In a world of constant innovation, creativity is becoming more important in the modern age. 

One of the gifts of camp is the fact that we provide so many opportunities for creative learning.

Sometimes we teach creativity in informal ways. We provide free play time where campers can get creative and invent their own games. Each day features impromptu songs, skits, riddles, and problem-to-be-solved (like “how do we clean our cabin?”). We also have activities designed to evoke these skills. 

One of them is “Team Adventures”. Cabins spend an hour solving challenges as a team with a trained facilitator coaching the initiatives. For example, they will be asked to “rescue” a stuffed animal tied to a tree without touching the ground within 4 feet of the tree.  It can be done. In fact, it can be done in many ways. The key is to encourage the cabin’s openness to unusual and creative solutions.

Man Cave and Friendship Games are really just circles devoted to creativity, be it story telling or lego making. I discuss those activities in a little more detail here: http://blog.campchampions.com/blog/parents/friendship-game-and-man-cave. 

Of course, our Fine Arts department specializes in creativity.  Campers write and perform songs in music, make items in ceramics, create dance routines and enjoy various crafts.  This summer, we added a drawing class.

Margaret Ma’am, our Fine Arts Director, is an accomplished artist and has designed the sketching activity this summer.

The picture I include is from this class. Each of the pictures started with a leaf.  The campers traced and drew the leaf in detail.  This first step helps the campers work on their technical drawing skills. Once that part is done, she provides a new challenge. 

She told them to enhance their drawings and make their leaves into something else.

If you look at the picture at the top of the post, you will see a smiling face, a watermelon, a fish, a dragon, the world, a boat, some trees and a scarecrow.

Perhaps my favorite, however, is the creativity that happens during an impromptu rain storm.  Rookies will change their cabin into a fortress filled with heroes . . . or a tent-making competition. Girls will create plays or dance parties.  We have had older cabins try “slam poetry”.  I am not sure any of these efforts are ready for TV, but they are helping your children stretch their creativity muscles, so it is time well spent.

Steve Sir  

Want more like this? See: http://blog.campchampions.com/how-camp-encourages-creative-learning