Many of us love pop culture. There is always a buzz around camps that have a Survivor or Amazing Race theme. Superheroes is another good one. Don’t get me started on the SpongeBob theme we had a few years back. Indiana Jones/Adventure Week also continues to be popular, as does CSI week.

I especially love using themes that tie into summer blockbusters. If campers have seen the movie they can usually relate to the theme, sometimes more so then say a theme based on another time period. For example, do you think your campers would enjoy Wizards Week (based on the Harry Potter movie coming out this summer) or Wild West week. If your camp is on a ranch, then you should probably stick with the Wild West theme. If not, you should at least consider tying in this summer’s hit movies.

Below I have listed some of the movies that are coming out this year that you may find inspiration from for one of your theme weeks or theme days:

• Inkheart
  Camp (your camp name) is bringing literary fiction and fantasy to life this summer during Inkheart Week.
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
  At Camp (Wala-Wala) we spend a Night at the Museum, where history comes to life.
• Up
  Explore South America’s wilderness when you come “UP” to Camp (Wala-Wala) this summer.
• Land of the Lost
  Look out for the dinosaurs, monkey people, and Sleestacks at Camp (Wala-Wala) as we explore the Land of the Lost.
• Transformers
  We’re “Transforming” Camp (Wala-Wala) into more than meets the eye.
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
  We survived the Ice Age at Camp (Wala-Wala) and now we see evidence of dinosaurs around.
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
  Spend a week in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, where there-in lies a hidden summer camp full of magical adventures and Ministry of Magic assigned counselors. Welcome to Camp (Wala-Wala).

Below is one of the program ideas that I really like. I just may give it a try this summer. Again this is from the Jan/Feb edition of Camp Business magazine. Check it out and grab your free subscription.

You Sunk My Battleship!

Our Leaders in Training (LITs) create a new evening activity each year. Three summers ago, the all-camp activity was Water Balloon Battleship, and campers have loved to participate in it ever since. They hang black plastic about 6 feet high down the middle of a sports field.

Camper-sized grids are placed on the ground with string so that each camper can stand in a separate box. Five 5′ x 5′ boxes are on each side so all 10 cabins can play at the same time. The campers are lined up in battle groups of three, four or five—like the ships in the board game in their cabin grid. The idea is the same—trying to eliminate the other side’s ships/campers, but by splashing them with water balloons. The opposing sides cannot see each other’s grid so on a specific count, everyone throws their water balloon over, with the sides taking turns. One is eliminated by catching or touching a water balloon, or the balloon hitting inside a square. Everyone has to pay attention, and campers make some crazy “matrix” moves not to get hit by the balloon. Once a team is eliminated, it waits for the other teams to finish and then everyone on one side of the tarp rotates to the left, giving them the opportunity to play another round with a different opponent.We usually play three to four rounds, depending on the number of balloons and the daylight available. The LITs spend about a week prepping about 3,500 water balloons for game night.

THE RULES
Every camper and cabin leader need to be inside their grid square and cannot move out of it once the game has started. One side of the tarp throws balloons, and once it is done throwing, the opposite side gets to throw. Teams take turns until one team is eliminated.When throwing the water balloon,
a camper must throw from where he or she is standing in the square on the grid. A camper needs to dodge the balloon without moving from the square in the grid. Balloons are thrown on a count from the leader. After a round is over, pieces of the balloons are thrown in the trash. Another round begins.

SET-UP REQUIREMENTS
30 water balloons per camper (10 water balloons per round) 10 5-gallon buckets to hold the balloons in front of cabin grids and as many containers to hold the number of balloons needed (We use clean trash cans, ice chests and anything else that can hold water and balloons.) Plastic tarps and lots of string 12 LITs lead the activity, making sure each cabin has balloons and trash buckets nearby. (We end up using the 5-gallon water balloon buckets, and keeping everyone engaged.)

OBJECTIVE
Get wet! Have fun!

Lesa Ward, Camp Director
YMCA Camp Indian Springs
Crawfordville, Fla.
www.ultimatecampresource.com/
site/camp-activities/november-2005
.page-1.html

This post has been beefed up to 100 Summer Camp Themes and moved to my new site SummerCampProgramDirector.com.

This post has been beefed up to 100 Summer Camp Themes and moved to my new site SummerCampProgramDirector.com.

What makes this video so great is that everybody in the video is so into it. I love that. I’m sure your campers will really get into it as well, especially if they know that the whole camp will get a chance to see it.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Choose an appropriate song, something meaningful.
2. Get some staff together (or some of the older campers) and plan out the basics of the video.
3. Get your kids together and have each of them take a part of the song to lip sync. Allow them to have some input on how they want to do their part…using facial expressions, lip syncing it with a friend, adding a spin, etc.
4. Play the song on a boom box that can be carried around – or over some loud speakers that will be heard by everyone.
5. Practice, practice, practice…over and over until everyone has it right. If you do it like the video below it’ll be one continuous shot, so when someone makes a mistake (like a few of them did in the video) you’ll have to keep the mistake(s) in or shoot the whole thing over from the start.
6. Film it – using whatever video camera you have. You don’t need anything fancy.
7. Edit it – add the music to the video, syncing the music correctly. Add credits at the end.
8. Screen it – Use a projector and show it to the whole camp. This can be part of another evening activity or during a meal in the dining hall.
9. Post it – on your website or make copies on DVD to send home with the “cast”.

Sure it may not look as polished as the video here (they have professional equipment), but you’re sure to have a great time.