Magical Moments at Centauri Summer Arts Camp – Part Five

This past summer, we challenged our counsellors to find ways to incorporate magical moments into all their camp activities. At the end of the summer, we asked about some of the specific things they had done with their dorms as a result. Here, in a final installation, are some of their responses:

‘During the Hobbit Festival, my campers and I created a maze within the basement of one of the buildings. We made it spooky, and each camper took on a different role. We then shared our Goblin Cave with any other campers who wanted to visit.’

‘My dorm had its own Adventure Staff, which we had built. I used it sometimes to lead the group to magical places around camp. One day, I took them to the river across from camp and we sat on a hill, bird watching. So much of magical is to do with nature, and we have a lot of birds at camp – goldfinches, herons, turkey vultures, swallows, red tailed hawks and so much more. We brought henna with us, and also played the game, Headbands. It was a lovely way to spend an hour, down by the creek on a gorgeous summer day. A lot of city kids don’t often get to do things like that.’

‘During a DOOT dinner, my dorm decided they were going to go to dinner as if it was a baby shower, and I had to pretend to be pregnant! The dorm all dressed up as members of my chaotic family and their characters were so crazy and fun! I pretended, all dinner, that my fictional family embarrassed me like crazy. There was a lot of yelling and laughter. It was definitely magical.’

‘I created a Safe Haven for my campers, one dorm hour. The campers used this as a time to swap stories, bond, learn about each other and share their problems. It was totally magical because everyone felt free to be themselves.

Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp