Twice a day, campers are given a 30-minute break from activities to spend playing gaga ball, making friendship bracelets, shopping at a special canteen, going to Paddle Mania swim, or joining in a small activity that a staff member leads (like pogo-sticking or parachute games.) This 30-minute window of free time is called Morning Fun, in the morning, and Free Swim, in the afternoon.
Max Corona, 3rd & 4th Session Wolf
“What are the best things to do during Morning Fun and Free Swim? A lot of Fox campers will come up to me and ask this. Throughout my time at camp, the ideal activity during these times has changed.
When I was a Fox, the answer would be whatever burned the most energy. I can remember going to the tennis courts and playing tennis or going to play basketball.
A few years later, as I grew into a Coyote, I spent a lot of my time with my cabin at the swim dock on the waterman and swing. Later on, the swim dock got a little old and I wanted to move on and do other things. I would start huge games of four square with kids from all over camp. Another thing we would do is set up a circle of camp chairs and just hang out, talking and catching up about our days.
Now as a wolf, Morning Fun and Free Swim are a time I just want to spend hanging around with friends. Recently, all of my friends and I have been taking hammocks and a speaker out in front of the dining hall and just hanging out. Whenever another camper asks me for ideas about what to do during the hour we have off in the middle of the day, my answer is usually to do whatever you want, because the majority of the time you will enjoy what you are doing at camp.”
Thanks for the insight, Max! And we totally agree. Whatever campers want to do they can and should! Because we love giving campers choice and options. So much of camp life is scheduled that these times are really meant for campers to do whatever they want to help make their camp experience just that… their’s.