Camp mommy | Imamother

amother

Mon, May 23 2022, 10:52 pm

This is not my first year making camp mommy, but my kids are getting older BH and I'm running out of ideas. Between camp and chol hamoed trips and vacation days ...

If I see it's relevant I'll post my location (not east coast) but can other moms please post good and great ideas for camp mommy?!

I do have a theme, but it's very flexible to fit any activity pretty much.

My oldest is 12 and youngest is two BH.

All kinds of activities are appreciated!!

amother

Bone

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:10 pm

What is your Theme?

I might have a few ideas if I know your theme.

What do your kids like to do?
Do they like to take trips?
Can they go swimming every day with swimming being a large part of the day?Getting ready Getting there, ect..

amother

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:26 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

Thanks!
The theme can really be fit for anything with a twist. I figured we can work on the twists ;-). It's a Jewish theme, if that helps your brain get moving! :-D
Yes, we like trips, but have done everything here in a 45 minute radius many times over.
We like being outdoors, but not necessarily ball sports. Biking and those activities are fun for us.
Swimming is a possibility, but probably just once a week or so.
Most of us like art. But I dislike arts and crafts projects, though some of my kids like them.
Some of us like science projects.

Hope that helps you help me!

amother

Bone

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:32 pm

Twister?

Do your kids like lanyard, or making friendship bracelets, you have to twist the yarn

Purim play-that is a big twist
Would your kids like to do a show? Maybe even preform it to the neighborhood kids

#BestBubby

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:39 pm

Make a carnival for the neighbors.

Read aloud good books.

Get some summer workbooks - some of them are mazes, puzzles.

Board games.

Volunteer at Tomchei Shobbos or other organization - packing boxes.

Visit a nursing home - make a choir.

Rent those giant slide and other rides. Not too expensive if you chip in with some neighbors.

amother

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:39 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

Oh I didn't write that clearly, I'm sorry! The theme is not twist. I meant it's a Jewish theme and we can make any idea and activity work with a twist. I like to be creative, but I can't think of the interesting ideas to be creative with! Which is why I'm networking for a little help :-)

But, no my kids are the introverted types. They would make a play amongst themselves though.

Another thing - what kind of incentive or reward program do you ladies use with different age kids? Generally I don't do this, except for the summer. I change it each year. Was wondering how I should do it this year.

Thanks for your help!

amother

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:41 pm

#BestBubby wrote:

Thanks for the ideas!

amother

Bone

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:51 pm

One year I made my kids have two books

1-some thing nice they did that day
2-Hasctris Pratisis(my Hebrew to English is very bad, showing Gods will I think it's defined)

The kids who could write, wrote it down-the kids who could not I wrote it for them at the end of the summer they were very impressed with what they did

Hope this helps for an activity

amother

Mon, May 23 2022, 11:55 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

Yes, I like it! Thank you 😊

Aylat

Tue, May 24 2022, 12:10 am

Depending on your technology use -

There's a great app called stop motion that you can use to make short videos by taking still pictures. My kids use it with elaborate lego scenarios.

Recording an audiobook - choose one of their favourite books and record themselves reading it out loud. For chapter books is obviously a multi-day project, a chapter a day.

#BestBubby

Tue, May 24 2022, 1:34 am

One of the frum magazines had a cover story on "Camp Mommy" a couple of years ago.

It had lots of ideas.

A lot of expensive trips, but the Mothers said it was still much cheaper than day camp.

Maybe contact the magazines (Mishpacha, Ami, Binah) and ask if you can have a copy
of the Camp Mommy article.

#BestBubby

Tue, May 24 2022, 2:50 am

Scavenger Hunt

Treasure Hunt

Candy Hunt

Capture the Flag

Camp Fire - roast hot dogs, toast marshmallows

Make a play for the neighborhood kids. Maybe Kamtza and Bar Kamtza.

Buy a big swimming pool - I think Intel makes one 10'. I bought one for around $30.

Travel the World - pick a country. Write to travel agents for brochures and hang up pictures, posters
of your destination. Eat a meal (Chinese?) of your destination. Dress up in native costume.

Have a Costume Contest - everybody dress up and give everyone prizes - most original, most scary,
most funny, most beautiful, most cute, etc.

Pick your best pictures to print out and make scrapbooks, photo albums or photo books.

amother

Royalblue

Tue, May 24 2022, 5:07 am

Is there a project you could work on over summer? Build a cubby house or create vegetable garden…

Is there a skill you could learn together?
Cooking, baking ? Learn different cuisines and learn a bit about the country, arts and crafts or a scrap book can tie in with that.

TravelHearter

Tue, May 24 2022, 5:34 am

Love all the ideas!
You can also do the things you’ve done before but with a twist.
Mall- everyone has to buy each other a $5 gift, scavenger hunt, etc
Park- water day (buy really cool water toys), fun sport days, races
Candy store- each get things in only one color, or only starting with the letter C, etc
I second the volunteering!
I also second the one big project you work on together (something they want- building a deck outside, planting, painting a mural together for sukkos)

amother

NeonBlue

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:02 am

Hiking is cheap and a full day of fun. You can take with a BBQ or picnic. Take along music with a speaker.

We go hiking next to water and then take a dip.

amother

Blonde

Tue, May 24 2022, 7:07 am

Following. I’m also doing mommy camp- so excited!

Some incentive programs I’ve done over the years-
Every morning after the finish all the things they need to do (like get dressed, daven, make their bed, maybe summer homework…) they get to pick a raffle. The raffles are small exciting things like a slurpee, something from dollar tree..

Also I’ve had a money incentive program that worked well. And they were able to use the extra money to spend on our trips on things we weren’t buying. Like cute souvenirs and stuff.
Things like .05 every bracha or amen out loud
.25 if they do something extra nice for a sibling
.10 if they notice something hashgacha pratis that happened.
Maybe some for every perek tehillim or learning for the boys. Things like that.

amother

Tue, May 24 2022, 10:05 am

Aylat wrote:

Yeah we've done the stop motion. I'll keep it in mind!
I like the audio book one- thanks!!

amother

Tue, May 24 2022, 10:06 am

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Activities-That-Bestest-Funnest/dp/1624140572

This book has amazing activities!

Thanks, we have lots of these types of books. They are my kids go to place when they are bored ;-)
I'll see what we can get from the library for more ideas.