Summer Camp Events: 7 Fun Days to Mark in Your Diary
With the summer less than a couple of months away, it's time to turn your attention toward the sights, sounds, and silliness of summer camp.
Summer camp lives in a parallel world, where the stresses of everyday life are replaced with some of the most weird and wonderful days that you'll ever experience. Formal work clothes are replaced with tie-dye t-shirts and comfy tops, whilst boring meetings are shoved out of sight in favour of colour paint wars and water fight events. It's life, but more fun.
Every summer camp is unique, so it makes sense that each camp hosts different special days. If you've not been to camp before, we've got news for you; it's not like anything you've seen before. We're covering our seven favourite summer camp events, so you'll look like a pro on arrival day.
4th of July
The biggest, boldest and no doubt best summer camp event, the 4th of July commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence.
On a day full of incredible patriotic celebrations, each camp will mark the passage in its own way. Typically, you can expect a lot of great USA arts and crafts, fun summer camp activities, and U.S themed shenanigans. Often, your campers will come up with skits to honour the day, and many camps do a 'paint your counselor' special… which is exactly how it sounds.
At some camps, when it gets dark, you might even get to watch a fireworks display, a spectacular way to round off a crazy day of activities.
Predator
In an all-camp game of hide and seek, the camp is split into teams of predator and prey.
It's essentially a massive game of tag but in the most incredible setting. The prey must hide to survive, and the predators… they've got to be fast and cunning (we've even see drones used for those tough-to-catch). If the prey gets caught, they join the predators, and the biggest team at the end wins.
Be prepared for camp to be both a hive of activity and eerily sparse at the same time.
Apache Relay
The clue is in the name; this race is one big relay.
The entire camp is split into two teams, who then spend the day competing against each other in various races.
When it comes to Apache, the sillier or more unexpected the task, the better! Shaving a balloon, shooting a half-court basket, paper airplane throwing… each team member will contribute in some way.
Some camps make the final task ceremonious for the oldest campers, such as a rope burning contest.
And the best thing about Apache Relay? In the end, after the entire camp has worked together, it really doesn't matter which team wins.
International Day
International Day is a chance to celebrate the different cultures that come together each summer at camp.
It is also a great opportunity for staff to get involved too. Counselors will divide by nationality and create a station dedicated to their country.
It tends to be a firm favourite with campers, as most teams will serve traditional food from their home country, making it a yummy and memorable summer camp event.
Summer Camp Olympics
Campers will wait all summer long for the Olympics to break out, usually in the most unexpected way.
The camp will split up into teams and compete for several days, showcasing all the skills they've learned in their activities over the past few weeks.
It's not just sports, though. Olympics often includes plaque-making, skits, and a special song event… there won't be a dry eye in the house, especially if you get a mention.
Each team will have a leader, an older camper who has waited years for the honour of being crowned captain.
Color War
Like the Olympics, some camps run Color War… (okay, look, you better get used to American spelling now and start dropping the 'u'..)
The entire camp will split into up to four teams and spend the last few days of the summer competing in various events to win points.
Some camps even throw a huge all-camp color party at the end, with everyone wearing white. That's until your campers get their hands on their team's paints and powders, decorating everything they see in a sea, forest, or desert of color.
You'll be washing it off for weeks after, though...
Closing Ceremony/Wish Night
The last night of camp is one of the most significant summer camp events; emotions will definitely be running high.
Closing Ceremony is your chance to say goodbye to the place and the people that have stolen your heart over the past couple of months.
Every camp will run its closing night differently, but a pretty popular event is Wish Night. Everyone will be given a candle to light, and you'll have the chance to touch flames and say goodbye to each individual camper and staff member. When everyone is done, you'll float your candles into the lake and take a moment to make a wish for the year ahead whilst appreciating the summer you've just had.
There'll be a lot of tears on Closing night, but a lot of laughs too, when the advisory staff play the slideshow of the most memorable moments of summer.
So now you know what to expect from summer camp events, you've got the insider's knowledge on what's to come. From the fabled 4th of July celebrations to sports relays and blasts of color, summer camp hosts events that make real-life look dull on return.
Working at summer camp is perfect for anyone, and these events are just the tip of the iceberg on what is an unforgettable summer.
We’d love to see your pictures once you’ve had a chance to sample these summer camp events, so be sure to tag us on Instagram @CampLeadersOfficial to be featured!
