Arbor Day … Grandparent’s Day … Armed Forces Day. It seems that the sun can’t rise anymore without the celebration of one “holiday” or another.
And then there’s Adam Schwartz’s holiday. The director of Camp Kee Tov in Berkeley may have cornered the market on nouveau holidays with Messy Day.
That’s right. For one glorious day at Camp Kee Tov, campers and counselors alike get downright messy.
What kid doesn’t want to get messy after being cooped up in school all winter? And Kee Tov campers go all out, wrestling in the mud and on Slip N’ Slides and even putting on messy fashion shows.
“We tell the kids to not care how they look for one day,” says Schwartz, who hosts 380 campers per session, ranging from kindergarteners through ninth-graders.
“We even have to have a little messy training school for some of the younger kids,” Schwartz said. “We start with some magic markers and from there it comes pretty easy.”
Gone are the days when campers participated in the same activities for weeks on end. Fun and adventure abound on the 2005 Bay Area summer day-camp slate.
For instance, at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, fifth- through ninth-grade campers will jam this summer in the second year of the Rock On! Music Camp.
Jesse Scott, the camp’s music instructor, will have his campers select a song (AC/DC is rumored to be a favorite band among campers) and then take them through a week of rehearsals, practicing until they can play it in their sleep. The campers will culminate the week by recording the song on a CD, followed by a live performance for their fellow campers.
“Seeing the look on the face of the kids is amazing,” says Taylor Epstein, who is celebrating her 20th year at Osher Marin — first as a camper, then counselor and now director.
“The younger kids look at them like real rock stars,” Epstein says.
Osher Marin also has launched several specialty camps for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. These one-week camps range from World Travelers and Mystery Solvers to Space Explorers.
“We hope with an experience like World Travelers, kids get to experience the food and street art of countries like China, Israel and Italy at a young age,” Epstein says.
Changes also abound at Camp Chai in Sonoma, where Meredith Pollock is taking over as the camp’s director, bringing with her 17 years of experience from Camp Kee Tov.
After a camp open house on April 17, the new director was surprised to see the number of kids and parents who were interested in seeing theater being a significant part of the camp.
Pollock, who has a background in drama and dance, is planning to make the arts a stronger part of the Camp Chai summer experience.
“My focus is to build friendships and relationships through team building,” says Pollock. “A great way to do that is through skits, dance and even comedy.”
Theater seems to be the buzzword around a number of camps this year. Fittingly, nowhere is this more true than at Camp Shelanu’s Center Stage Theater Camp. The Walnut Creek camp will once again be leveraging the talents of Barrett Lindsay-Steiner, who has over 15 years experience working with children in the dramatic arts.
At Camp Shelanu, campers ages 7 to 17 will have the opportunity to select their plays, design sets and costumes and even work on some of their own lines. This all culminates in one performance at the end of each three-week session.
“We not only want the kids to enjoy performing,” says former camper and Assistant Director Susan Kotch, “but we want them to learn the skills necessary to take on the task. That is what they will take with them through life.”
Camp Shelanu also will be challenging its more daring campers again this year with its STARs Camp, which stands for Sports, Thrills and Recreation. Activities range from water sports to high-speed Go Kart racing.
While fun and adventure will always be a big part of camp, a great deal of focus is also placed on tikkun olam. The campers at the Berkeley Richmond JCC Camp, will spend part of their four weeks serving the community around them.
Camp Director Karen Cagan feels very strongly about the need for campers to participate in community service.
“We want children to work at repairing the world around them to create a peaceful environment and strong values,” says Cagan.
Every Friday morning, the fourth- through sixth-grade harpatkaanim (adventurers) will dive into the world of volunteering, working with area food banks.