Camp de Vida: Day 1

The first day of Camp de Vida!

The Beginnings

Probably for about the last year, Mark and I have shared with one another some disappointment in some changes. We both loved the programs that our church had when we were youth and while we completely understand the reasons for the changes, we still were disappointed that our kiddos weren’t going to be able to participate in them.

We understand that the new program gives so much more room for personalization and flexibility, but there was something really rewarding and unifying about working with our peers for a common goal. We are both grateful for the experiences we had while working to achieve our Eagle Scout and Young Women Recognition Award.

Thus began the idea for Camp de Vida.

I’ve spent the last couple months fine tuning how I wanted this to look like and looking through Mark’s old scout books (which as a side note – I feel are SO confusing!), my achievement days notebook, and my girls camp manual.

Mark and I also felt it was a great opportunity to finish up in a really positive way our family theme from this last year – charity. So we incorporated that into it as well.

Also – I am so grateful we landed on the name “Camp de Vida”. Somehow “Life Camp” or “Skills Camp” just didn’t sound quite as fun. But this added a little flair and has fit it perfectly!

I am really happy with how things have turned out and day one was even better than I imagined. I can’t wait for this week to keep going!

Day One

Overview and Introducing the Theme

We had “Camp de Vida” written on the calendar so the kids knew something was happening but we kept it a secret as to what it actually meant. It was such a fun surprise!

We got matching purple shirts and handkerchiefs for everyone and I made camp notebooks with our theme and some daily devotionals in there. We explained to the kids what kinds of things we would be doing throughout the week and what we were hoping to get out of it. They seemed really excited.

Morning Devotional

Mark and I introduced the theme and then we all spread out and did our personal daily devotional. This was a really sweet moment.

Nature Notebook

After our devotional, we went on the Poudre River Trail for a little bit to enjoy nature. We walked a ways down the trail and the kids enjoyed just sitting and sketching some of their favorite nature things.

First Aid

Then we all gathered together back at home and Mark taught us about the purpose of first aid and the first four steps you should take when treating an accident victim.

Next, we talked about what kinds of things should go into a first aid kit and we assembled one for our family and discussed how we use the different items.

Recycling

Then Mark taught us a little bit about recycling, what can be recycled and how the whole process works and the WHY behind it. The kids were really into it!

Family Tree

After lunch, we did one of our favorite activities of the day. I made a poster with a blank four generation pedigree chart on it. Then I cut out pictures and names of everyone on the chart. The kids each had to draw a picture and a name and see if they could match it to the board in the correct place. It was such a fun activity! Thank you, Grandma, for the idea!

Manners

I got this book – 52 Modern Manners for Kids and it has been such a good addition to our home. There are so many manners and its going to be so good to talk about during family home evening throughout the next year. There are great role playing ideas and the WHYS behind the manners.

We talked about waiting for your turn to talk. We shared about how interrupting is not polite but also the polite way to interrupt if it necessary and important. We shared how waiting for your turn to talk shows respect for other people. It was a good and easy mini lesson for all of us!

Camp Sanitation

We talked about how to leave your campsite and trails better than you found them! Even though we aren’t camping during our “camp” we thought it was a good time to teach (again) about all the things with keeping nature beautiful.

Plant and Animal Classification

We passed out books (the kids have so many personal ones, too!) about animals and plants. We asked the kids to identify six different kinds of plants and three kinds of animals, birds, or fish that are found in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain area. They loved this and adding it to their camp journals.

Straw Weaving

This was definitely another highlight for the day! We used three straws to weave some yarn into bracelets. The kids loved it and Jacob and Sarah have already made several more!

Cooking

Last up for the day was cooking! I got a wonderful idea from a good friend of mine about teaching your kiddos to cook. So this summer, each of the kiddos picked something that they wanted to learn. The first time, they were helping me while I mostly made it. The second time, they mostly took the reins and I was just there if they had questions or helping if needed. This was the FINAL time! And they all did so great. They made dinner for the family and it turned out great!

Jacob picked blueberry muffins and Sarah picked breakfast casserole – so it was really breakfast for dinner! Benjamin picked to learn chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t expect him to do this independently so he just helped me – because it’s hard to be left out 😉

Our first day was truly so good and we all can’t wait for the rest of the week!