camp subject than the interest of the kids. I spent the majority of the second half of my day trying to convince kids that playing kickball/basketball/soccer/etc was the best game ever while I myself would rather sit in a corner and color or play tag games. At one point while me and the injured kids were coloring while the rest of the group was playing a version of baseball half the players left their positions to come sit on the gym floor and color with me…it was sad. I was so exhausted by the end of the day trying to get the kids motivated to play the sports they didn’t want to play.
Since we have two half day camps a day one week at a time it takes all week for us to figure out the kids and learn their names and then the next week we have a whole new set of kids. Also due to half day camps we do a Blitz (fun energetic camp songs) two times a day…I’m starting to lose my voice already, yikes!
This week was also really stressful because on Monday I was witness to a possible child abuse case, a position I didn’t think I was going to be in so early in my summer. I reported what I heard to my director, who helped me report it to the Project Coordinator who told me to report it to the director of the Youth Programs who in turn helped me call Family Services…I felt sick to my stomach wondering if I was doing the right thing, if what I heard I had misinterpreted, if the kid will hate me when he finds out. I know it was my duty to report it, but I felt so bad about it not knowing the whole story only what the kid told me.
Next week I’ll be helping run Arts and Crafts Camp and Crazy Kids Camp for 6-8 yr olds. I’m hoping it will be a less intense week.
