I'm exhausted - Fun & Games at Summer Day Camp

Okay I’m exhausted!

Every year I hold a Fitness Summer Day Camp for just one week at our Livonia school - usually open to our students only. Every once in a while a friend or family member joins the camp, so it isn’t really closed to the public. So if you’re interested my recommendation is to check the camp out. Since the camp is geared for fitness, sports, nutrition, and martial arts our day is full with physical activities and lessons about life long exercise and nutrition. Beyond the martial art classes, the nutrition sessions at lunch, there are plenty of organized and free playtimes.

By the end of the week we are all exhausted so our usual Friday afternoon swim is a blessed relief. I’m talking about me. The kids are still moving around and exercising. I get to sit pool side with my fan and keep a constant head count while the kids and volunteers play in the water for a couple of hours.

The children always look forward to the camp. I know that our camps are successful because I’ve heard the children beg their parents to be there. Children that sign up for only three days end up coming the full five, only because they are having a blast. They get to socialize with their fellow classmates, something they don’t get to do normally because they are always training in class. So these get-togethers help strengthen friendships and forge new ones. This camp a new six-year-old non-member joined in the fun. As soon as all the six year olds met, they started comparing notes on how many teeth were lost so far, what Transformer they wanted to be, and what video games were their favorites. Ah, instant connection.

Again I get to watch the dynamic of the group develop since the ages of the campers range from five to fourteen. I cap the number of attendees to twenty. They may start out by staying in their age group or gender group, but by the end of the week, new friends, new role models to follow, and new playmates are found over and over. It becomes one big friend group. It’s pretty cool to watch.

The weather was incredible all week. When the weather cooperates it gives me a great deal of flexibility in planning the outdoor activities. We all have a blast no matter what the weather because I have a few tricks up my sleeve just in case. Parents tell me that their children sleep like rocks during the week and so do I.

The feedback is tremendous. One mom wondered why her daughter was reading the food labels at the supermarket. Parents tell me that their children are asking for healthier snacks. Of course, I know that it won’t last too long, but at least they are thinking about better nutritional choices. A seed has been planted. They also tell me that their children keep asking to come back to camp.

Every camp builds on the last one. They are truly special events. There are always plenty of surprises. We make sure the camps are really fun, full of activities, and keep the children moving and working off extra calories and excess energy. I’m sure I lost a couple of pounds myself. They are exercising all day long and don’t realize it because it’s all fun and games.

Climbing exercise - parkour style.

WCD Lock In - A Great Time

A few months back, we had a school sleep over, or what is commonly called the WCD (Wing Chun Do) Lock In or Parents Night Out. My list had 28 culprits on it, although I’m sure there are no budding delinquents in the group, we lock them in, just in case of an escape attempt.

This time, it should be interesting. Since Beloved went off to college I have resisted holding any special events at our school. He was such a piped piper, that I felt without him the event lost its “cool” aspect. He led most of the activities and set up the games. So it has been two years since I held the Wing Chun Do Lock In.

I feel differently about it now. The children that used to follow him around and hang on his every word have grown up. They’re the cool kids now. They have become a tight knit group of black belts and leaders and they like each other’s company. The newer students don’t even know who Beloved is, Jim’s the cool guy now.

Another thing I love is to watch is how the group dynamic plays out. Sometimes I get anxious when I have a weird mix of ages or not enough of one age. I want to make sure that everyone feels inclusive. But I am always pleasantly surprised. With children ranging from 5 to 14, it’s interesting to see what groups form, who gravitates to who, who plays best together, where the girls fit in with each other, which of the older children will play gently with the younger ones. I feel like I am a schoolmarm in rural America. All ages of children are under one roof, one class.

To my surprise, all 28 screaming children descended upon the school ready for riotous fun, games and unfettered chaos. All I ask that they stay on the side of caution. Although it may seem outside the realm of reason, I do believe that children should be allowed to go all out in play. Just as they play outside on the playground, I allow them to do so indoors. This is a whole new concept for them. You mean I can run around like a nut, yelling my head off, and no one cares?

My strategy is to let them blow off all that extra energy. They are so excited and completely energized about spending the night with their friends. After the first hour of running around like nuts, they start to settle down. We now can play organized games, watch a movie, or have a bit of quiet time.

Let’s see what happened this time. Girls. This is the first sleep over where there were 14 girls to 14 boys. This tipped the scale. In the past the girl ratio was half or less to that of the boys. Their favorite thing to do was… chase the boys, of course.

One in particular, nine year old Joshua was the girl’s favorite. He had no less than seven girls chasing him about the school. Poor boy. I felt concerned and told him that he just had to say the word and I would gladly put a stop to it. He wasn’t interested, he liked it.

As I watched the action, I saw a glimmer of what the girls saw in him. At one point he runs into the room sliding dramatically to a stop. His hair had fantastic movement to it. It flowed forward, covered his face as he came to a stop then flowed back, almost in slow motion. Sibok (Rocco’s title, meaning chief instructor) and I looked at each other. Did you see that? No wonder the girls are chasing him, the boy looks like a rock star. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like Zac, the lead in High School Musical. He’s doomed.

Jim, the lead volunteer helper is eighteen years old. In our meeting earlier, we discussed recognizing when the frenzy level gets too high. At the peak of play, the noise level settles at a certain decibel or tonality. After years of experience, I have learned that there is a perceptible change in tonality or frequency when the play becomes too raucous. It’s a recognizable early warning system. Warning: a child is going to cry soon or a quarrel is on its way. A quick call to attention immediately drops the energy level to a low hum again.

Jim recognizing that the mayhem was about to get out of hand yelled “Attention!” Good man, he’s learning fast. The children stopped in their tracks and became silent, waiting for his instructions. “Little kids, little kids, you need to slow down and play more quietly. There are small children, watch out for them.” A small voice came from the corner of the room, “I’m a very small child, and I am playing quietly.”