Spring 2020 Virtual Camp keeps campers engaged and connected
After canceling our Georgia camps set for March 9-13 and March 16-20 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Camp Blue Skies team and Board of Directors voted to create a Virtual Camp for those who signed up for the Georgia sessions.
“The concept has been on our ‘maybe, someday’ list for a while, but we wondered if we really could come up with programs that campers would enjoy and that wouldn’t create extra work or stress for parents/caregivers,” said founder Dick Sesler.
The team met in Charlotte to brainstorm what could be done quickly and came up with a plan.
Parents/caregivers received an email to give them a heads up so they could prepare their campers. That email featured this video by Dick, Kit Sluder and Jim Guimond explaining how Virtual Camp would work.
Jim, his wife, and a few campers put together a packet for each camper with a shirt and activity sheets. Then parents/caregivers received an email with links to the program videos created by Jim and volunteers Ryan Bost and Nick Doris.
And no camp would be complete without a sing-along. Sugar Creek — our "house" band featuring Millie, Tom, Betsey, and Karen — made a special video featuring music and a traditional camp dance.
Thanks to Alison Barry, Kristen Hill, and Julie Mata, our volunteers also received a packet with a shirt, the video links, and a special keepsake.
We asked campers and volunteers to post photos and videos to our private Facebook group. “It was a joy to see campers practicing yoga, coloring the activity sheets, and dressing up for their wacky selfies,” Dick said. “We hope we’ll get to see everyone in person at our camps this fall at YMCA Camp Harrison and our weekend camp at YMCA Camp Thunderbird.”
Click here for a camper’s video post that Camp Twin Lakes posted to its page.
Want to enjoy Virtual Camp right now? Check out the videos below and download the activity sheets and recipe:
Spring 2020 Virtual Camp videos
