Camp Swift - Session 2 2018, Day 2!

Today was the first full day of camp and we are buzzing with excitement! For breakfast, the campers enjoyed fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and scrumptious seasoned potatoes. Following breakfast, campers returned to their cabins to get ready for their first Golden Broom of the session. Golden Broom is a program that focuses on collaboration, responsibility, and goal-setting, where cabins compete for the Golden Broom. This session, Golden Broom is led by our stellar staff members, with a unique superhero twist. Cabins who win the Golden Broom beam with pride around camp for having the cleanest cabin and keeping track of their belongings at camp. 

This morning, cabins from the Oldest Unit went canoeing, learning basic paddling skills and hiking together as a cabin at a local lake in Prescott. Other cabins on camp participated in a variety of traditional camp programming favorites such as ropes course, art, swimming, and rock wall, while also having the opportunity to try a few Camp Swift originals like frames, cooking, and Shaboogie. One of Camp Swift’s favorite programs, Shaboogie, teaches campers about the superpowers that are already inside of them. Each camper creates their own personal superhero, showing campers how the superpowers they already have can help them achieve their goals in life. Often labeled as one of Swift’s most meaningful programs, Shaboogie encourages campers to set goals following camp regarding their own personal lives.

For lunch, Camp Swift enjoyed made from scratch pizza and the delicious salad bar. While campers had rest hour to prepare for an afternoon of fun, staff members organized afternoon activities such as messy paint twister and human battleship. One of the most fun and engaging activities at camp for many of our campers is the rock wall. With five total rock walls ranging in difficulty, campers receive a harness and helmet, learning commands before they climb to ensure safety. The rock wall is seen as one of the most fun places at camp and helps campers build stronger relationships with their cabins while also helping to improve their perceived competence skills. 

The Youngest Unit participated in unit time this afternoon and enjoyed special activities like spa day and human foosball. Other cabins on camp participated in art, ga-ga, sports, science, and a special camper’s choice program featuring tennis. After a short dinner prep, campers headed to their evening activities for dinner and an evening program. For dinner, all of the campers will eat fajitas, except for the middle unit, which will enjoy an evening under the stars at the Overnight. Gathering around the fire pit, the middle unit will eat hot dogs and create delicious s’mores over the camp fire. 

The Youngest unit’s program is called the Riddler. A superhero themed program, the Riddler builds teamwork skills, as well as problem solving skills. The campers complete a series of riddles to save dessert from being taken by the Riddler. The Oldest unit’s program is called Infinity Stones, in which staff members become Avengers and campers must work together to retrieve stones that represent the core values of Swift. The campers then use their own superpowers to help collect the stones. As the day wraps up, we are so excited for what is to come tomorrow! 

---

​Thank you to guest author, Matt Wall, for this fantastic day two recap! Matt has been volunteering with the Swift Youth Foundation for nine summers and loves providing a helpful hand around Camp Swift.