Camp IVEY Days 5 & 6: Far Beyond Our Galaxy

On Camp IVEY Days 5 and 6, we ventured even further than we had earlier in the week! We joined up with our teams to play some team sports, like basketball. We headed over to Sarah’s Art Shack and made galaxy slime, and we swam in the lake with our friends. Thursday afternoon we had some all new fun with an afternoon filled with water slides, a rock wall, and a bungee trampoline. We jumped, we soared, and we climbed, finding new successes, some of us for the very first time.

As our time was wrapping up on our last overnight at camp, we sat down with our friends to look through some of our pictures throughout the week and create our memory books to capture our friendships, take pride in all we’ve learned, and laugh at our funny moments together. From there, we walked down to our final evening tradition of a campfire. We roasted marshmallows and made s’mores; we laughed and sang until we couldn’t any more. We walked back up to our cabins, basically asleep as soon as we entered the doors.

Friday morning we got to go on a new adventure! We headed out to Augusta Sailing Club and took on the lake in a new way! We paired up on sailboats and learned the ropes of sailing! For some of us it was our first time on a sailboat at all. And we loved it! New things are no longer scary with such good friends to support us. Then, we headed back to camp for our final event, the water olympics! Challenges with water balloons and water blasters left us laughing hysterically and soaking wet. And just like that, it was time to pack up. Our last days of camp have come and gone before our very eyes! Our week of intergalactic adventures filled with independence, friendship, confidence, joy, and growth has come to an end, and we couldn’t be more sad about it. Don’t worry though, there’s more to come, Camp IVEY 5 is just a year away. And besides that, we aren’t returning home the same campers you dropped off last Sunday! We’ve always had brains in our heads and feet in our shoes, but now we’ve got a whole new confidence to use!

This week we have learned that we are not alone! We have friends by our side, cheering us on. We have joy in our hearts guiding us along the way. And oh my, this new confidence that just radiates through us! Oh course we’re so sad to see camp week go, but  as we go from here, we go on new adventures! We forge on into the great unknown knowing that we can do anything! We just can’t be stopped! Off to new adventures, and we can’t wait to hear about them when we see you next summer!

Camp IVEY Day 4: Over the Moon

Here at Camp IVEY, the week is more than half over, and we just can’t believe it! We’ve been zooming through this galaxy of camp week with no intentions of it ending any time soon. Our Wednesday morning was off and going before we could even catch it. We ran off to our morning activities of Creative Movement, Asteroid Blaster games, and kayaking. In Creative Movement, we worked together doing partner yoga poses and then laughed our way through some “freeze” dancing. Just outside, we went on an intergalactic mission launching our ammo through the air to break up some asteroids that we encountered on our space journey. Finally, we joined up with our buddies at the lake in kayaks and canoes for a different kind of adventure.

Through all our morning activities, we felt a new sense of joy. A sense that this day was so good, and even if it wasn’t good, we could find the joy in it. What couldn’t we do with these friends by our side? Everything becomes silly, giggly, and so much fun. Scary new adventures don’t seem so scary because deep down, we know that we’ve got a joy in us that can’t be dampened. We moved on from our morning activities, but don’t worried the joy that we found will follow us all week and will follow us home.

After lunch we blasted off again, to camper’s choice and independent adventures! We have found that though at the beginning of the week we began with 6 choices for campers, campers have since found their own choices! Inventing new games and activities of their own, their independent spirits shining brighter and brighter as the week goes on. Then it was back to our teams for afternoon adventures. Wednesday afternoon we made tie dye shirts, played capture the counselor, and joined up for soccer games and challenges. We made messes, we turned the tables and took on our buddies in a new challenge, and we enjoyed sports in a different way. Throughout it all, we cheered, we laughed, and we wished it would never end.

We ended our evening with a dance that really was out of this world. A playlist created by our campers was played and our gym was launched into orbit from the excitement and energy in the room. We danced until our sides hurt from laughing and our feet just couldn’t make it any longer. We were over the moon, our hearts still singing and our toes still tapping all the way back to our cabins. We can’t wait to see where we go from here!

Camp IVEY Day 3: Into the Stars

On Camp IVEY Day 3, new themes started to emerge amongst our campers, while the first couple of days, some campers were a little timid, by Tuesday morning all of that was a distant memory. Our confidence is soaring! We started our morning with camp songs singing and shouting and laughing, then continued to sing and laugh all the way into our morning activities.

Our morning activities included some special guests! A special music time with Tara Schyer, where we sang, danced, and learned to make music clapping and shaking to the beat. We also enjoyed pottery this morning thanks to Tire City Potters, where we created lanterns that will shine just like we do. Our final morning activity was working with our teams to make it across the low ropes course, and what a challenge that presented us! But don’t worry equipped with our friends by our sides, challenges become fun adventures! Balancing and working together, we conquered all! And moved on to re-fuel for our afternoon adventures.

During our afternoon, we ran into a little turbulence in the form of rain. Don’t worry, though, nothing can dampen the experience we are having with our friends! We enjoyed an afternoon movie, some games, and some crafts and the storms were passed before we even knew it! And it was just in time! The evening was filled with choices all our own! Our campers had just enough time to complete their choices before dinner, and then after dinner was when our real stars emerged! Right after dinner we had a real treat in store with a visit from Magical Mike showing all kinds of cool tricks and involving some of us on stage with the fun! And that was just the beginning.

The grand finale of the night was our own talent show! An experience you would just have to see to believe. Our campers were nothing short of SPECTACULAR. Singing and dancing and puppet shows and original pieces of music and piano pieces and acrobatics and bongo songs and impressions and show-and-tell and basketball. You would just have to be there to see it! I’m fairly sure when we walked out of the building after the show, there wasn’t a star in  the sky. They were all among us! Each of our campers, a star shining bright, confidence reaching new heights and our growth continues on. After a day such as this, I can’t imagine what will happen next!

Taking Off! Camp IVEY Days 1&2

5….4….3….2….1…..blast off!! Year 4 at Camp IVEY is a whole new expedition! A whole week of fun at overnight camp? Yes, please! Our campers arrived Sunday afternoon and hit the ground running towards an out of this world week. We moved into our cabins and immediately found ourselves amongst friends old and new. We divided into activity teams of planets, astronauts, and rockets ready to explore a galaxy filled with experiences beyond our wildest imagination. Starting with quick introductions and games, soon the air was filled with the sounds of laughter as our campers piloted their own journeys towards a new found independence.

Sunday evening, we went on a planet search, exploring our new terrain without fear, collecting planets into our personal solar systems and even encountering a few aliens! With night 1 winding down, we returned to our cabins, with heavy eyelids and minds wandering off to what adventures this week might bring.

Monday morning couldn’t arrive soon enough! What adventures and activities could this new day have in store? We started our morning with camp songs and our group cheers, our friends encouraging each of us to sing so loud that I’m sure our songs could be heard in space. We took off from there, planets launched into orbit, astronauts loaded into their  spaceships, and rockets fueled up for the day. Our adventures included swimming, archery, and crafts. As we journeyed on from place to place, activity to activity, our confidence grew with each passing moment. Arm in arm with our friends, we tried new things. Our campers flourishing with each new opportunity. We found out that we are strong, launching arrows through the sky and into targets, friends cheering each and every time we succeeded and always there to encourage us to try more and more.

This afternoon, we started by being the captains of our own ships, flying off whichever direction we chose. Some of our explorers took to the water to continue swimming while others became literal captains taking out canoes and kayaks on the lake. Our spirits flying high with each activity, as we were reminded just how great we are. Other adventurers docked at the art and crafts shack, our creativity just over the moon. After our choices, we joined back into our teams for parachute, mad science lab, and space games! We learned a little and laughed a lot during some extra silly and messy experiments. Space games challenged us to think outside the box and work together. And parachute continues to return as a favorite activity year after year. We wrapped up our evening with a cozy movie night that took us into the stars. A perfect way to end our first busy day. At the end of the night, our eyes could barely stay open, our heavy feet hardly made it to the cabin, but our hearts were oh so full. Goodnight, Camp IVEY. Can’t wait to start again in the morning.

A Word from our Youth

Our Camp IVEY family has lots of members, and some of our best behind the scenes work is done by our exceptional youth board members. Our youth board has done so much for Camp IVEY outside of camp week and throughout the year making it 3 of the best summers ever, and they’ve already started back working again for year 4! These are their words.

“I loved meeting the kiddos and getting to see just how huge each of their hearts really are. This summer was such a blessing to me and I have held my experiences very close to my heart.” – Grace D.

“I think camp was a great chance for both my camper and I to learn how important small victories can be. In a nutshell, Camp Ivey is really a special place. Giving other kids, who do not normally have this opportunity is so special!” – Morgan J.

“I absolutely loved the Camp Ivey talent show. It was so much fun to see the smiles on the children’s faces when they got up on the stage and sang, danced, or did whatever they possibly wanted.  I went into the Camp Ivey youth board a little apprehensive. I felt like the odd ball out, not knowing anyone, but after spending the week at Camp Ivey I am confident in saying that I have some lifelong friends.” -Kitty B.

 

“I am a member of a team. The Camp IVEY team. I have met both campers and other youth on the board that I would have never known. We come together to make camp a blast for those who both serve and the campers.” -William P.

“My journey with Camp Ivey began with an eager heart to serve the children that have always inspired me. With little prior knowledge about the camp, I attended my first meeting with joy and anticipation (and many questions). I worked throughout the year with like-minded teens that I grew to adore since they too wanted to make a change in the lives of these beautiful kids. Though the planning and preparation for camp was exhilarating, nothing could ever surpass the amount of excitement my heart experienced that week at Camp Lakeside. My camper changed me in ways I can’t fathom much less type. She showed me a simple love that I will forever cherish.” -Sally Kate B.

 

“Camp IVEY is a special camp near and dear to my heart. I have personally seen my sister grow as an individual through out the years, and especially while she is at camp.”     -Ansley I.

“After three years of participating with Camp I.V.E.Y, I think I’ve finally drilled the summer camp mantra into my head: Camp is the perfect place to try new things. I recall repeating these words over and over again, convincing my camper that she could truly be great while at Camp I.V.E.Y and beyond. Together, both my camper and I learned that camp is about building new friendships, the ones that are kindled by the campfire. It is about stretching comfort zones to result in a new, confident normal. It includes pure joy, found in tie-dye and painting, yet somehow seeming to get more paint on faces than on canvases. It is about taking all of the experiences that are learned at camp and transforming the camper with new tools in his or her toolbox to face the world with a sense of independence.” -Nicole A.

 

Camp IVEY Day 3: Life’s a Great Balancing Act

Day 3 of camp came before we even thought it would. The nervous excitement from days 1 and 2 fading, and the confidence of knowing what a camp day will look like settled in amongst our campers. Camp week has this unique feeling of so long and so short all at the same time, and that is captured in our Wednesday.  Every camp week, when we make it to Day 3, we’ve got friends by our sides and successes under our belts, but we can also find ourselves in a little Wednesday slump.

It’s a lesson we are learn, and it’s certainly true, that hang-ups and bang-ups can happen to you. We love camp so much, there’s no shortage of fun, but un-slumping yourself isn’t easily done. But our campers are nothing short of exceptional, so don’t worry one bit. Here at Camp IVEY, we seen this old slump, and we lean on our friends to get over the hump. Today, we still had things to do and see, so down the paths again we went to take on the day. We went swimming together in a big happy bunch, taking on the confidence to find ourselves individuals in the group, but united together with a mission for fun. This afternoon was a special treat, a first ever Camp IVEY fishing tournament as we took to the dock on expeditions all new.

Fishing is something that teaches a lot. Some of our fishermen and fisherwomen found success easy and early, but for others it was a patience game. Standing along the shore or out on the dock, for some of our friends found that fishing proved quite the challenge, but even through it, we faced it together, encouraging each other through fair or foul weather. Things don’t always go quite to plan. Even at camp, you’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember, that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.

And part of our balance was bonding together using our friendship and independence to as the foundation for our ever growing confidence! The confidence that we can make it. There’s adventure around those scary corners, and we can find it. There’s fun to be had, there’s just heaps of it. At Day 3 we took on something totally new, and we found that new things aren’t always easy to do. But we don’t stop to worry, we march on to tomorrow, the week’s just half over, there’s excitement ahead!

 

Camp IVEY Day 2: You’ll Join the High Flyers that Soar to High Heights

It was Day 2 of camp, and we were on our way up! We arrived on Day 2 with the successes of Day 1 under our belts, and off to the races we went! New faces were no longer part of the equation because friendships have emerged, and we take on the day with companions beside us and our teams cheering us on. Today brought even more new experiences, and we found that we are warriors! We spent our morning taking aim at archery together. A new activity for quite a few, but there were friends to reassure us the entire way. Soaring like our arrows, we could fly.

Our team bonds grew even closer through some friendly competition in lawn games. Chasing each other until, we were laughing so hard our sides hurt. Taking turns running under the parachute and cheering on our friends as they speed ahead to new games and activities. From there, it was up to the top, higher and higher! Ready for anything under the sky, with friends by our sides we wandered back down the paths to eat lunch and share stories before we returned for adventures round 2.

Our afternoon was ours once again, campers choosing to return to perfect our aim at archery, friends becoming sharp shooters before our very eyes. At the lakefront our campers looked like old friends, calling out to each other to join in water games and songs as we swam the afternoon away. Even more of us took to kayaks today, following our teammates as we spent every second of sunshine with a paddle in the water. And let’s not forget our sweet artists, beading bracelets and turning simple pieces of paper into masterpieces galore! A day full of fun and friendship taking us to the very top! Could we reach such a peak on only Day 2? Easier than you’d think if you don’t go alone.

These new friends have already taught us a ton! That we aren’t out here alone. Supported through new expeditions, we join the high flyers that soar to high heights. As camp week goes on, we’ll fly on with speed. With friends hand-in-hand, wherever we fly, we’ll be best of the best. Together through camp, we’re on our way up, we’ll be seeing great sights. Come and gone already are the adventures of day 2, day 3 your next, and we’re ready for you!

Camp IVEY Day 1: You Can Steer Yourself Any Direction You Choose

Monday morning when the bus rolls up, there is always anticipation in the air. A whole new camp year with all the adventures yet to be discovered. First steps can be wary, and first days come along and could turn scary. But that wasn’t today. Today was all fancy-free and brand new. Today was new faces that soon became friends as we split into groups, and headed down the first path. We started our morning with the Camp IVEY song, then forged on ahead to the next new thing. We were certain that there was no reason to fear, with our buddies beside us, we marched onward to pottery, creative movement, and swimming as our morning expeditions.

We made the lakefront our playground, jumping in with big splashes and bigger laughs. Taking strokes towards independence as we journeyed through a day that was a combination of old and new, familiar and unfamiliar. Oh the places we’ll go, we were off on our way! Empowered with choices was a little bit new, but with choices in our pockets and friends by our side, we couldn’t go wrong. We didn’t all start at the same place, some of us, old camp pros, and others on our initial camp voyages, but each and every one of us gained more independence than we had before. Our morning was mapped out with each activity,  but just after lunch it was our turn to lead.

Paths were laid out ahead, but which one to choose? With all different options, there was no way to lose! You can steer yourself any direction you choose. 4 different choices, looked over with care. Independence from under the surface, overflowing as we declared, “I want to go there!”. Some of us taking the winding woodland path to archery, learning to take aim and soar! Others headed back to the lake to swim the day away, smiling near the sunny shore. Even more ventured farther and took to the water on kayaks. With paddles in hand, and the vast lake ahead, our self-determination pushing us into new waters. Finally, our artistic minds wandered back to the craft room, creating from scratch something completely their own. Born right in their own minds, independence took hold.

As our first day sadly drew to a close, we came back together over snacks and stories. More voices filling the afternoon air than there were in the morning. Newness fading, independence emerging, and friendships forming. You can steer yourself any direction you choose, and here we are steering ourselves towards Day 2.

Oh the Places You’ll Go with Camp IVEY

Year 3? Could it be? That it’s already here in simply one week? We cannot believe it, but we’re so glad it’s true. We simply can’t wait to adventure with you.

There’s return adventurers coming back for some more, while others, I’ve heard, haven’t been here before. But even if you’ve been here for years 1 or 2, there’s never a shortage of new things to do! We’re all getting ready, throw your things in your pack, marching off to Camp IVEY and not looking back.

What will it be like? What things will we see? Sometimes new things are scary to me. There’s new friends just waiting with a wave or “hello!”, new friends to go all the places you’ll go. When the bus rolls up bright and early day one, it’s just the beginning of all new kinds of fun. We’ll be a bit nervous, we might feel alone, because “new-ness” is outside of our comfort zone. But don’t you dare worry, don’t fret one bit. There’s joy to be had, there’s just heaps of it. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll discover you! And all the great things you never knew you could do!

Independence will spark something way deep inside, because you are a rockstar that simply can’t hide. You’ll step off that bus when it stops on day 2 and start climbing your mountain in search of the view. You’ll gain ground fast. You’ll be off with great speed. Confidence growing from one little seed. Then what will you do?  You certainly won’t keep all that confidence to you. You’ll look to your left, you’ll look to your right. You’ll realize that friends might need help taking flight. You’re more than exceptional, you’ll reach out a hand. You and your friends climbing higher than planned.

Over bumps and bridges, down in valleys, through gates, you’ll soon know that you are one of the greats! By the time that camp comes to days 3 and 4, you’ll be dreading the thought of your very last s’more. The joy that abounds here is one of a kind, but thankfully now, it is easy to find. With each new adventure, you don’t need to fear. With camp friends, now family, we’re always right here. Year after year, we simply can’t wait. Best week of the year, each time, a clean slate.

The countdown is on. In fact almost over! We’re just thrilled to pieces that Camp week is closer.  As each day passes, our Camp hearts are singing, dreaming of all the great things camp is bringing. We’re packing our bags, and hope you are too. Can’t wait to be back with the Camp IVEY crew. Camp IVEY, come quicker! We’re ready for fun. Campers, we’ll see you next week, on day one.

Oh, How Our Garden’s Grown- Camp IVEY Day 5/6

“Oh the places you’ll go, you’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.” -Dr. Seuss

Friday morning came so faster than any of us expected. We headed off to the Augusta Sailing Club for yet another new adventure with the people we now call some of our greatest friends. We boarded boats, and off we went, sharing laughs and stories as we ventured out onto the water, some of us for the very first time! We returned from our expeditions to join all together for lunch, telling tales of becoming boat captains and traversing new waters.

Back at camp, we jumped into some olympic games, joining our teams in a little friendly competition, but mostly just having fun. These people, strangers to us on Day 1, we now approach without hesitation. With cheers of encouragement, with hugs and high fives, we realize that we are much more than people that all just happened to be at the same place at the same time. We are a camp family. Some of us older members of the family who were here for year 2, and some of us completely new faces on Day 1, but you certainly wouldn’t guess it on Day 5. It’s always so fun to see this development as the week goes on, as we find common threads amongst our groups, forming unbreakable bonds that carry on past one week of camp.

Friday afternoon, we got to return to our camp favorites for a final time this week. Some of us choosing archery, with arrows whipping through the air and piercing the targets, Friday’s archery session looking much different than Monday’s. We definitely have some Robin Hoods and Meridas in our bunch. Others of us returned to lake adventures, hopping into kayaks, swimming, or fishing from the dock just taking in these final moments to engage in activities that were novel to us early in the week, and have now become our favorites. We had a cookout dinner after all the excitement, then had the opportunity to reflect our all of our many camp week adventures as we created photo books to take with us. And as we sat at tables together, sharing stickers and stories, it was so clear to see the growth that has happened here this week. Each of our campers started out as a seed in the ground, sprouting, then branching out into new territory. We became like vines growing up a fence, our stories intertwined with one another, more difficult to separate or distinguish between our successes and our friends as the week went on. We climbed upward and upward, covering ground quickly, growing rapidly together, winding around one another for support, forever bonded in this Camp IVEY family.

We spent Friday evening enjoying our camp traditions. We sang songs and shared ghost stories around the campfire, laughter filled the air even as smoke sometimes filled our eyes. We roasted marshmallows side by side, making s’mores and sharing sticky smiles. Our hearts full of song, our stomachs full of sugar, and our eyes shining by the light of the fire. As the sun set, we held glowing balloons, bright and inspired, just like us. We made our camp wishes, and let our balloons fly, watching them leave, knowing we too would soon be leaving. Back to our homes, back to starting school, flying out away from this camp family, taking with us our memories, our friendships, our songs. And as we listened to the final camp story, we relived our moments we had this week. We are leaving camp with the laughter still ringing in our ears, holding our memories close to our hearts, and ready to take the world by storm!

Another year of camp has come and gone right before our very eyes, and we can hardly believe it! We are overjoyed with the experiences of the week, and so sad to see it come to an end. Parents, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing your very exceptional people with us this week, we have loved every second! All we can say is, hope to see you next summer!!