Author: Glenn Smith

As we transition from another great summer at Camp Tall Timbers, our campers have headed back to school. Daily routines are driven by grades and academic achievement while days filled with water sports, outdoor activities and “hang outs” with friends are pleasant memories from a summer spent away from the everyday.

Fall has begun at Camp Tall Timbers. Leaves are changing color, cooler air rushes in and the beautiful Shenandoah Mountains are easier to spot across the horizon. Though our campers are gone, our camp is still full of energy as the opportunity for new experiences unfold.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year for weddings, school programs, and other special occasions where participants want to get unplugged and connected to the outdoors. We have shared many happy memories with brides and grooms and special groups over the years.

Our camp is an ideal setting for specialized programs. Our facilities can accommodate schools, religious retreats, science camps, sports training, corporate events, and other programs. The environment promotes team building, collaborative learning and other group objectives. Our groups have exclusive use of our 120 private acre facility. Our modern cabins are equipped with full electricity, bathrooms and showers. Our naturally wooded setting is a short drive from the DMV.

Camp Tall Timbers features great trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding and access to our own private lake. Our modern facilities support an active agenda, including a mountain board course, baseball diamond, 6-hole putting green and driving range, gymnasium with weight room, riding stables, zip line, climbing wall, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, roller hockey facilities, athletic field with uprights, riflery range, art studio, performance stage and so much more!

For those planning social events, school programs, religious retreats, corporate training and/or team building/collaborative learning initiatives, we are committed to making your participants “Happy Campers”.  We are excited to be venturing into our fall and spring season when we offer specialized programs and group rentals. For more information contact Glenn about programs before June 5 and after August 19, 2017.

Just to mention, as we plan some exciting milestone events, Jerry Smith, Founder of Camp Tall Timbers, just celebrated his 90th birthday. His vision for Camp Tall Timbers has had a positive impact on so many lives throughout the years. Happy Birthday Jerry!

As Summer 2016 comes to a close, we want to reflect on what makes Camp Tall Timbers the best place to go each summer and get away from the everyday.

Every season, we have committed to providing a memorable experience for our campers. Our beautiful natural setting in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a place where everyone can relax, unplug and make friendships that last a lifetime. Our 120 scenic acres allows our campers to connect with nature. From swimming in our lake to campfires under a blanket of stars, Camp Tall Timbers transports our campers away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday life to a more serene, natural environment so they can experience and enjoy the outdoors. They build personal connections that create a sense of community. We are an extended family where we care about and support each other. Creating a warm, engaging and safe place where campers feel comfortable, they feel confident to take risks and try an activity that is challenging or new, increasing self-confidence while enhancing individual talents.

Camp Tall Timbers fosters independence from our youngest to oldest. There is structure to a typical camp day but, within that structure, there is plenty of opportunity to make decisions. Our campers choose from many different activities and decide how they want to spend their time. Our counselors encourage campers to explore and grow, mastering new skills and improving old ones.

As the owner of the camp, it gives me great pleasure to follow our campers over the years and see the paths they’ve taken: athletes that have had successful professions, shy campers that are now public figures, carefree teens that are now prominent medical experts and couples who met at camp and are now married with families of their own. There is great satisfaction as the next generation of ownership welcomes the next generation of campers.

We have not strayed far from the core values established by my father, Jerry Smith. I share his philosophy for camp to be a place where we work to form a community of people with a like minded goal of having a good time but never at the expense of others. We foster sportsmanship, respect for each other and a community that helps one another. Camp should be structured yet free for campers to self motivate their program selections. Camp Tall Timbers for more than 46 years a kid oasis, away from the everyday has been our mission and still continues.

Summer 2016 season has left its lasting memories but already, we have begun planning for Summer 2017! Enrollment for our 47th season opens soon. We look forward to welcoming you back for what is sure to be the BEST summer ever!

Speaking of Best, the Best of Bethesda Readers’ Poll is open. Please vote Camp Tall Timbers for “Best Summer Camp (Overnight)” here and thank you for your support.

Hi everyone! Olivia and Catie made it to the top of the climbing wall! Hailey and Hailee both shot bullseyes in archery. Kevin mountain biked to the top of the lake hill. Yesterday was a letter writing day, so you all better be receiving letters from your campers!

Last night, our evening activity was Jive Through the Genres. At lunchtime, each cabin/tent group drew a genre out of a hat. With that genre, they had to create a dance to perform. All of the dances were pretty great, but the top two were Cabin A (90’s pop), who performed “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, and Boys’ Tents (musicals), who did an amazing rendition of “Magic” from Pitch Perfect and “Bop to the Top” from High School Musical.

The Cabin A girls were adorable! They all popped out from behind a banner with a painted genie bottle on it. They all had their hair in high genie ponytails. Sammy really brought the attitude (no surprise there!), and they put Ellie up in a cheerleading stunt.

Boys’ Tents killed it. They were so funny. I love that they are all so into performances. They added some really cool effects; Owen was the lead on “Magic”. When he came forward to “sing”, a couple boys blew some baby powder to form a cloud. Then Oliver came forward to do the rap. Every single one of them gave it their all.

For the tie-breaker, each group was given three minutes to put together another dance. The Cabin A girls pulled a bigger stunt, and the other girls showed the tumbling they’d worked on during Cheerleading class. Boys’ Tents did the same. They threw Simon up in a basket toss, then Adin M and Simon attempted a Texas Twister (partner stunting trick). They had a ton of energy. In the end, the judges gave the win to Boys’ Tents, making it their third win in a row.

This morning, we are doing clinics! We use this time to focus on specific skills. Each camper was able to sign up for which two clinics he/she wanted to take. This time, we are offering tennis, swimming, singing, wrestling, and wilderness survival. Every camper got their first and second choices! We’ve brought someone in from Super Splashers to teach swimming technique. Our own tennis pro, Dwayne, is teaching the tennis clinics. One of our counselors, Stevie, studies music in Newcastle. She’ll be teaching the singing class. Jon, another counselor, will be at the gym mats showing the campers the correct way to wrestle. The biggest draw for these clinics is wilderness survival. It’s being taught by two Eagle Scouts and another counselor. The kids are really excited about this one.

Tonight, our evening activity is Monte Carlo Night/Counselor Auction. We’ll have the gym set up sort of like a casino. They’ll start out with some money, and they’ll try to win more. At the end of the night, the money they have left can be used to “buy a counselor”. The counselors have each offered something up for auction. Some things are actually pretty valuable, like a lesson in a certain sport. Other things are not-so-serious, like a pie in the face. One counselor is letting the kids dump a bucket of water on her head. It should be pretty comical. 

Tuesday, 8/9/16

Good morning! Yesterday, we had our first full day of activities! The campers were able to brush up on some existing skills, like soccer, basketball, and baseball. They also got to try out some new activities such as rock climbing, horseback riding, riflery, rocketry, mountain biking, canoeing/kayaking, and cheerleading.

 

It was Lulu’s first time mountain boarding yesterday, and she made it down the golf hill without falling! The dance class learned over half of their dance in the first class (Dylan, Livia, Delaney, Ella, Tasha, Hailey, Reese, and Grace)! Ella made it to the top of the rock wall! Mayson perfected her round off back tuck in cheerleading! Ellie did five back handsprings in a row! Becca walked on her hands across the entire gym mat!  In archery, Anna, Sydney, and Scott G shot bullseyes!

 

Last night’s activity was counselor hunt. This time, the counselors planning the activity added a theme. Since a lot of the campers (and counselors) are into the new Pokémon Go! game, they had the hidden counselors dress as different Pokémon characters. The camp was divided into seven teams. Each team searched the entire camp in order to “catch ’em all”. When a counselor was found, they handed the team a Pokémon card with his/her character on it. India’s team was the fastest to collect all the Pokémon cards!

 

Monday, 8/8/16

Hi there! My name is Brynn, and I’ll be updating you on what your kiddos will be up to for the next two weeks! Yesterday, we welcomed a new group of campers. This is the biggest group we’ve had this summer, and we’re more than ready for them. They’ve all brought so much positive energy, and I’m already excited for this session. After we ate lunch, the campers were able to try out tennis, swimming, and archery while they waited to make their schedules. At scheduling, they walked around to see which activities were offered and customized their days!

 

Last night, we had our first campfire of the session! After dinner, we all walked down the lake hill to the campfire. The kids picked up sticks for marshmallows on the way down. When we were all seated around the fire, each cabin/tent group came up with a skit! Each skit had to contain a certain prop, and everyone’s name had to be mentioned at least once. After we had seen everyone’s introduction skits, we roasted marshmallows to make s’mores. By this time, it was already 9:00 and time for the little ones to get ready for bed. The younger groups started to make their way up the hill back to their cabins.

 

The campers received copies of their schedules at breakfast. After cabin cleanup, the camp was split into Girl Power Hour and Boys’ Leagues. This is just a time where all the boys in camp and all the girls in camp can get together and bond. It’s nice to see the veteran campers kind of take the younger ones under their wings. It’s good for the little ones to have positive examples to look up to. Tonight, we are doing a counselor hunt as our evening activity! I’ll write you all tomorrow to let you know how that goes! 

As the US Teams head “for the Gold”… so will campers for our upcoming Open House. This is a “golden” opportunity to learn more about Camp Tall Timbers and meet prospective and current campers.

One of the best ways to find out if a camp is the right fit for your child is to attend a camp open house. It’s an excellent way to experience the camp in action and feel the spirit, a winning combination. Together with your child, you will be able to explore the camp, see the facilities and meet the staff.

Some questions and discussion items to consider when attending a camp Open House:

1. What are activities the camp offers?
2. What sessions the camp offers?
3. What does a typical daily schedule look like? Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.
4. Does the camp have either a pool or lake (or both) for water activities or life guard training for older campers?
5. What is the camp’s philosophy? Is it one you’re comfortable with as a parent? Is it a good match for your child?
6. Ask the director how long they have been operating and what licenses they have. If the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), you can be assured the camp has satisfied the organization’s more than 300 standards on health, safety, facilities, programs and staffing.
7. How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff?
8. Other considerations that relate to your child and their interests: rainy day activities, field trips, tournaments and special programs.

Camp Tall Timbers is excited about their Open House Sunday, August 14th. Come visit and discover what it means to “get away from the everyday” – see you there for a day of FUN!

Register Here or to learn more info.

Sunday, 7/24/16

Yesterday, our Saturday Activity was Harry Potter Day! As everyone was entering breakfast, Ben stood outside with The Sorting Hat. He sorted each camper and counselor into a house (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin). They ate breakfast with others from the same house. After breakfast, they were able to change into their house colors. I want to give a shout-out to the four counselors that worked so hard to plan this activity. Jenna (Sybil Trelawney), Sam (Delores Umbridge), Ben (Severus Snape), and Jon (Remus Lupin). Of course, we had others dressed as Professor McGonnagall (Susie), Voldemort (Joey), Moaning Myrtle (Brynn), and Hagrid (Forrest).

Girls’ Tents led a touching ceremony centered around family. They read quotes, told stories, and played songs that were family-themed. Noah, Tre, and John each got up to share a poem or thought about family.

There were four vases in the pavilion, one for each house. The counselors that organized the day added/took away points (marbles) as the day went on. Delores Umbridge was, of course, very strict; she took away house points during Silent Lunch.

The first event of the day was quiddich on the soccer fields. Ten players on each team were given brooms to “fly” on. The chasers’ goal was to throw a ball through the hoops that were hanging on the soccer goals. The keepers were able to block these throws. Counselors stood on the side of the field, throwing bludgers (dodgeballs). The beaters were able to guard their teammates by hitting them away. The seeker’s goal was to catch the golden snitch (which happened to be one of our counselors, Jenna, who was painted yellow with glitter). Gryffindor won the quiddich tournament; Hufflepuff took second, followed by Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

After Silent Lunch, we had rest hour. Four senior members from each team had to sneak out of their cabins and retrieve a book from the forbidden section of the library. They were to then bring it back to Professor McGonnagall. Each book was worth a different amount of points, depending on how hard they were to find.

In the afternoon, there were three big activities planned. Each team had to save a CIT from the Black Lake. The CIT’s were floating in the middle of the lake (with lifejackets, of course). The teams had to row out to them and hoist them into their canoe to bring them back.

For the Wizard/Witch Duel one person from each team stepped up. They stood back-to-back with water balloons in hand. They paced heel-to-toe to the hula-hoops placed about six paces away. When they stepped into the hoop, they were able to turn around and throw the balloon at the other wizard/witch. The other wizard/witch was able to dodge the balloon, as long as they remained inside the hoop.

The third station in the afternoon was The Whomping Willow. Ben stood in the middle of the pool with a pool noodles in each hand. He swatted all around. Two swimmers at a time tried to retrieve spoons, which were underneath the “tree”. If a swimmer was hit by the willow, they had to drop the spoon and switch out with another teammate.

The last activity was taking down Voldemort. In order to kill him, they pelted him with spells (water balloons). The kiddos also wanted to throw them at Delores Umbridge, because she was also horrible. (The things we do to entertain the kids…)

The winners were announced at dinner: GRYFFINDOR

Last night, we went to see the Winchester Royals play baseball. The camper and counselors got to have concessions, and they watched the game. Some of the campers (and administration) bought some Royals apparel. Robert B even won one of the raffles! It was a fun ride home for all involved. On the bus, the campers and counselors sang a bunch of songs. I know that the van rides were a lot of fun too. I had the tent girls, Charlotte, and Ella S in my van. Loudest. Singers. Ever. By the time we returned to camp, it was already time for all to be in bed.

Hello parents, friends, and family of second session campers! I’m Brynn, and I’ll be updating you this summer on what your campers will be up to! I’m from right around Chicago. This is my second summer here at Camp Tall Timbers. I’ll be posting what evening activities we will do, as well as announcing some of the accomplishments the campers will make.

On July 17th, our second session campers arrived! It was nice to see so many returning campers.

Campers have chosen their activities and we are having a blast!

The first day of activities was a lot of fun! In tennis, Freddi beat Noah in the game of Jail. Ella S won Around the World in horses with a time of 5 seconds! In drama class, Hugh had the most dramatic death scene. In her swimming class, Candy had the best front stroke.

A few nights ago, we played a giant game of Cops and Robbers! The camp was divided into teams of robbers. There were a ton of stations set up all around camp. We had counselors set up at basketball, soccer, archery, volleyball, the pool, the gym mats, and the rec hall. At each station, the teams had to complete activities in order to receive a balloon. They then had to avoid the cops (CIT’s: Ethan, Ian, Aiden and Tre) and get the balloon into the safe zone.

The winning team was Ben, Brynn, Ellie, Ella P, Taryn, Noah, Spencer, Nastya, and Robert C.

Today, we have another day of activities. It’s our first “B” day, so everyone is going to new activities! So far, Hugh shot two bullseyes in archery.

Tonight, our evening activity is Gold Rush! One of the counselors, David, has it all set up. We’re excited to see the outcome! More tomorrow!

In the midst of all the fun blogs about “everyday” at camp – we wanted to share information for families who might be exploring summer options for Summer 2017. Read on to learn about the Value of A Visit and determine if your child is ready for the sleep away experience.

At some point, most parents will consider sending their child to sleep-away camp. How will you know when your child is ready? How young is too young? Here are some thoughts to ponder:

There is no simple answer to these questions because every child is an individual with many differences in preferences, enthusiasm, maturity, and ability to tolerate separation. When to start sending your child to sleep-away camp is a decision that depends on you, your parenting style, and your child’s disposition. Age is only one part of this decision. Also, for some parents, the thought of their child EVER going to camp without them is unimaginable. Sometimes, “they’re not ready for camp” actually means you’re not ready. Realizing that your child can be okay without you is sometimes hard, and it’s a big step to let them go. Camp professionals have been helping kids separate and become more independent for years.

To determine readiness, consider the following questions:

Does your child enjoy spending time away from your family for sleepovers, sports or vacations with friends?

How easily does your child make friends? Socialize with other kids? Separate from parents?

Has your child participated in group activities such as day camp programs, team sports or youth organizations?

Does your child advocate for him/herself?

How independent and responsible is your child?

Does your child transition well and adapt to change?

Parents tend to worry about logistics: Will someone make sure they eat? Know my child’s food allergies? Is there a nurse or doctor on staff who can dispense medications? Will my child remember to put on sunscreen?

Know that, at a well-run, accredited program, like Camp Tall Timbers, counselors are trained to take care of young children. Counselors will make sure your camper gets enough water, eats properly, manages a child’s food allergies, and puts on sunscreen. We have a nurse on site 24/7.

If you, as the parent, are confident in your child’s ability to be away from you. And you are able to express that confidence to your child. And YOU can handle the separation then your child is probably ready for sleep-away camp.

When considering a camp, tour and visit with your child. Also, consider family camp events where you, as a family, can experience camp together. In addition, some camps like Camp Tall Timbers offer camp experiences in a 1-2 week session as a transition for first time campers.

When selecting a camp, check out the camp resource for families at acacamps.org. The American Camp Association site offers suggestions on how to find the right camp for your child.

A lot about readiness also has to do with your child’s expectations. It is these expectations that will drive the experience. This is not the age to force camp upon a hesitant child. The number one thing to consider is whether your child wants to go to camp or not.

In The Summer Camp Handbook: Everything You Need to Find, Choose and Get Ready for Overnight Camp-and Skip the Homesickness – January, 2000, Christopher Thurber, PhD, and Jon Malinowski, PhD, say, “Most children have an intuitive feeling about when they are ready to be away from home, and how long seems comfortable.” According to the authors, overnight camping has six specific goals:
1. Have fun
2. Improve athletic, artistic, and intellectual skills
3. Nurture independence
4. Make friends and develop social skills
5. Experience a new environment
6. Learn from a positive adult role model

Camp Tall Timbers provides that and so much more. Experience what it means to get “away from the everyday”.
Schedule your private visit now or join our Open House on August 14.

This weekend was full of fun activities! Saturday’s theme was Superheroes vs. Supervillains. David dressed up as “Evil Night Man”. They goal of the day was to take him down. The other counselors dressed as superheroes. The camp was divided into four teams, each with a different color.

At the lake, each team had to send three members across the lake to retrieve foam letters. When they came back, three other campers were sent. After they had brought back all of the letters, they had to unscramble them to find the word JUSTICE.

There was also a high ropes activity and an egg and spoon race.

Later on, each team was given a superman t-shirt that was frozen in a block of ice. The teams raced to melt the ice. A team member had to wear the t-shirt.

Another activity was a water balloon toss. Someone would throw a water balloon to their team member. If that person caught the balloon without it popping, they could throw it at “Evil Night Man”, who was being driven around in the Gator.

Since the day was especially hot, the entire camp had a pool party. Each team came up with a skit showing how they would defeat “Evil Night Man”. There was a social at the end of the day, where we found out that a lot of people on camp have hidden talents when it comes to dancing.

The green team came out on top! (Jesse, Devon, Lucie, Alexie, Clarisse, Isabella, Clara, Redick, Juan B, Sean, Simon, Ivan, and Marc)

There is a lot going on this week. We’re going to have so much fun. Tomorrow, we are going to Hershey Park. The kiddos signed up yesterday for which kinds of rides they want to go on. We’ll leave in the morning; we’ll spend the entire day there. Wednesday night will be the talent show, and Color War will be Thursday and Friday. Friday night, we’ll have our camp banquet. These couple of weeks have gone by so quickly. It’s crazy that these kids are leaving at the end of this week! This is such a great group of kids. I don’t want them to go!  —

Hi there! Yesterday, Caleb and Juan mountain biked all the way up the lake hill! Chloé, Anders, and Xavier zip-lined for the very first time!

Last night we went to a baseball game! We watched the Winchester Royals play the New Market Rebels. The campers had a lot of fun rooting for the Royals (and the Rebels). A few of the kids got autographs from the players! They all received an allowance for the concession stand. I’m pleased to say that they were all very well-behaved. Alec caught a few foul balls. We got back a little late last night. Most of the little ones fell asleep during the bus ride back.

We had a late wake-up this morning. Right now, they’re off to their activities. This afternoon, we are doing clinics again. This time, the choices are swimming, tennis, baseball, singing, and knitting. Each camper has chosen two clinics to go to. We’ll start those at 2:30 today.

Good morning!

 

Last night’s evening activity was Murder Mystery! We tricked the campers into thinking it was another Cabin Activity Night. When the cabins and tent groups went to grab their canteen, Jim came down from the basketball court on the Gator. Joey was in the back with ketchup all over him. Jim told us he’d been shot! The campers and counselors gathered around to see. There were several stations set up where the campers could get information and clues to what happened. After the groups went to their first station, the bell rang. Jenna and Brooke ran out carrying Brynn (me). She’d been poisoned! Once again, the campers and counselors gathered around. They continued going to the stations, interviewing counselors and administration. After they’d been to all of the stations, each group wrote down what they thought happened.

 

I have so many announcements. Kevin and Marc won the camper bracket of our tennis tournament! This morning, they received their shirts. Sam, Xavier, Jesse, and Anders all won the game of Jail in tennis! Clarisse and Simon both made it all the way down the big golf hill during mountain boarding. Leyden made it to the top of the difficult side of the climbing wall! Josselin and Sam both hit the target in archery; Sam’s arrow hit the blue ring! Josselin also swam in the deep end of the pool for the very first time!

 

This morning, there were five new campers in dance class. I’m proud to say that Clarisse, Nela, and Mayson stepped up to teach them the dance and get them caught up. When someone was a little behind, they stayed positive and corrected them. It was the sweetest thing.

Wednesday, 6/29/16

Hi guys! We had another day stacked with activities yesterday!

Last night’s evening activity was Granny’s Candies. Granny came out to tell the campers that the Oompa Loompas stole all her candy! The camp was split up into five teams and set off to collect all the candy for her. There were five stations set up. At each station, the campers had to complete a task to get a balloon (piece of candy). They had to then get that balloon to the art shack without the Oompa Loompas (Hayley, Sydney A, Brendan, Devon) stealing or popping it. Each balloon was worth a different amount of points, and the team with the most points at the end of the night would be the winner.

The winning team was Jesse, Miles, Travis, Jacob, Max L, Marc, Violet, Lisa, and Sydney S.

This morning, the boys went to Boys’ League; they played a big game of baseball. The campers are all off now to their other activities. Tonight, we’ll have a Cabin Activity Night. Each cabin gets to decide which activity they want to do. It’s just a time for everyone to bond within their cabins. More tomorrow!

Tuesday, 6/28/16

Good morning! Yesterday, we had our first full day of activities!

Cabin F: Ella shot two bullseyes in archery. Sofia won Around-the-World in Horses with a time of 3.6 seconds. Sofia also made it to the top of the climbing wall. Nela learned how to throw a football for the first time!

Cabin 4: They all had a water fight last night.

Girls’ Tents: In golf, Hayley had the lowest number of strokes in the class (7). Clara golfed for the very first time, and the instructors say she has a natural stroke.

Boys’ Tents: Juan M made it to the top of the climbing wall three times! In basketball, Devon won the games of Knockout and Tips.

Our evening activity was Movie in a Minute. Each cabin was assigned a movie to perform, but each group had to incorporate Donkey from Shrek. The youngest girls, Cabin H acted out Madagascar. Cabin F had Finding Nemo. Girls’ Tents did Freaky Friday. Cabin 4, the youngest boys, performed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Cabin 5 showed us Toy Story. Cabin 7 had Jumanji, and Cabin 8 did Home Alone. Boys’ Tents acted out Frozen.

The top two performances of the night were Cabin 4 and Boys’ Tents. For a tie-breaker, they were given a choice for movies to act out. Cabin 4 chose Back to the Future, and Boys’ Tents picked Tarzan. At the end of the night, we did an applause-o-meter to decide the winner. Boys’ Tents came out on top (BT: Juan M, Alec, Marc, Brendan, and Devon)

The campers are already in their first activity of the day!

Monday, 6/27/16

Hi there! I’ll be updating you all this summer on what your campers will be up to! My name is Brynn; I’m from the Chicago area. This is my second summer here at Camp Tall Timbers, and I am so glad to be back.

Yesterday, our first session campers arrived! We have quite a few first-time campers, as well as some familiar faces. It’s so nice to see how they’ve grown and changed over the past year.

After lunch, the groups of campers signed up for the activities they’ll be doing for the next three weeks. There were a lot of classic favorites like soccer, football, tennis, and golf. The kiddos were also really excited to sign up for activities that were new to them like tubing, climbing, horses, archery, riflery, and yoga. They also took the swim test, learned the basics of archery, and played some tennis with Dwayne.

Our evening activity was a campfire down at the lake. Each cabin performed a skit to introduce themselves. We sang a couple of campfire songs with the help of Stevie and her ukulele. The cabin with the best skit was the first to make s’mores (Cabin 7/8: Kevin, Bubba, Sean, Jacob, Alex, Sebastien, Teddy, Max L, and Max V). After everyone had their s’mores, we sang another song and the cabins slowly headed up the hill to go to bed.

After breakfast this morning, the campers received their final schedules. For the first activity, the camp split in two for Boys’ League and Girl Power Hour. In Boys’ league they played a giant game of street hockey. In Girl Power Hour, we got to know each other by playing a variety of games like Bang-Bang, Mill, Slaps, and the Name Game. Now they’re off to their assorted activities for the rest of the day.

I’ll have more for you tomorrow!

Thursday, August 13^th 2015

Last night, we took the young ones bowling. They had so much fun. They really took advantage of the snack bar that was there. It was a good night. The older ones who stayed behind had a campfire. Each cabin was given a prop; they had to create a commercial for this prop, but it couldn’t be used for its original function. From what I heard, the outcome was hilarious (and very creative).

Today, we embark on our last day of regular activities! There’s going to be a camp-wide swimming competition at the first free swim.

Tonight, the older kids will go bowling; the younger will stay back for a campfire.

Tomorrow, we will do Team Competitions. The camp will be separated into eight teams. We’ll do “Write It, Don’t Say It” on the Rec Hall Porch. All of the kids will sit in a line. The camper in back will be given a word, and s/he’ll have to spell it on the back that is in front of him/her. The first team to get it to the front (correctly) will win.

At the Gym Mats, we’ll do CTT Stand Up and Human Letters. CTT Stand Up is where two people sit down back-to-back and link arms. They have to use each other to stand up. We eventually will do it with larger groups. Human Letters is a game in which each team is given a word (based on the number of people on their team); they have to spell out the word using their bodies. The team that spells it the fastest, or most accurate, will win.

At the Lower Fields, they’ll do a Water Balloon Towel Toss with Trivia. The campers will be in groups of four. There will be one towel between two players. The first group with a towel will launch the water balloon, and the other two will have to run and catch the balloon with their towel. The team with the most unharmed, caught balloons will win.

Finally, at the pool, they will have competitions for the fanciest dive, best belly flop, biggest splash, and smallest splash.

After the competitions are done, we will have a pool party until lunch. When lunch is over, we’ll all begin packing.

It’s been a wonderful season here at Camp Tall Timbers. The kids have been lovely, and the friendships and bonds they’ve made will not fade anytime soon. They have developed so many skills, and they have all come out of their shell a little more.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed my blogs. Being here at camp this summer has been a wonderful experience, unrivaled by any other that I’ve had. I study Elementary Education; so working with these kiddos was right up my alley. I’ll go into my senior year of college with much more knowledge than I had at the end of the school year. I’ve made friends that I know I’ll keep in touch with all my life. That’s what camp does. It teaches you so much more than the activities you sign up for; it teaches you problem-solving skills, how to work with others, among many other life skills. I know that the other counselors and campers got as much out of camp as I did. It’s been a privilege to work with your children. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Thanks Brynn Lamb for all your work with the blog this summer, it was great and a great addition to camp!!  Glenn Smith, Owner/Director Camp Tall Timbers!!

Wednesday, August 12^th 2015

Hi guys! Monday night, we had our talent show! It was really cool to see all of the talent the campers and counselors brought to show us. Hannah M and Colleen started us off with a “Camp Tall Timbers Cooking Show”! Hannah acted as Colleen’s arms, and they made what they called a “pudding sundae”. Hannah threw the sprinkles all over Colleen’s face, and they made a huge mess. Everyone loved it. Cabins 7 and 8 led us in jazzercise; that was really interesting. Livia, Olivia, and Delaney did a version of The Cups Song that we were all really impressed by. A5 Cheerleading Class (Emily, Sydney, Delaney, Sammy, and Ellie) put on an amazing performance, full of stunts and dancing! Fiona played guitar and sang Budapest. Hailey and Sammy also sang; they sang Pumped Up Kicks. It was really cool to see a tent girl and one of the youngest campers collaborate. Four of our counselors dressed in all black and taped glow sticks to their bodies so it looked like stick figures. They turned out the lights and danced. The kids really liked that.

Yesterday, we took 23 of the senior kids go-karting! Shortly after breakfast, we set off for the track. We spent time racing, and we also got to spend a good amount of time in the batting cages! The campers were so well behaved. They acted like young adults the entire day. They represented the camp well.

After racing for a few hours, we had lunch at Cici’s Pizza. I have never seen kids eat like that. Jared ate twenty pieces of pizza, and Laz wasn’t far behind him (while Hailey was proud of herself for finishing two). We were back at camp by the end of rest hour, so the campers still got to have three activities.

The campers who stayed on camp had a normal day. For evening activity, we did Cheesy Skit Night. The three most memorable skits were 2, 7, and 8!

Cabin 2 did a version of a game show. Zack was the host; Luke K came on as a character from South Park, and Luke M was a character from Super Mario Bros. David, their counselor acted as their cameraman. A monster kept running on stage, and they got the audience involved, yelling “MONSTER”. They made a ton of props; it was awesome.

Cabin 7 set out to prove that they could indeed make a skit that didn’t involve anything inappropriate. They impersonated a few counselors. Andrew did a spot on impression of Sam, one of our JC’s. He ran around, doing parkour. They put on a good skit, and at the end they all stood at the front and read a speech about how they wanted to show that they were more than jazzercise and twerking.

Cabin 8 made a skit in which Greg was the star. These kids dressed in costumes, and every single one of them committed to their character. “Gruella” (a version of Cinderella) was a lonely girl with no one to love or appreciate her. She found her prince (Adam) in the end, and lived happily ever after.

It was tough for the judges to decide who should win between these three. The separation between 7 and 8 was just one point, but in the end it was Cabin 8 who came out on top. The boys were so happy and proud of themselves!

Today, we have our second to last day of activities going on. We’ll take the young half of campers bowling tonight, and the older will stay behind with a campfire. Tomorrow it will be the opposite.

Friday, August 7^th 2015

Hi guys! Yesterday, the older campers spent the day rafting on the river. We planned to take the younger ones to Cacapon State Park to do some swimming, but the weather wasn’t on our side. Instead we did rainy day activities!

There were four stations set up. In the gym, they played dodgeball. On the gym mats, they played mafia, bang bang, and other games. In the rec hall, they played gaga ball, and they also did arts and crafts in the art shack. For evening activity, we set up a projector screen in the pavilion. The kiddos watched Garfield. Even though the day wasn’t what we had originally planned, it was still fun for everyone involved.

This morning, Bill stayed true to his promise. He did dippies for the first time!

Today, it’s still rainy. For this morning, the outdoor activities have been moved inside. Classes have been combined, but for classes like drama games that’ll just make them more fun! I think they’re playing Trivial Pursuit in the rec hall, and basketball in the gym. Don’t worry though, the counselors we have here on staff can make anything fun. And these kids have the most positive attitudes; they’re always looking to make things fun too.

Thursday, August 6^th 2015

 

Hi there! Yesterday, a lot of kids made it into announcements for accomplishments they made! In archery, Livia shot a bullseye, and she also won a game of knockout. Hannah M won a game of jail in tennis. In softball, Ellie learned how to scoop up grounders and hit the ball for the first time!

 

For evening activity last night, we did Cabin Activity Night! Each cabin got to decide what they wanted to do. One cabin had a pool party; another cabin went tubing on the lake, while a few just relaxed with a movie.

 

Every morning at the wakeup bell, people meet at the pool to do dippies (a quick lap before breakfast). It wakes them up for the day. Bill, the head chef, made a deal with the camp that if at least 30 people showed up that he would do a dippy. Today, 32 people showed up for dippies! So tomorrow, Bill and the entire kitchen staff will do dippies with us.

 

This morning, Hannah M went for a mile run with Colleen (one of the Girls’ Tents counselors who runs every morning)! The kiddos are at Girl Power Hour and Boys’ Leagues now. Later on today, the older campers will go rafting, while the younger ones go to Cacapon State Park!

Tuesday, August 4^th 2015

 

Hi guys! Yesterday, the campers embarked on their first full activity day! They had so much fun. A ton of kids made it to the top of the rock wall. Hannah M won two games of red light, green light during horses. A couple of kids got bullseyes in archery, and a few girls learned how to do stunts in cheerleading. Also, Ellie nailed her round off back handspring in gymnastics class!

 

For evening activity, we did Gold Rush! The entire camp was divided into teams, and they were given a list of clues. We set off in search of “gold” (yellow-painted rocks). At each location, there were various sizes of piles of gold. The group that got there first could grab the largest, and so on. After collecting gold, each team had to run back to the “bank” (pavilion) to have it weighed.

 

A couple of rare, blue rocks were hidden in certain piles of gold. These were “freeze gems”. If a team found one of them, they were able to freeze another team on the way to the bank and steal their gold! The campers were so into this activity; they were racing around camp like you wouldn’t believe.

 

Today, they are doing another round of new activities! Later on tonight, they will have Cheesy Skit Night! I’ll let you know how that goes!

Monday, August 3^rd 2015

 

Good morning! Yesterday, we met our campers for third session! They arrived with smiles on their faces. The ones that were a bit nervous warmed up quickly. As a staff, we helped the kiddos settle in and unpack. After everyone had arrived, we had lunch.

 

After lunch, we began scheduling. The campers went around with their cabin mates to a few different activities. They did tennis, archery and swimming while they were waiting to pick out their schedules! When they came into scheduling, they were able to pick out which activities they wanted to do! They each had fifteen slots to fill.

 

Last night, we had a campfire. Each cabin had to come up with an introduction skit. The skit had to include every person’s name. The winner was Girls’ Tents. They did impressions of each other. After skits, we sang “Country Roads” and “Wonderwall”. We then roasted marshmallows, made s’mores and headed off to bed.

 

Today, the girls have Girl Power Hour while the boys are at Boys’ League. The kiddos will have their first full day of activities! They’re looking forward to things they’ve already done, but a lot of them are more excited for the activities they’ve never done, like mountain biking, riflery, tubing, horses, archery, mountain boarding, and so much more!

Monday, July 27^th 2015

 

Hi there! Yesterday in golf, Sydney S hit an amazing drive! KG swears it was at least 70 yards. Sebastian was 6 over par on the course. Jenny chipped onto the green, and Henry hit some good woods off the tee! In aerobics, Lucie and Charlotte ran the entire way up the (crazy steep) lake hill without stopping!

 

Last night, we did a campfire for our evening activity. We had a pudding-eating contest. A representative from every cabin came up to the front and raced another. We did a little bracket… In the finals were Geoffrey (Cabin 4) and Emily W (Cabin G)! It was an extremely close race, but Emily W came out on top!

 

We also had an interpretive dance competition! Each cabin made up a dance (without hearing the song they were to dance to), and came up to perform. Cabin 4 and the Tent Boys did the exact same dance; no one’s really sure which cabin copied which… but it was a good dance! For the tiebreaker, each team sent one person down for a dance-off. Geoffrey from 4 came down, and Alec from Tents was carried down by his teammates. Alec showed some pretty good moves. Geoffrey ran up and grabbed Julia (a tent girl) to come down and dance with him. It was cute. The judges ruled that Geoff was the winner.

 

After s’mores, something happed that the campers weren’t expecting… Mark, dressed as a werewolf came down, followed by Ziggy, Max, and Miller, who were dressed as ghosts. Last night’s real activity was Ghost Court.

 

The first defendant called down was Jamie Stern. Mark asked her a question, but he spoke very quickly. He then asked Jamie if she understood him. She didn’t. Mark told her she’d been accused of talking too fast. Jamie’s punishment was that she had to go in front of the camp during breakfast and recite a poem very slowly.

 

The next one to be called down was Charlotte Bell. She was told that her crime was interrupting people and asking a ton of questions. Because she is so inquisitive, she is dressed as a detective today. She also must say “My dear Watson…” at the beginning of every sentence.

 

The Cabin 4 boys like to tell a lot of secrets, so at lunch they have to (one by one) tell a personal secret about themselves to the entire camp.

 

Sydney S, Margaret, and Emily S were called down together. Mark let them know that their crime was being too boy-crazy! Today, they are dressed as boys. They each have on baggy shorts, sports t-shirts, baseball caps, and mustaches. At lunch today, they will each recite four reasons why boys should NEVER date girls.

 

Noah and Sebastian were called down together. Apparently, these two think that they’re ladies men.

 

Sam and Anna were also called down together. They are both very into books about wizards. Anna has an obsession about Harry Potter, and Sam likes the book Merlin. Today, they are dressed as wizards. They have to speak in spells.

 

Mason likes Old Bay… loves Old Bay. The kid puts it on top of everything: mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, etc. Today, he has to work on an ad for Old Bay. He has to act as a salesman and try to sell it to Bill, our head chef. If Bill likes the ad, that’s wonderful…but if Bill doesn’t like it, Mason cannot have Old Bay for the rest of the session.

 

Ella S, Ella P, and Freddi sing all day long (especially at rest hour). Today, everything they say must be sung.

 

Sydney A, Hayley S, Katherine, and Julia are always dancing around. Today, they’re performing a dance at lunchtime. If Meghan doesn’t like it, the girls’ bedtime will be 9:00 for the rest of the session! (But don’t worry… I’ve already seen their dance. It’ll be good!)

 

Today, we are going about our normal activities. Tonight, we’ll do a scavenger hunt for our evening activity. We’re kind of taking it easy, because TOMORROW we’ll be going to Hershey Park! The entire camp is really excited!

Sunday, July 26^th 2015

 

Friday, we had Cheesy Skit Night! Each cabin had an entertaining, funny skit to perform. After everyone had gone, Cabin B, Cabin 5, and Boys’ Tents were tied for first place. After the tiebreaker, Cabin B was declared the winner! They hadn’t won anything yet, so they were really excited and proud of themselves!

 

For Saturday activity, we did Obscure Superhero Day! The camp was divided into four teams. Each team got to choose the superhero they wanted to represent: Red (Red Hot Hotsauces), Blue (Squidkid), Green (The Green Fringemonster of Scotland), and White (Bleach Boy).

 

After team meetings, they played Flash Dance. Flash Dance is an obstacle course based game. The teams took turns standing on the deck of the Rec Hall. There, they threw wet sponges at the other teams while they complete the obstacle course.  It was timed.

 

The next activity was Frozen T-Shirt! Each team was given a t-shirt frozen inside a block of ice. The first team to unfreeze and put the t-shirt on a team member won!

 

Each team divided in two. One half had to make a logo for their superhero. The other half designed a costume!

 

After dinner, we performed skits. The skits had to be about how our superhero got his/her powers! When every team had gone, the judges announced the winner: Green Team!

 

We had a social to end the day!

 

We also got Tryout Weekend kiddos yesterday! They did archery, climbed the rock wall, played tennis, canoed and swam in the lake, and swam in the pool! They all had a blast! Each one hit the target in archery (at least once). They all attempted the rock wall multiple times, and Aaron almost made it to the top! Dwayne, our tennis instructor, taught them how to properly hit the ball over the net. After a few tries, they all had it down! Doing lake activities with them was fun! We paddled around in little canoes. Austin canoed all the way to the other side of the lake and back! At the pool, Brin must have jumped off of the diving board twenty times.

 

We ended the day with a little campfire. We roasted s’mores with them, and Sam (Cabin 5 counselor) taught them how to skip rocks on the lake. I asked them which activity was their favorite. Brin said that she’d like to do lake activities over again. Austin loved lake activities and climbing. Aaron liked everything so much that he couldn’t decide just one thing he liked the best! Overall, I think they had a really good time here!

Thursday, July 23 2015

Hi guys! So Monday night was Murder Mystery! We told the kiddos that it was Atlantic City night; they were all ready to head up to the gym when BOOM! It was announces that Dyson (Glenn’s dog) had been murdered! (DUN DUN DUNNN!) The campers and counselors were then divided into groups and sent out to investigate.

They went to eight different stations that were set up around camp. At each spot, they had to complete a task in order to get clues about the murder! At the lake, Brynn and Megan (Cabin F counselors) were in a paddleboat, crying over the loss of their friends. They had fishing rods, and they told the campers that if someone found them a worm it might cheer them up. If they were cheered up, they felt able to talk about what they knew. Lynn (Girls’ Tents counselor) was sitting at the gym mats. The task there was to make her laugh (this is not an easy task). Ziggy (Cabin 5 counselor) gave clues through silent Pictionary in the art shack. On the rec hall porch was Miller and Sam (Cabin 5 counselors). They had the kiddos do various, random tasks… but the campers didn’t know that this was the no information station. They weren’t given any clues there.

Jenna (Cabin B counselor) and Reid (Cabin 4 counselor) were set up at the pool. There, the kids were instructed to dump water on themselves or others… whoever Jenna and Reid felt like picking on. Brooke (Cabin B counselor) and KG (Girls’ Tents counselor) were at the upper fields. Brooke is from Northern Ireland, and KG is from Scotland. They made their accents very thick, and they spoke way too fast. They were very hard to understand when they gave their clues. Cameron (Cabin 4 counselor) and Euan (Boys’ Tents counselor) were at the basketball courts. They had the campers do basketball-related tasks for clues. Lastly, Billy (Cabin 3 counselor) and Ben (Cabin 7 counselor) were at the climbing wall. Ben was the “good cop”; Billy played the “bad cop”. They were hard to get information out of because of their confusing behavior.

After the first few activities, it was announced that Trevor (Cabin 7 counselor) was murdered as well! They went to gather more clues about what happened to Dyson and Trevor. The campers were still trying to form connections between the two when they found out that Meghan (administration in charge of Girls’ Side) was killed! They returned to their activities, and they thought that the deaths were over. They were starting to finalize their theories when Kasoff (Cabin 5 counselor) was found to be dead.

After each group had been to every station, everyone gathered near the ping-pong tables and the pavilion to write their theories. When they had all been handed in and the theories were read, the true story was revealed…

Kasoff was angry with Meghan because he wanted her job. He decided that  he wanted to kill her to get her out of the way. On his way to do the job, he ran into Dyson and startled him. Dyson barked loudly and was drawing       attention, so Kasoff had to kill Dyson in order to get away. Glenn was very upset about his loyal dog’s death. He blamed Trevor, who Dyson never liked.  Glenn killed Trevor in attempt to avenge Dyson’s death. Kasoff went back to find Meghan and finish the job. Mark, who has always been very close with Meghan, was extremely upset with Kasoff. He retaliated and killed Kasoff.

The group whose theory was the closest to the actual story was Team 3! (Team 3 was made up of: Colleen, Andrew, Anna, Abby, Emily S, Hugh, Leonard, Henry, Braden, and Cody!

Cabin F and Boys’ Tents won the cabin cleanup competition this week! They were sent to Pack’s Ice Cream after lunch!

After a day of more activities Tuesday, we had a cook out at the pavilion! We then loaded up the bus with the younger kids (Cabin B, Cabin F, Cabin 3, Cabin 4 and Cabin 5) and took them to the bowling alley! The kids had such a blast bowling. The ones that stayed here at camp had a campfire. They played games too!

Yesterday (Wednesday), we went through our normal days of classes and activities. Every camper in climbing class made it to the top of the rock wall! In archery, there were balloons filled with flour that exploded in a puff of “smoke” when they were hit. Every kid in class hit at least one! Aidan and Ella P each hit four, and Aidan got two bull’s eyes!  In aerobics class, they went for a run and then did water aerobics! Lucie ran all the way up the lake hill! (If you’ve ever been here, you know that’s not an easy task).

After dinner, we loaded all of the campers in the buses and headed to a baseball game! We watched the Winchester Royals! The kids were each given money for the snack bar. They had a ton of fun just relaxing and watching the game!

This morning, they are doing their normal activities. This afternoon they will be doing another round of clinics!

 

Monday, July 20^th 2015

 

Yesterday was so much fun! We had a ton of activities. Hayley (Cabin G) won the swimming race in water aerobics; she also got a bull’s eye in archery. Aidan won knock out in archery class; he also got a bull’s eye.

 

Cabin G, Cabin 7, Girls’ and Boys’ Tents went bowling last night! Glenn and Meghan told the campers that if any two people beat their combined score, they would get free banana splits from Pack’s Ice Cream. Mason Corby and Robert Bell had a combined score of 291! They will receive their banana splits sometime this week!

 

The kiddos that stayed behind (Cabin B, Cabin F, Cabin 3, Cabin 4, and Cabin 5) had a pool party last night! We played some fun music and had a ton of fun. A few campers and counselors got really into chicken fights, and that was really funny to watch. We had competitions for biggest splash and best watermelon. After the pool party we walked up to the pavilion for canteen (popsicles), and we headed off to bed.

 

Today, we have more activities. Tonight is an especially exciting evening activity! The campers have no idea yet… I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow!

Friday, July 17^th 2015

 

We had our first field trips of the session yesterday! The older campers set off on a rafting expedition. They rafted and paddled down the Shenandoah River. I was able to speak with the Tent Girls this morning about how their trip went yesterday. They shared with me that one of their camp stories is now a legend at Harbor’s Ferry! Hayley Sanders described the trip as “invigorating”. Sydney and Catherine said that they learned everything they needed to know about rafting, and the instructor was very knowledgeable.

 

After rafting, they went to Golden Corral. Those kids ate so much food. They were so, so full when they got back. I don’t know how they were able to still run around!

 

I went with the younger campers to Cacapon State Park! There, we did some swimming in the lake! Ella P and Ella S made a wonderful sandcastle with a working mote. They made lots of rooms for various campers and counselors. Ella S worked on her cartwheel all day, trying so hard to point her toes! Toward the end of the day (and after an estimated 50 cartwheels), she was successful. She was so proud of herself!

 

Here at camp, we play a freeze game. When a counselor (or admin) says, “freeze”, the campers have to stop what they’re doing and stay in the position they are in until they are unfrozen. Yesterday, (Junior Counselor) Sydney was such a good sport. She told the kids that since we weren’t at camp, they could freeze her all day. Charlotte really took advantage of that opportunity. It was really funny.

 

After we were all tired out from swimming and playing, Glenn and Jodi cooked up some hamburgers and hot dogs for us. We ate in the pavilion, and then went to the playground. There, we played on the swings, jungle gyms, and merry-go-round. We also played an extremely intense game of duck-duck-goose. Some of the boys played ultimate Frisbee, and others played football. It was such a fun day.

 

This morning, the kiddos have clinics. They were able to choose which two (out of five) clinics they want to attend. Their choices were horses, tennis, swimming, art, and martial arts. We have someone coming in specifically to teach the martial arts clinic today. The campers are excited to learn about these activities even more deeply than what they cover in class! I’ll let you know tomorrow how everything goes!