We are excited to see everyone at camp this summer. We have kids from Spain, Scotland, the USA and even Halton! I will post our daily adventures here on this blog. Please check it every evening to hear about your kid’s adventures and the exciting happenings at Camp Kahuna day camp.
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
Tuesday, July 18th, 2017
As I uploaded today’s photos on the Camp Kahuna Facebook page, what I noticed was amazing! All my staff were engaged with the campers. I teach my staff the importance of engaging with the kids, talking with them, attending to their needs, and ensuring they are having fun. When you look at the photos tonight, please make a note for my staff. They are working hard to ensure your kids are safe and have the time of their lives. I also teach my staff to make contact with parents so parents get to know them. I am hoping my staff are doing this. For some of them, connecting with adults is outside their comfort zone, but to me, this is a very important skill to learn. If you can encourage these conversations, I would appreciate it.
The kids had a great time today. We had a spaghetti eating contest, heard crazy stories, were in the pool and creek and played various field games. Today’s leadership lesson was on how to influence others: show respect and integrity, be honest and look for ways of being selfless.
WELCOME TO WEEK 2
Friday, July 14th, 2017
We had an amazing day today. Everyone was in their superhero costumes and playing superhero games. The highlight today was playing a wide game of Minecraft and the campfire. We received a lot of great feedback from parents. Thank you very much. The kids were amazing this week!
ANNOUNCEMENTS – Thursday, July 13, 2017
We had a fantastic day today. We had a huge gym to use and were protected from the rain, thunder and lightning. The day was filled with camp gags, hilarious stories, cooperative games, and a battle between Caillou and the camp. We rewarded the campers for being awesome with popsicles. Today’s leadership discussion was on learning from our mistakes, never giving up, and being persistent. I brought my guitar so we could have an indoor campfire.
The kids got hyped by training for an invasion, then excited for Caillou versus Jason, and then the Blargons invaded, and the campers defeated their leader, Travis the Replicator. The kids loved it!
I want to thank my leaders for their care, energy, and enthusiasm for the campers. I watched them this morning, and what I saw was amazing. None of us like running camp inside; however, some days warrant inside activities. Thank you very much to our amazing Kids 4 Kids parents, who show support even on these crazy, rainy days. Our bus driver, Emily, is pretty terrific, too, as she was able to get all the kids to our site and back to camp. My wife even came down from Guelph to help us ensure all the kids who ordered hot lunches were cared for. Our great team loves the children who come to our camps.
THIS IS ONLY IF IT IS A BAD RAIN DAY
There may be rain tomorrow, so PLEASE make sure your child has their rain gear on (not in their bag) if it is raining in the morning. It will make the transition to the tent a lot easier.
If your child is dropped off at camp, come a little later if you can, as we don’t have a lot of shelter in the parking lot area. We move to the tent at 9:00 am.
If the weather looks like it will be miserable all day, we may bus the kids to our indoor location, the Burlington Christian Academy on North Service Road, just west of Brant Street. We will bus the kids back to camp so that the pick-up stops will be the same. So that you know, you will be notified only if we go to BCA. I would rather not, as it is a huge expense and difficult to do. We have this as a backup plan only if the weather presents as dangerous.
It was a sticky day today, but we ensured the kids were constantly reminded to drink water. We had a morning filled with hunting for the camp idol. As hard as I tried, Dante kept on finding it! He has a keen eye. Our leadership discussion was on honesty and being selfless. The highlight today was our hypnotist/voodoo show. The leaders pretend to be hypnotized, and funny things happen.
Merchandise will be available for purchase tomorrow.
Photos to be uploaded tomorrow at http://www.facebook.com/campkahuna
We had another fun day camp camp today. Games were played based on the Superhero theme, a pie-eating contest, a beauty makeover, creek activities, stories and swimming in the camp pool. Our leadership discussions were on conquering fear.
We create stories using characters from my books. If you hear stories about Chippie the Attack Squirrel and Moo Moo Chickens, this is where these characters come from.
My books and colour-changing sunglasses will be available this Thursday and Friday. Books are $10.00, 5 for $40, and the glasses are $10.00.
WEEK 1
WEEK ONE DAY NEWS DAY 5
We had the most incredible first week of camp ever! The campers were great, the parents supportive and encouraging, and the systems we implemented were flawless. I am very proud of my leadership team. They are working extremely hard to ensure your kids are safe, well cared for, and have the time of their lives. Please check out the Camp Kahuna Facebook page for daily photos of what we are doing at camp. http://www.facebook.com/campkahuna
WEEK ONE CAMP NEWS DAY 4
We had an amazing day today. It was hotter than the rest of the week, but we kept the kids comfortable by having them in the creek or pool.
I just remembered that we had our first hypnotist show yesterday. One of my leaders pretends he is a hypnotist and hypnotizes the leaders, having them do funny things. The kids love it!
Today’s highlight was hearing about Julia standing up to grade 8 bullies at her school. Julia is in grade 3. She was assertive, non-reactive and a true example of a leader. I also let our campers know about a fellow camper named Mielo. He has gone from a level 1 leader to an incredible level 10 leader in four short days. He has been helping some of the younger campers and is a real help around camp. I met with the campers who are 11 years and older and told them about our Bead Program. They can earn beads by leading games, mentoring younger campers, etc. They were given a list of how they could earn beads. Jonas earned his red bead for running a great field hockey game. Congratulations Jonas! You’re awesome.
Each day, I include a leadership lesson. We have discussed the characteristics of a leader, the Bring It On Attitude, Pushing through Fear and Peer Pressure.
It is hard to believe we are already on our last day of camp. I will be treating the kids to a popsicle tomorrow. There will also be marshmallows for our campfire.
I will have all my books and sunglasses at camp tomorrow. I apologize, as I forgot to bring them to camp today.
It is dress-up day tomorrow, so have your kids wear their best pirate costumes.
WEEK ONE CAMP NEWS DAY 3
We had an incredible day today. I decided that this would be the summer I was going to get really messy. The kids love it when I smash my face into a plate of whipping cream or challenge one of the leaders to a Mind Over Matter Eating Challenge. When I got home today, I had whipping cream in my hair, ears, and nostrils. I got very messy. The kids loved it, and that is what’s important.
My leaders are working extremely hard to ensure your kids are safe, well attended to and having a great time. The kids we have had this week are amazing. I hope we are lucky enough to have great kids like yours all summer.
I would like to personally thank you for being stellar parents. I have done camp for 25 years. The first week is usually filled with many emails from very anxious parents. I realize that sending your kids off to camp can be nerve-racking. Sometimes, this leads to overreactions. This week, we had the smoothest first week of camp ever. I thank you for this. I appreciate what it takes to send your kids off to camp with a group of people you may not know well. There are a lot of horror stories out there about camp. This is why we diligently provide a safe environment filled with adults who truly care about the kids who come to camp. So thank you very much for trusting us with your children. We take the responsibility seriously and appreciate your faith in us.
I will have my books and colour-changing sunglasses available tomorrow and Friday. If you have preordered this item, I will try to give it to your kids tomorrow. The books are $10 each or 5 for $40. The sunglasses are$10.00.
WEEK ONE CAMP NEWS Day 2
We had a fun-filled day with hilarious stories, field games, creek activities and fun in the pool. The highlight for me today was when four boys informed me that the Green Gorilla had been spying on our camp. They found “evidence.” Imagination is on hyperdrive at camp. I love hearing how the kids take my stories and the characters from the stories and weave them into camp. Awesome!
We would appreciate it if your child is under seven and you have a lifejacket to send to camp.
All campers must have closed-toed shoes, i.e., crocks. Open-toed shoes lead to foot injuries. We noticed a few campers with these on today.
Check out the Camp Kahuna Facebook page, as photos of our campers will be posted soon. http://www.facebook.com/campkahuna
I went by the Voortman’s bus stop today and realized how difficult it is to find. If you use this stop (coming from Appleby Line) after you turn onto the North Service Road, you turn into the first driveway. It is a new stop for us.
Thanks for sending your kids to Camp Kahuna. Three more days of fun are awaiting.
