DAY IN THE LIFE
Not your average summer job.
Camp is a warm, welcoming, and friendly environment where you have the chance to make a positive, lasting impact in the lives of individuals with disabilities and life-altering illnesses. It's a space where making mistakes is supported, where making a mess is often encouraged, where taking off your "cool shell" is celebrated, and where wearing a pirate costume while singing your heart out around a campfire is the definition of professionalism.
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Every day at camp is a little bit different, which is one of our staff members' favorite parts about their job! Because we are a "hybrid" model of summer camp (see summer schedule here- we host both our own Timber Pointe campers/sessions as well as "partner camps" that may bring in additional staff and schedule their sessions/days differently), our camp weeks do not look the same as some partner camp weeks. However, this is what you can generally expect from the majority of your days at camp!
A "typical" day at camp:
6:30-7:00am
Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day!
7:30am
Day Camp Morning Meeting
8:00am
Breakfast & Day Camp Check-In
9:00am
Morning Energizers!
9:30-10:30am
& 10:45-11:45am
Morning Activity Rotations
12:00PM
Lunch
12:45PM
Critter Talk
1:00pm
STUMP!!!
1:30-2:20pm
Day Camp Rest Time
1:30-3:30pm
Overnight Camp Rest Time
2:30pm
Day Camp Activity Rotation
3:45pm
Afternoon Activity Rotation
5:00pm
Day Camp Check-Out/
Overnight Camp Activity Rotation
6:00pm
Dinner & Critter Talk
7:30pm
Evening Program
9:00pm
Back to cabins for bed!
Counselors are in charge of waking themselves and their overnight campers up. It's a great idea to have an alarm set earlier than when you need to wake up your campers so you have enough time to wake up and get ready before them! Counselors assist and support campers with any personal care they might need to get ready for the day. Program Staff assist as an extra hand when scheduled to, otherwise they get ready and head out to start setting up their assigned activities! You'll clean up your cabin a bit before you head out for the day, so your cabin has a chance of winning "Cleanest Cabin" award, AKA the coveted Golden Plunger!
If you are a Counselor who is on Day Camp this week, you'll meet at the Main Lodge to share some intentions for the day, review the schedule, receive any schedule changes or announcements relevant to your day or your campers, and get hyped for the fun ahead!
Welcome day campers! Day campers arrive for the day and head in to the Main Lodge, where our overnight campers gather as well for breakfast. We sing the Meal Song all together and activity groups are called up by color to join the meal line. Each morning our kitchen team serves a variety of delicious foods, such as breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, yogurt, bagels, eggs, juices, and coffee (for those of you who drink it!) All counselors sit at tables with campers to eat, connect, and clean up!
It's time to get our bodies energized for the day! Campers and staff circle up to participate in Energizers, which are simple (but epic-ly fun) choreographed dances that warm up our bodies and minds for the activities ahead, and usually get some laughter flowing as well!
Campers and Counselors attend 2 1-hour morning activities, facilitated by the incredible Program Staff! See below for a list of all the activities we run at Timber Pointe! All activities are completely adaptive and accessible for individuals with varying mobility needs. In fact, we won't run an activity unless every single camper is able to participate. We have a 15 minute transition time built in between activities to give everyone time to process and move to the next activity area!
Time to refuel for more camp fun! All meals are served buffet-style as campers and staff go through the serving line. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or PB alternative) are always an option for campers with selective eating. Our kitchen team creates delicious alternatives to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions (gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, nut allergy, etc.) as we see many within our camper population.
"Critter Talks" are kind notes that campers write to each other or to staff/CITs/volunteers, and that staff/CITs/volunteers can write to campers! These are notes of encouragement, affirmation, or just plain awesome-ness! You might shout out a camper who conquered a fear on the zipline, or a camper that demonstrated radical kindness by sharing their prize with another team during a game. Critter Talks are read aloud by Program Staff on the microphone, and the whole room cheers to celebrate the recipient loudly and proudly!
STUMP is a camp tradition that is better shown than told, but it's the campers' time to give a little extra love to a staff member, CIT, or volunteer of their choosing if their name is picked. Being selected is a badge of honor, which, let's just say, will leave you a little damp or messy, and definitely feeling refreshed! STUMP is hands-down one of the moments campers most look forward to at camp.
This is a time for day campers to have some free time- although, they must choose something "restful" to do. This often looks like playing with board games, Play-doh, blocks, sensory bins, etc., hanging out in a hammock, sitting and talking on the dock, or laying down on a sleeping bag for a bit!
It's been a busy day, and it's time to chill for a couple hours inside some A/C! Campers rest and recharge by napping, reading a book, coloring, playing a board game, painting nails, etc. Counselors and CITs that are assigned overnight campers that week receive a rest time duty schedule, so those on-duty that day will stay in cabins to take care of and hang out with campers, while those off-duty are free to nap or leave the cabin (can also leave site shortly to grab a coffee, slushie, etc. in town)! Program Staff may be assigned cabin duty, off-time, or activity prep time.
While our overnight campers enjoy an extended rest time, day campers get back to the fun activities at camp!
Activity groups (typically 3-4 Counselors and their assigned campers) of both day campers and overnight campers rotate through more exciting activities in the afternoons.
We say "bye" to our day campers as they leave for the day. Counselors and CITs that have assigned day campers for that week will clean-up the Main Lodge, complete any needed prep tasks for the next day, and participate in a debrief meeting (often a debrief dinner). After those things are completed, those Counselors/CITs are done for the day, unless scheduled for night-time cabin duty.
Our overnight campers continue their day at camp, making more memories and connections through adaptive activities and adventures.
Another yummy meal together! The kitchen team works hard to provide a well-rounded meal that changes daily. Critter Talks are read during the end of the meal hour as we shout-out and cheer for more members of our amazing camp family!
This is a highlight of every day! Whether we are enjoying a traditional evening program (Sunday Night Campfire/songs/s'mores, Monday Pool Party, Wednesday Boat Night/Movie Night, Thursday Dance Party/Ice Cream Party) or the "Tuesday Twist" evening program (changes each week depending on the theme- may be a game show, a sensory glow night, Life-Size Clue, a carnival, or other epic events), you know it's going to be a memorable time! Our Program Staff plays a HUGE part in pulling off the magic of evening programs.
Overnight campers, Counselors, and CITs head back to their cabins to get ready for bed. Counselors and CITs help campers with their nighttime routines and settle into bed while Program Staff finish clean-up and prep tasks for the next day. After a Program Team meeting (Program Staff, Support Staff), or a Cabin meeting (Counselors, CITs, Support Staff) to debrief the day and receive any important announcements, any staff or CITs not on-duty will be done for the day and may leave their cabin/site (curfew is 1:00am). Any individuals on-duty are responsible for staying in the cabins.
So much (s)more.
"Camp is so much more than a single place, person or activity. But sometimes there's a moment that is so wild, so silly, so inclusive, or just so powerful that I take a step back and go, 'this IS camp.' These are the moments that stick with me all year, even when camp feels far away. They remind me that camp will always be a part of me and that I can bring the camp magic into any space I enter. Thank you for a wonderful summer, and thank you for the gift of camp."
-Ellen, Pre-OT (Counselor)
ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
Adventure Activities
Rock Wall & Zipline
Giant Swing
Archery
Horseback Riding & Barnyard Animals
Wagon Rides
Sports & Games
CREATIVE Activities
Arts & Crafts
Music & Dance
Cooking
Sensory Play
Nature
AQUATIC Activities
Swimming (Pool)
Canoeing & Kayaking
Pedalboating
Paddleboarding
Fishing
Pontoon Boat Rides
ALL-CAMP Activities
Scavenger Hunts
Talent Shows
Dance Parties
Campfire, Songs, & S'mores
Game Shows, Contests & Competitions!
