Friday, August 29, 2014

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




Thursday, August 28, 2014

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!


Friday, August 22, 2014

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!









Friday, August 15, 2014

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.

Camp Edey, Week 7: Girls Love Green!


This week at Camp Edey we learned all about BEING GREEN! We discussed ways to reduce, reuse and recycle and used these lessons to care for our amazing camp. Campers made their own customized reusable travel cups and canvas tote bags and each unit picked a special location on camp to plant a community garden.

Our oldest group even volunteered to have a “Camp Edey Clean Up” to beautify camp! It was heartwarming to see all of the girls taking the opportunity to take care of the beautiful camp grounds they’ve been utilizing all summer. From the youngest campers to the oldest, everyone seemed to really enjoy planting flowers and tending to them throughout the week.

On Wednesday campers showed off their Camp Edey spirit by dressing from head-to-toe in green because it was Green Girls Day. It was a sea of green everywhere you went. I also witnessed a very special moment for one of our campers that day. It was her birthday and it seemed like every individual made the effort to personally wish her a happy birthday when she arrived. It’s amazing that even in a camp with over 100 campers, we’re still a very close and caring community. Camp friends truly are the best friends!


Not only did we end the week with a Water Olympics event to keep cool, we also gave campers the opportunity to PIE their favorite staff members! It was definitely one of the highlights of the week – even for the staff! Some of our favorites volunteered to get pied without goggles or ponchos! Despite some unfortunate weather, this week was a blast and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next week when we get to discover our inner Camp Chef!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Camp Sobaco, Week 6: Junior Detectives!




When it comes to uncovering the leaf eating insect, we have a camp full of sleuths to uncover the mystery!

This week, campers got the chance to unlock their inner detective! It started with learning about fingerprinting and how different our prints are from others. It even got a little bit delicious when our campers fingerprinted using chocolate powder.

Next, our campers took a look at some clues under the microscope and discovered different prints that bugs leave behind.

Our trip this week led us to the Quogue Wildlife refuge, where we had a great scavenger hunt to find all sorts of animals including owls, and an old fox named Mulder. We then followed the different trails and came upon some slithering critters like snakes, and even found some frogs!

At the week’s end, we put our ultimate detective skills to the test. All campers, and staff joined in on the biggest mystery yet--to find our who ate our sherbert! We followed the trail of sherbert all through camp, with the campers dusting for fingerprints at every clue.

The campers finally caught the sticky culprit red handed! Turns out the culprit was none other than our friendly nurse, Alison!

Camp Edey, Week 6: Learning How to Be “Ms.Independent”

At Girl Scouts our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. This week at camp we took steps towards trying to create such girls with our Ms. Independent week.

This week we looked into what kind of healthy habits would create the responsible and resourceful girls every girl should strive to be. This week, I was back in the Green Group and they were a blast as always. For our badge work portion of the day, we explored the healthy steps that make up a productive morning, such as setting an alarm, laying out your clothes the night before, and making your bed in the morning. I was surprised to see that more than a handful of girls were already doing those things (with the exception of Mom making the bed in the morning for most!) Starting girls off young with those healthy habits can only help in making them become productive adults.

Along with talking about having a productive morning, we also had the girls make their own calendars to help keep themselves organized. They enjoyed writing down their favorite things to do such as sports games, play dates with friends, movie night with Mom and Dad, etc. The girls also got to make their very own coin bank at our MaeK activity with CoCo. With all this crafting and preparing, the girls have all the tools to help them to be as productive as possible and develop good habits to carry with them into adulthood!

Our dress up day was just as fun as ever, especially with some of our counselors dressing up as each other, which the girls really got a kick out of! All jokes aside though, we had a pretty good showing of future careers, with a good amount of police women, teachers and of course some pretty princesses. Camp Edey girls are sure to grow up to be successful women and rule the world!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Camp Sobaco, Week 5: Solar Power & the Holtsville Ecology Center


This week was all about solar power and full of adventures and experiments in the Discovery World Science Center. On Monday we began with our visitor Tod from the DEC showing us different types of reptiles and how the sun can affect them every day. Later, we had a brainstorming session involving what we already knew about the sun and what we would like to learn about it in the future. After presenting our brainstorming information, we created our very own thermometers which demonstrated how heat caused the liquid inside to expand.

Tuesday involved launching our very own solar powered UFO balloon! We learned that the heat from the sun’s rays causes the air molecules inside the balloon to move and expand when they are heated. The balloon started to lift right off the ground after just a couple of minutes in the sun

One of the greatest days this week was Wednesday, our trip to the Holtsville Ecology Center. We were able to see all sorts of nimals like goats, alpacas, owls, eagles, fox, and even a bear! We learned many things about them and the different habitats they lived in. That afternoon, we discussed how the sun plays a critical role in each animal’s development and habitat.

Thursday brought us a very cool experiment of making our own solar ovens. Each group was able to design their own oven and make s’mores to test it out in the sun. At the end of the day, we all enjoyed our tasty snacks and saw the benefits and power of using the sun to help us cook food.

Friday we were able to experiment with solar paint which was really amazing. Similar to the solar beads we used earlier on friday, the paint glows bright colors in the sun and fades when in the shade or inside. We learned that the chemicals in the paint and on the beads reacts to UV rays from the sun and changes colors when it is exposed to that type of light.

Overall, everyone had a great time at camp this week. Can’t wait to see what next week has in store for all of us!

Camp Edey, Week 5: Whodunit? Not me!



This week, the girls had to put on their thinking caps to try and figure out who stole the Gaga ball. Thank goodness it wasn’t me because those girls REALLY love Gaga! We will use all of our skills we learned this week, such as fingerprinting, morse code and making casts of tracks we made on the ground to help us unlock the mystery. At the end of the week, we will find out who actually stole the ball. (I’m sure the girls won’t be too happy with whomever did it!)

In addition to the wacky antics of our Gaga ball hunt, the girls really enjoyed fishing. The I FISH NY company comes in and teaches the girls about the fish in our lake, how to cast, and the rules of the catch and release lake we have here at Camp Edey. The girls were so interested and really listened carefully, wanting to soak up every word they were saying. The only thing the girls don’t really like is baiting the hook with live worms! Ewww! Other than that, the girls enjoyed catching the fish. You could see their faces light up when they successfully used the new information and techniques that they learned and said, “I think I caught a bass! Is it big enough?” That was a good moment at camp because you could tell how much they actually listened and how much they wanted to get everything right.

I switched around groups this week, going from Green to Orange to Red to Purple, and I have to say it was one of my favorite weeks. I got to see the differences in the age groups and how each group has its own dynamics to get through the day. One of the sweeter moments at camp took place while I was with the Red Group on Wednesday. One girl hit her hand on the floor during a game of Gaga and we took her to the nurse. What I really thought was interesting was the fact that the game almost stopped dead--and if you know these girls and Gaga, that usually never happens! They all wanted to see if their friend was going to be all right. All in all, the girl was fine, but it was just a very sweet moment to see how much these girls cared about each other after only spending a few days together.

Our dress up day this week was Superhero & Villain Day. All the girls looked awesome and some wore a cape and everything! I don’t know if I can really pick a favorite costume because all these girls are superheros in their own way as they come to camp each day with their great attitudes and personalities!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Camp Edey, Week 4: Trailblazing Week!

This week in camp we worked on our hiking skills with our Trailblazing week, learning how to read trail signs, make s’mores and trail mix, and make our own compasses too. We traveled all across Camp Edey and put all our skills together into one giant hike!

This week I was with Blue group. We had a couple of new girls come into Blue group throughout the week, and they were concer
ned they weren’t going to make any friends because all of our campers were such good friends already. This upset me a little because all of our girls are such good kids and would make friends with anybody! The other counselor and I talked to a few of our original girls and asked them to make the new girls feel welcomed. By the second activity, all of the girls were playing Gaga together like they had been friends for life!

We had such a good day today, that all of the girls were hugging each other at the end of the day, not wanting to leave each other’s sides. It was a really great thing to see; I guess camp friends really are best friends!

Our big event this week is COLOR DAY! Each group dresses up head to toe in their group color and competes in events against all the other groups. I know the campers are definitely looking forward to an exciting day of camaraderie and friendly competition.

Camp Edey, Week Three: D.I.Y. week was F.U.N.!

With the new “do it yourself” trend picking up momentum, we decided we would give it a try here at Camp Edey. The girls learned new and helpful skills and created projects using their own two hands.

This week, I worked with the Purple Group and from what I saw, they seemed to really enjoy creating something on their own. For many of the girls, it was their very first experience at attempting something like this. We showed them how to use tools like a hammer, screwdriver, etc. While most of them didn’t like the less-than-fashionable safety goggles they had to wear, they seemed to be interested once we got going with our demonstrations.

Our dress up day this week made me feel like I was seeing double! Twin Day was like looking into a mirror and it was incredible how closely some of these girls got their outfits to match. We even had a couple of triplets mixed in with the twins!


One of our big events this week was the “yacht or not” special event, where each group made a boat out of recyclable materials, and at the end of the day raced them to see which group’s boat went the furthest. Unfortunately, we didn’t have too much wind to help our boats across, but luckily one of our lifeguards jumped in and helped the boats along. The girls thought it was one of the funniest things they’d ever seen! One little girl told me ten minutes later that she was still laughing about how funny the lifeguard looked swimming around in the lake.

We are looking forward to the other competitive event this week---the staff boat race on Friday morning. The girls love to cheer on their counselors to beat out the other groups!

The girls gained skills this week that I believe they will carry along with them for the rest of their lives. They learned important life lessons to go along with their new skills, and they had enough fun to keep them laughing way into next week!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Camp Sobaco, Week 4: A Day at the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center!

The excitement of our visit to the Aquarium started days before our trip, as we talked about sea creatures, and viewed several ocean life documentaries. Part of our pre-trip planning was having campers explore a touch tank with items that felt like sea life. In reality, the items were actually everyday things such as a mushroom cap that felt like a stingray, etc.

When we arrived at the aquarium we were welcomed by the sound of Sea lions. We learned about “Bunker” the California Sea lion who was not very shy at all! She waved, danced and even sang for the crowd! After the show we continued on to the aquarium, where the campers took part in an archaeological dig and enjoyed making fish faces and trying to swim like the sharks.

A refreshing and fun part of our visit was the interactive Salt Marsh. Campers walked through the water and touched spider crabs, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, and whelks. Even the youngest campers loved getting their feet wet and exploring the marine environment. After their refreshing dip, the campers observed the otter feeding and training session. Excitedly they watched the trainers teach the otters how to perform tricks such as jumping through hoops. Lastly, the campers loved petting the stingrays and white bamboo sharks at the Ray Bay- touch tank.

The trip ended with the way it began--at the Sea Lion Show! Both campers and counselors had such a good time, that they all requested seeing Bunker the Sea Lion before we left!


Thursday, July 24, 2014

Camp Sobaco, Week Three: Children’s Museum of Long Island



The third week of Camp Sobaco kicked off on Monday July 14th. As expected for a Monday, we experienced our share of nervous newbie campers, but faster than a hare in a race, our children adjusted into a multitude of fun activities. One of these activities involved our guest speaker Lauren, one of our local meteorologists. She taught the campers about how weather is measured and recorded using a weather balloon. She also discussed tornados and hurricanes as well as weather safety.

This week’s highlights included a field trip on Wednesday, July 16, to the Children’s Museum of Long Island and a Nature Preserve. The younger groups, Einsteins and Engineers, went to the museum and our older campers, the Techies, went to the Nature Preserve.

Our theme this week was the discovery of weather and its effects upon nature. We learned about the water cycle, clouds, and even got to make our own thunder and lightning with a Van de Graaff Generator!

Meanwhile, our visiting group, the Atoms, went on an adventurous hike throughout our nature trails where they discovered signs of weather such as wet leaves, wild fungi, and even signs of wildlife being affected by nature. All of our campers were quite enthusiastic about this week’s adventures. Our upcoming week is expected to be even more wonderful with days full of creatures and critters!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Camp Sobaco, Week Two: Culinary Arts Tour!

Today we toured the Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Department. 

As soon as we walked in, our campers’ faces lit up as the sweet smell of baked goods filled the air! We then started with a brief introduction by the Community Liaison and Chef, Jim Fogerty. His high energy really helped in keeping the campers excited for their tour. We walked through the halls to experience the daily routine of attending students, learned about a typical student’s day, and explored the student study area/library. The campers were intrigued that the books that filled the library were all cookbooks. One camper remarked, “Wow! There are so many different books about food!”

Our next stop was the lecture hall. Chef Fogerty spoke to the campers about different tools and utensils used in the kitchen, such as the various spatulas, the frosting bag and its different tips, poultry scissors, and the spider strainer. Then Chef Fogarty introduced two student bakers, and surprised our campers with some freshly baked goods! Campers chose from a variety of cookies, including oatmeal raisin, coconut and lime, white chocolate chip brownies, plain brownies, or oreo pudding brownies!

The tour did not end there! Campers explored the various culinary kitchens where they met more chefs and participated in a kitchen scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was wonderful, as the campers were so excited to locate their items. The tour wrapped up in the lecture hall, where Chef Fogerty shared some wonderful and easy recipes for the campers to try at home with their parents.

Both campers and chaperones had a great time!

Camp Edey, Week Two: Art, Dress-up & More!


Camp Edey off to a strong start with Art Smart week! With Rockstar Week being such a success, it was hard to imagine how summer camp could get any better! Well, Art Smart Week came in strong!


This week, girls channeled their inner artist to create some amazing pieces for the art show at the end of the week. We also helped the girls towards achieving their Art Smart badge with lessons in pottery making and other artistic endeavors. We didn’t just make things for display purposes--girls also “painted” their own cookies for snack and made edible art!

In following with our dress-up theme days at camp, Wednesday was cartoon character day. The girls dressed up like their favorite cartoon character and they did an awesome job! I really felt like I stepped into my TV and onto the set of the girls’ favorite shows and movies with all the great costumes around me! The girls (and even most of the counselors) really were into pretending to be their favorite animated characters.

Earlier in the week, we had a few new campers who were nervous about their parents leaving when they were dropped off on Monday, One child in particular cried and held on to her mom for what seemed like dear life. We were concerned about whether she would want to stay for the entire day, so the other counselors and I checked in periodically to see how she was doing. She was making the best of friends, having a great time with all the activities, (sand art at Mae K seemed to be the crowd favorite!), and looked like she was having such a good time with the rest of the group. At the end of the day, she said she had so much fun at camp that she didn’t want to leave, and said she couldn’t wait to come back the rest of the week!

I have to say that I agree with my campers. This week was so much fun that even I didn’t want to leave! Art Smart Week has been a blast, and the rest of the summer is looking like it’s shaping up to be the best one yet! I can’t wait to see what fun comes next week!


Week Two Pictures

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Camp Sobaco, Week One: Sounds, Swimming, and Archery!

Week One proved to be a bustling and exciting week at Camp Sobaco 2014!

The action began with the week’s theme Sounds Surround! Campers learned about how sound works by going on a nature sound hike and identifying sounds around them, participating in a Rock Under Water Sound challenge, and learning how to make music with Boom Whacker Tubes. After learning about the tubes and how different lengths create different notes, campers put on a concert for each other, showing off their new-found talent!

It was yet another busy day at the archery range. Campers first learned archery basics. They identified parts of a bow and arrow, and learned proper archery form. Additionally, they learned how to launch the arrows, as well as the different commands and line procedures used in archery.
Yes, Week One was a great time! Be sure to check out this blog on a regular basis for all the details and excitement happening at Camp Sobaco!

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Camp Edey, Week One: Rock Star! Week

We kicked off our first week of summer at Camp Edey by pumping up the volume with our Rock Star! week. I have to say it’s going to be a tough act to follow!

In true rock star fashion, we jammed through the week with songs, games and even a talent show put together by our purple group! All the girls took to the lime light and showcased their many talents. Since dress-up themed days are always a favorite at Camp Edey, the girls embraced their inner super star and dressed up as their favorite famous person. Some of the girls were very creative with their costumes. It was really cool to see.

When we weren’t rocking out, we were enjoying sports, fishing, arts and crafts, swimming and the famous Gaga pit. I must say that the campers loved every minute of Rock Star! Week. This week was so much fun, and I know I can’t wait to see what next week has in store for us!



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