After School Day Camp

Our campers and summer staff members are back in classrooms and dorm rooms, exploring new places, meeting new friends, and using the skills they have learned at camp. They are probably showing off their new tie dye or lanyards, maybe making a meal but this time on a stove not a campfire, looking over pictures of new friends and staying in touch.
Here at camp we are in full swing of Outdoor Education! We have an amazing staff here spending their days teaching pond studies, leading night hikes, and of course it wouldn’t be camp without the camp songs. Each week Camp Killoqua invites a new group of 5th-6th grade students to come and learn about the environment and enjoy camp.
New this fall, camp is starting an After School Day Camp. This program is for elementary aged children and runs weekdays here at camp. Our focus is to give kids the opportunity to spend time outside all year long. All the great camp activities like boating and archery will be included in this program, plus a curriculum based off of other Camp Fire programs. For more information visit our website at campfireusasnohomish.org or give us a call at 425-258-5437.
Another exciting group that is spending time here at camp this fall is Teens in Action. We have Horizon Teens in Action for high school aged campers and Discovery Teens in Action for middle school aged campers. Both groups are for volunteer opportunities in the community and here at camp. The groups are working together for the next project which is a bake sale and fall activities at Jammin Jamboree. If you are interested the next meeting is here at camp October 23rd from 2-4pm.

It’s hard to say goodbye to sunny summer days but here at camp we embrace the new colors of fall and the chance to test our rain boots.

WoHeLo

Session 8

This week at resident camp the theme is holidays! Monday we celebrated Valentine's Day, Tuesday was the 4th of July, and yesterday it was Halloween. There was a great All-Camp last night called the 12 days of Killoqua in which the cabin groups saved all the holidays from going gray. Remember to wear your green today for St. Patrick's Day!
We have a lot going on this week with our specialty camps. We have Archery camp where the archers are learning and practicing their skills everyday. Culinary Camp made Nutella Crepes and waffles this morning. They are having such a great time in the kitchen. Horse camp is going well as the horse campers learn new riding skills.
This week in day camp the theme is mission impossible! All the day campers are solving mysteries and having a great time swimming, arts and crafts, and games.

Happy Holidays! WoHeLo

Summer Session 6

It's a sunny Tuesday afternoon here at Camp K by the lake. We have just started session 6 for the summer. Our theme this week is pirates! Already, there has been hidden treasure deep in the lake, eye patches, and pirate stories created by the Whulje campers.





Last night, we had a great skit night out at council fire. There were funny skits in which water was poured on different staff members (Nacho and Komodo are great sports) and of course banana/bandana. We also had a few songs (one created by the CIT 2's) with guitar's. Oh, and last night there was also a few magic tricks by Woodchuck (CIT 1).





Tomorrow, everyone here at camp is looking forward to All Camp! This week we are having All Camp down at the waterfront

Its been a while

It is a dark and gray day here at camp, the kind of day that makes your heart long for the sunny days of summer and the sounds of kids as they enjoy the many wonders of Killoqua. The maple trees have lost most of their leaves and the apples are starting to fall from our ancient trees (see photo below).

Things around here have started to slow down, well as much as they ever do. Our Fall Outdoor Education season has come to an end, and those of us up at camp are spending our days planning the exciting camp year to come.

As my mind wanders back to those sunny and exciting memories of the past few seasons I thought I would post some of the highlights of the year.

This year the Tyee tent unit was remolded and this summer our Tyee boys happily lived in a new cabin (below). This cabin features two rooms with bunk beds, and a large cook-out shelter in the back. For those of you concerned about what happened to the tents, worry not, as they have found a new home out in the Hundred Acre overnight campsites.

Last September our blog featured the start of our remodel on the Trading Post, here is the end result!

Another exciting construction project this past year has been the remodel of Uncle Wigglebottoms house in Fairyland. Thanks to many volunteers, and Home Depot we are excited to share our new playhouse. Recently our high school Teens-In-Action program came out and made some decoration that will be put up soon.

(some of the folks who helped with the remodel)

(all painted and awaiting kids)

We had a very successful session of Camp Willie, a bereavement camp for kids. During that week Evening Magazine came out and did a special on the program. You can watch that clip here. Each summer our Camp Willie campers work together to create a community art project. This year they help make a really neat sculpture of a white stag. They helped with all the steps of creation, everything from melting the aluminum, creating the molds, and pouring the the metal. You have to find just the right place to stand in order to line up all the parts. The finished project is pictured below. Next time your at camp see if you can discover where this project is tucked away at.


We had truly fantastic spring, summer, and fall staff members without whom we wouldn't be able to run our programs. A big thank-you to them, and to all of our campers who came out to camp this year!


These are just a few of the many exciting things that have been a part of camp this past year. We are hoping to be a bit more regular with our blog, to keep you all up-to-date with the happenings at camp.

Stay tuned!

Frosty Morning

We've had some frosty days recently, and this is what the camp waterfront looks like with a little ice and a beautiful sunrise. It was 17 degrees the morning of this photo! Polars bears, anyone?

Rainy Day

It's been raining a lot recently. This squirrel is taking cover with its tail ...
And this buck seemed unfazed by the rain, walking through main camp and snacking on the tasty plants.

Sunrise on Crabapple Lake

We were treated to a beautiful sunrise this morning. The outdoor education campers were bringing their luggage down to the lodge, so we stopped to watch the orange glow on the lake. This photo doesn't even match how vibrant the color was, but you get the idea. A good start to the day!

Thanks, Fluke! (Goodbye, old Trading Post!)

During the September 18 United Way Day of Caring, employees from Fluke Corp. "deconstructed" the Trading Post - usually stocked with camp T-shirts and other Camp K goodies. Don't worry, though! It was taken down to make room for a NEW Trading Post next spring. The new building will look much like the original, but be a little more modern.

As always, the Fluke crew did a great job with their projects around camp. This year, they also split wood and restocked wood boxes, washed windows, painted the floating dock, cleared out underbrush in the horse pasture and took apart the Tyee unit. Tyee is being rebuilt as part of the council's Capital Campaign, so the tent platforms were cut into smaller pieces and moved to the 100 Acres to be set up at the overnight sites in the spring. Lots of good changes at camp!

Here's the end of the Trading Post ...

Come visit camp next year to see the new Trading Post and Tyee unit!!

But do his feet reach the pedals?

We may have discovered a new driver for the camp bus, Cecil the Diesel. Cassie's dog, Wyatt, looks ready to work for kibble!

Summer Days Are Happy Days

Summer camp was a blast! There were lots of warm days, and even some really hot days, but through it all we had great adventures.

Session 1 kicked off day camp and also resident camp with Camp Willie, a grief camp program. Now in operation for 10 years, Camp Willie was featured on the front page of the Everett Herald that week. Check out the article here!
Day camp and resident camp ran throughout the season. During their training week, the Day Camp Assistants made this new unit sign, which was hung on the trail to the pavilion.
We enjoyed all kinds of camp activities, including swimming, boating, crafts, archery, cook outs over the fire and camp outs, biking, games and of course songs. We're sure every parent is now familiar with at least a few songs their kids came home singing!
We had one really hot week - remember that? - but stayed cool with lots of swimming, time in the sprinklers, Otter Pops, and some meals eaten out in the meadow to keep the temps down.

Specialty camps included a culinary week - here they are working on a delicious brunch the morning of sleep-in breakfast.

Other specialties included Venture Crew (with an emphasis on outdoor skills and activities), Dance Camp (swing dance), Archery Camp (with daily time at the range) Iron-Teen (physical actvities), Babysitting Basics and Horse Camp. Wadikima, the teen trips unit, went rafting on the Wenatchee and biking in the San Juans.
And of course there were also weekly themes. From Western to Superheroes to Adventures In Flight and many more, they inspired some creative activities and costumes. Even the visiting therapy dogs got in on the costumes! (They're pirates.)We hope that every camper went home with new skills, new confidence and lots of happy memories from their time at camp.

And a big "Thank you!" to the summer 2009 Camp Killoqua staff! They're the ones who make camp so special for our campers, and we wish them well in their new adventures this fall.

See you next summer at camp!