First Day of Regular Programming
Campers were woken up in boys and girls camp this morning at 7:30 by Daniel and Abby, our heads of boys and girls camp ringing the bell. Campers come to breakfast often times in their pajamas, although some get dressed for the day before breakfast. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles, a cereal bar, toast and bagels, and fresh strawberries and blueberries with a few different flavors of yogurt.
During the first day, we are still trying to make sure that campers understand both their schedule and where they are meant to be, and our schedule here at camp - the periods throughout the day and how they work, as well as what to do during rest hours, and transition times. At breakfast we make announcements about the day, including birthdays when campers are announced and receive a birthday t-shirt for their fellow campers to sign, and then the campers head back to cabins to make their beds and clean up their cabins before heading to their first period of the day.
Our morning was packed with tennis, soccer, horseback riding, and golf, archery, swimming, lacrosse, pickleball, mountain biking and more.
At lunch, our campers got to read emails from parents while eating and they also receive notifications about any packages that have been sent to them. After eating, the winners of cabin clean up were announced, and those lucky cabins got to line up for canteen first. Canteen is where our campers can pick up packages and get a treat like some Ben & Jerry's ice cream, or a Gatorade. Campers can also change their schedule after lunch, and many did and do during the first few days of camp while they settle in to the routine and discover which activities they enjoy. After lunch and canteen was rest hour, where campers can choose to relax and play games in their cabins or play at the rec games area.
Our afternoon programming started at 2pm, and campers headed to their next block of activities, which might include more majors, or electives, depending on what they have picked for their daily schedule.
We had another rest hour after the afternoon block of periods, and call to dinner is at 6:15pm. Campers lined up outside the dining hall with their cabins before sitting down and eating family style with their cabin. Dinner was grilled chicken with broccoli and garlic knots. We also have a full salad bar during lunch and dinner, and desert was a delicious blondie cookie bar.
There is another round of announcements after dinner, which included a loud and energetic version of happy birthday to a camper who was celebrating a birthday. Birthdays at Windridge include a cake toss where a campers gets to select a counselor to catch their cake, which is thrown from the deck balcony to the counselor. The camper can then share their cake with their cabin before evening activity.
Evening activity was Photoshoot" in which campers travel in groups with their cabins and try to get as many pictures as a group from a list we have created.
After our evening activity, campers were dismissed to either shower, brush teeth and go to bed (lower camp, campers ten and under), go to the basketball court for 15 minutes before bedtime routine (middle camp, campers 11 and 12 years old), or to have evening canteen for another thirty minutes before bedtime routine (upper camp, campers 13 and older).
We are looking forward to another full day of activity tomorrow!