Week 2 at Camp Farley

The first week of camp flew by like all good things! When I first met my campers I was extremely nervous, but they turned out to be amazing. They were talkative and so much fun to be around! Not to mention they got along with each other and always listened to their counselors. The transition into cabin life was so smooth, although we did encounter a few snags along the way. On Wednesday was the camp’s talent show and the girls were stoked to participant. Before the show, one of the girls felt that she did not have enough time to perform her song to the capacity of her liking and completely broke down. She cried, ran, and refused to talk to anyone. After a talk she eventually came around ad performed her song. She did such a great job and the crowd loved it! Our cabin sat down for a long discussion and everything was okay by the time they went to bad. Every time an obstacle occurred I did not feel unprepared because of my previous camp experience. I handled each one with great patience and a soft voice. Each problem was settled and the kids went home with all smiles. The camp was great this week and even though the kids complained they had a good time.
During the first week I got the chance to conduct, organize, and prepare several games that would allow my group to communicate and work together. The first two days are name games, group-solving games, and trust falls. The last three days are spent on the climbing wall and the zip line. The point of this weekly structure is to stimulate team work between groups of kids that have not spent time together. The first day is quite exhausting because the kids are bent on not participating. We have to constantly push them, but by the second day I feel that it really pays off. They start to get along with each other and support one another. These skills are pertinent to the success of the high ropes elements. I love watching the kids work together and strategize each step of the way! It makes the tiring moments so worth and I am grateful to be able to experience them.