This years Copper Parks and Rec Kids Camp saw an increase in registered children with a total of 63 Copper kids playing, learning and just being kids.
The week long camp, run from 9-12 at Blackcreek Park, included activities such as archery, hide and seek, 'lizard and snake' hunt (wooden lizards and snakes), nature hikes, water toss, team ball games and more. Each game came with a series of instruction and skills that were learned.
The camp children ranging in age from 6-12 were split into 4 groups where the first thing they were able to do was pick their own group name. There were the Anacondas, the Black and orange tigers, the Pythons, and the Ocelots. 14 volunteer camp counselors age 14 years and up helped camp coordinator Tim Reed with the events and running of the games. (In the months prior to the camp, the counselors also spent endless hours washing cars to raise funds for the kids camp.)
For instance the water toss game looked as if it was just a fun way to get wet on a hot day. However, it was more than that. The children were given different objects that could move water; a sponge, a bucket, a squirt gun, a cup, etc., instructed to stay a certain distance from a pail and get as much water from a tub next to them into the pail in a certain amount of time. The kids had to figure out which object moved the water most efficiently. Now take archery, it sounds simple, but the first thing the children learned was safety and the second thing they learned was to pay attention to their surroundings. After that it was all aim and shoot. Then there was the twist to the old pool game of Marco Polo done on a large grass field, add a little reptilian hunting and some healthy snacks and the kids were all smiles.
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