Camp Sobaco, Week 9: Superhero Science-Last week of Camp!

This week we dug deep to learn about some of the superpowers that animals and insects such as wasps, giraffes, and dogs have!

Our campers were so SUPER excited about Superhero Science! We had a wonderful trip to the Long Island Game Farm. We learned giraffes are the tallest animal in the world, and sleep only 2 hours. We also learned that Howler Monkeys are the loudest of all monkeys, and they use their howl to alert other monkeys to danger. Campers then gathered at the main stage to watch a dog show. As cute as the dogs were, campers were impressed with their tricks and ability to listen and take commands from the trainer. One big surprise was to see a horse drawn carriage that was not actually drawn by horse. It was, in fact, drawn by a dog. And the conductor? A chimpanzee of course!

Back in our wonderful science center, the campers created their own superhero persona by choosing a superpower and sketching their own costume ideas. All of the campers then used their powers in our super obstacle course. Campers also learned that they could be their own superhero even without the superpowers that they read about in comics and see in movies by doing something as simple as recycling. They learned how to take used paper and recycle it to make a brand new sheet!

All of the campers are super in their own ways, and we’ve had a blast this week remembering some of our favorite moments of the summer.

We were so happy to hear our campers tell us they can’t wait to come back next year!

Check out Week 9 photos on our Summer Camp Facebook

Camp Edey, Week 9: Robots, Aliens, and Pirates – Oh My!

The final week at Camp Edey is here! Our campers ended the season with a BLAST this week with special guests and spirit days galore! For four days straight we showed our Camp Edey Spirit by dressing up a different way each day. On Tuesday, camp was invaded by Aliens and Robots; Wednesday we were visited by rogue pirates;Thursday we rocked out in our favorite neon colors; and then on Friday we had the end of summer All Camp Luau Dance – leis and pineapples included!

We also had some very special visitors this week. On Tuesday, PSEG visited to teach us all about conductivity and electrical safety. They even brought a small model town to show off some really cool electricity demonstrations. Throughout the week we were also visited by one of our rockin’ robotics teams…the Radical Robots. Campers constructed items out of Legos, participated in a blindfolded obstacle course to learn how to maneuver a specific path, and even learned how to program the team’s robots!

Throughout the week, we also got crafty and built our own robots, rocket ships and even did spin art!

Once again, our Purple Group (Girls entering grades 7 through 9), were offered an optional special event. This week it was a campout! Throughout the week, girls were given outdoor survival skill lessons involving fire building and fire safety, knot tying, kaper charts and compass skills to prepare for their overnight campout.

The night of the campout girls had an archery lesson, canoed at sunset and played GaGa Ball after dark. Utilizing their camp chef skills learned last week, the girls cooked campfire tacos and campfire cones over an open fire before singing campfire songs. They even had a special opportunity to learn how to retire an American flag. What a memorable way to end the camp season!

The countdown begins...only 300 or so more days until next summer’s camp adventure!

Check out Week 9 photos on our Summer Camp Facebook

Camp Edey, Week 8: S’mores Galore!

From s’mores to campfire cones and even edible campfires we learned it all! This week at Camp Edey started off nice and messy with s’mores and ended with an All Camp cookout over an open fire. We even built our own edible fires for snack one day! We also made crafts that would be a big help for a camping trip such as bandanas, binoculars and water bottle carriers.

Like every week here at Camp Edey, Wacky Wednesday was a big hit for both campers and staff alike. This week’s theme was Disney, and each participant dressed as her favorite character. Camp was filled with princesses, pirates, cowboys and other classic Disney favorites.

This week, I spent a lot of time with our oldest group on camp, the Purple Group. The girls were given the opportunity to go canoeing on Tuesday, and received a lesson on basic knot tying to expand their outdoor survival skill set.

In addition, some of the older girls chose to go on the optional trip to the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center. During the trip, the girls split into teams and raced the clock to complete an educational scavenger hunt throughout the many exhibits of the aquarium. The trip also included a sea lion show!

It was also time for our annual event…the Goofy Camp Staff Award Ceremony! Campers cheered on their favorite staff members as they were awarded silly titles for their jobs well done throughout the last eight weeks. From “Tony the Tiger” to “Mad Hatter” and even “Camp Comic” all of the campers giggled as each staff member was awarded a title that represented their personalities. A great time was had by all as we hiked, cooked and crafted this week at Camp Edey.


We’re looking forward to Rockin’ Robots next week!

Camp Sobaco, Week 8: Grossology & Maritime Explorium!

This week our field trip was to the Maritime Explorium-The Maritime Children’s Museum. It was the perfect day for our trip as the weather was absolutely perfect for our venture!

Campers started their excursion with a dig! They went on a professionally led dig, where they had to dig down in the dirt, and use a brush to remove sand from items that they found. They then had to try and identify these items. Campers were then taken down by the beach to do a sea life scavenger hunt where they found things from seashells, to algae and other living organisms. Some of it was so slimy, and every time a camper picked something up, he or she would shout “Grossology!”

The last stop was to learn about some other sea life creatures such as lobsters. Campers learned lobsters looked like both live and when they were cooked, and how they age.

Other gross and awesome activities that took place at camp this week included learning about the way our bodies function when we have a cold, and when we get stomachaches. Campers also enjoyed mock ear wax, which consisted of mini marshmallows dipped in caramel!

The end of our week brought us to our guest, the Mad Scientist!  Campers were excited to see and participate in all of the wonderful experiments-- from ooey gooey slime, to colorful volcanoes! The campers’ favorite part of it all was the ‘Ka-Boom!’ sound that came from the combustion experiment!

We can’t believe how fast the summer has gone by--only one more week to go!

Camp Sobaco, Week 7: A Bug's Life!

 This week at Camp Sobaco was all about bugs! We learned about different types of insects, where they are on the food chain, their life cycles, and even how they can help people.
Monday kicked off with a visit from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). They talked about the defense methods of animals and insects and why they may have evolved to have certain traits. For example, bugs are really small so many of them developed wings to help them avoid being caught by predators.

On Tuesday, all of the campers were able to meet a local beekeeper who taught them about honey bees and shared her experiences as a beekeeper. She even had a miniature handmade beehive (without the bees) to show them. The children enjoyed her stories and learned many things from her including the differences between bees and yellow jackets and why honey bees are so important to our environment.

Due to the weather, Wednesday started out rough, but once we all got to camp it was a breeze! The kids used their brainstorming powers to come up with cool facts about bugs to share with the group and then used magazine images to highlight a bug’s function in everyday products.

During our discussions on Thursday many of us learned about the lifecycle of a bug, more specifically, a butterfly. We learned about the four stages and what happens to a butterfly in each one that gives us the result of the beautiful insect we all love to see.

Our trip to the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium on Friday was out of this world! Seeing the constellations and learning about the planets is always enjoyable. Everyone had a great time learning new things and exploring the museum with their friends.