And the Final Day has Come

We have officially reached the last day of camp!! The morning started off with chocolate chip bread and cereal for breakfast! Campers headed back to their cabins to work on cleaning and gathering all their items to start heading home tomorrow. 

Our first three periods flew by as everyone was excited to get into the water on such a warm, beautiful day! Many of our campers headed up into our ropes course during sports class while others finished up archery and tennis! Everyone had a great time putting last minute touches onto their arts and craft projects! Swimmers and boater found out if they would be passing their class for this session!

Everyone rushed to devour up the ziti after such a busy morning! With a side of salad and peaches for dessert, we all headed back to our cabins for the last rest hour! 

Finishing up rest hour, we were all excited to get right into the water for general swim and some very excited campers were finally able to move up into a different area for swimming! We went off to fourth period which went by very quickly and back everyone went to change for a camp wide game of Pirates!!

This game splits the camp into two teams. Each team searches around the camp for the other teams' treasure while trying to gain points during round! As a result of such a tiring game, everyone was eager to jump back into the lake to wash off the sweat and dirt before heading off to dinner. We all enjoyed chicken melts and carrots with lemon sorbet for dessert. 

Tonight, we are having our traditional last night event - Camp Fire! Every year on the last night of the session, we roast marshmallows and sign songs while campers receive their swimming and boating awards if they were skilled enough to pass. They also receive their year awards. These mark the amount of years the campers come to camp and it is a great way to remember camp throughout the rest of the year!!

We will miss all of our campers dearly but we look forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning between 8:30-10:00AM!! It has been an amazing session and we hope to see you all next year!!

~Until next session,

Allissa and Amanda

Day 4

Even though we started the day off with some heavy rain, that didn't stop us from having fun here at camp! To start off the day we offered warm cocoa along with an old camp favorite; waffles with peanut butter! Cabin cleanup proved to be difficult with all the mud, but that didn't stop our ambitious campers from making their cabins spotless.

Since the field was wet and it was too cold on the waterfront, classes were moved indoors. For swimming we met in the Activity Room to play various games such as Scattegories, Mad Libs, Apples to Apples, and many other card games. For sports we played domino rally, and another cabin cooperative involving teamwork which came down to the final round. We also played Play-Doh-Nary, which is a camp twist of Pictionary where instead of drawing the item, you sculpt it for your team to guess.

After a busy morning filled with games, the campers enjoyed a camp favorite of many- Shepard's Pie and salad on the side, with vanilla pudding for dessert! Campers were able to catch up on writing home during rest hour, and then there was an option of general swim or more games in the upper lodge.

Shortly we will be having supper which is grilled cheese with tomato soup. Afterwards we will be playing a mystery game, similar to a real life version of Clue, followed by a special guest- a story teller. We are all excited for tonight's events and all are sure to sleep well!

Until Tomorrow,

Amanda and Sloane

Day 3

Today was yet another chilly one for all of us here at Camp Asto Wamah!! We started off the morning with everyone enjoying tasty bagels with cereal! Many of our campers and staff enjoyed hot chocolate with breakfast to try and help warm them up! 

Our first three periods went smoothly. Each swimming class got out just a little early so they could change and beat the cold. Sports class was filled with soccer and basketball as they seemed to definitely be popular amongst the campers today! Our archers and tennis stars continued to show their hidden talents all throughout the day.

At our noon time meal, we devoured ham and buttered noodles with carrots for a tasty vegetable.  Prior to announcements, we had the pleasure of enjoying butterscotch pudding. Many campers seemed to find a new favorite dessert!

As activity period programs were announced, some very lucky campers found out they would be able to go sailing on our big sail boat, The Hunter during activity period! Campers finished their camp duties quickly as they realized that it was again, time for store! As everyone grabbed some candy, the bell rang beginning rest hour and all enjoyed a nice nap. 

Following rest hour, Catherine, our water front director, decided it was just a little too chilly for our campers to really enjoy themselves during general swim. So instead, we all went up to the A-field for a spirited game of Non-Stop Cricket!! The campers really had a fun time trying to catch the balls that their counselors would hit! 

Finishing up Non-Stop Cricket, everyone hustled off to their forth period class so they would be able to get to activity period even sooner! The Hunter went out, along with the paddle boards and a few brave campers took on the chilly water to jump off the tower! Some decided to stay a little warmer and play games on the A-field!

Dinner tonight is just a little different than our usual meals. Tonight, our kitchen staff had the night off so instead of eating in the dining room, each cabin went with their counselors out to a designated area throughout camp. Some were on the A-field while others ate on picnic tables or on Main dock! Campers really love this because it gives them a nice change of scenery. We had either turkey or ham sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly for anyone who requested that as well!

Tonight for evening program our campers will partake in an old camp favorite, Spies and Smugglers! This game consists of two teams, a Spy team and a Smuggler team. Each team receives the opportunity to play each role. As a smuggler, their objective is to "smuggle" a piece of paper with a point value written on it from the flagpole to the A-field. They can hide the paper anywhere in their clothing. If they are tagged by the spies, they must stop running and allow the spy three chance to guess where the paper is located. If incorrectly guessed, the smuggler can continue on their journey up to the field. If guessed correctly, the paper is turned over to the opposing team. At the end of the game, when both teams have had the opportunity of playing each role, the points are tallied up, and a winner is announced! This definitely is a tradition to play here at camp as all of our staff members even played it as campers!! 

This will definitely help the kids to get our any of that extra energy that they may still have bottled up and hopefully help them sleep well!

Until tomorrow,

~Allissa and Amanda 

Day 2 of Camp

Dear friends and family!

We had a very exciting second day of camp. Our very enthusiastic boys and girls hit the ground running on a very chilly morning with corn bread and cereal for breakfast which was gobbled up pretty quickly! 

We finished our camp duties and headed right into first period. Some hopped right into the water as it started warming up while others enjoyed an intense game of basketball on the A-field. We had some fantastic archers practicing their new found skills at our archery range and some promising tennis players enjoying the sunshine on the tennis court!

Second and third periods flew by as campers and staff alike became hungry looking forward to meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes! Everyone ate their fill and realized they were very much looking forward to store and rest hour! Following some great naps, everyone changed and headed back into the water for a lovely general swim as it turned into a beautiful 75 degree day!

Fourth period went by quickly with the anticipation of a brand new activity period program! YOGA! Boys and girls alike joined our new yoga instructor up on the A-field for a little relaxation before dinner time!

As our counselors and campers began setting their tables, everyone went around the flagpole to start getting ready for flag lowering. Cabin 6 for our girls, cabin 4 and cabin 8 for our boys all won cleanest cabin awards for the day. The flag was lowered and everyone hustled up to their tables to eat chicken patties with apple sauce and carrots for dinner. A surprise to all was the vanilla cake and chocolate frosting for dessert! 

Cleaning up went smoothly as everyone prepared for our evening program game of capture the flag! Campers are split into two teams and for this game, enjoy the thrill of running through a portion of the woods to capture the other teams' flag!! This is definitely a camp favorite!!

This game usually tires most campers out, so we are anticipating campers falling asleep quickly!  It seems like it might be another chilly night so that should help them sleep as well!

Until tomorrow,

~Allissa and Amanda 

Coed Has Begun!

Yesterday afternoon, we welcomed 87 campers to Asto Wamah! The weather held out as campers moved into their cabins, we reviewed camp rules and introduced staff, and completed swim classification tests. 

We had hot dogs, tater tots, and brownies for dessert last night! We enjoyed a rain storm throughout dinner, and luckily, the rain stopped just in time for evening program. Unfortunately, the A-Field was too wet for our game, so campers and staff played various Minute-to-Win-It games in the lodge. The rain picked up again just in time for everyone to go to bed.

This morning, we started our typical daily routine with flag raising and Chicken Fat! Breakfast included French toast, cereal options, and fruit. After campers filled up, we completed daily tasks, such as cleaning our cabins and camp to keep it looking great!

Campers then enjoyed swimming lessons, boating and canoeing lessons, arts and crafts, and sports! It was a busy morning! At noon, campers were able to participate in activities of their choice. Several campers decided to fish, either on docks or in boats! One camper caught 15 fish!

After counselors' swim at noon, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken tenders and rice. Rest hour was next and many campers took the opportunity to get some rest in order to gear up for the rest of the day. After rest hour, campers had the option of swimming or fishing and then they moved on to the last class of the day.

We just finished up dinner - everyone is nice and full! We are getting ready for our first outdoor evening program. We are playing medical war, which is a dodgeball game and one of our campers' favorites! 

We look forward to updating you on our day tomorrow!

The Last Full Day of the First Session

Waking up today, the campers seemed to be in good spirits regardless of it being the last day of camp. The day started off with warm weather for our cookees to set the tables for breakfast: english muffins with jelly and butter, and of course cereal alternatives.

Next, campers headed back to their cabins to prepare for the first three periods of the day. Today's classes were very important because it was the last chance this session for them to show instructors their skills in boating and swimming. Campers found out whether they would pass or not, and if they did pass they will be receiving their awards tonight at campfire.

Dinner today was baked ziti with french bread, and jell-o for dessert. Campers were sad to go to rest hour because they would rather swim because of how hot it was. Luckily, all the campers went in the water for general swim to cool down! Campers who had passed in swimming were able to swim in their new designated area, and some were able to jump off the tower for their first time ever!

For the last day of sports, every class went up to the ropes course. One of the obstacles we did was the trust fall; some campers fell while others helped the counselors catch, which gave them the opportunity to learn a new skill. We usually do the trust fall on one of the last days of camp because we like to give the campers a chance to get to know and trust the people that may be catching them.

Today there was great wind again so the Hunter was taken out for some lucky campers to have some fun! There was soccer up on the A-field, tower jumping for everyone who passed into Level 4 swimming earlier in the day, and even a GaGa tournament!

The wind was so good today because we are actually right in the middle of a storm! The rain is coming down pretty quick and the lightening and thunder are really hitting us heavily! Hopefully it will pass soon, but unfortunately, our campfire will have to be indoors tonight. On every last night of the session, we have a campfire. During this time our campers will get their awards for passing swimming and boating and they will get their year awards. Year awards represent the amount of years that they have been a camper here at Asto Wamah. The boys awards are slightly different from the girls awards but all in all, they represent the exact same thing. 

Just a reminder for all of you anxious parents, pick-up is tomorrow from 8:30am until 10:00am! Your campers are just as excited to see you but many of them have told their counselors how much they will miss camp! We had a great session and we hope to see all of you next year!

~Allissa and Sloane

A Windy Day

Today was yet another slightly chilly day this morning! As everyone woke up, they headed down for a delicious meal of waffles with butter and peanut butter. For those who did not want to have waffles, cereal was provided as an alternative. 

Cabins were cleaned and first period quickly approached! The next few periods went by in a blur because we all found out that we were having shepherd's pie for dinner! The new campers found out why the staff always love when we have shepherd's pie as a meal. 

As soon as dinner finished, two lucky cabins, Four and Old Six, went up to the ropes course for rest hour. They were able to have some fun and play games with their friends while learning some very valuable lessons of communication and teamwork. 

Due to the slight chill in the air, the campers were again given choices for general swim. Many of them chose to go fishing with counselors out in row boats while a few others opted for the water! The campers who fished believed that the wind started to scare the fish away!

The Hilltop girls were able to go up to the ropes course as well for their fourth period sports class. Everyone seemed to be having a really fun time!

Activity period came and went with games like ultimate frisbee being played up on the A-Field and tower jumping down at the water front. Even though the fish may have been scared of the wind, our campers and staff were not. Two staff members and five campers took out the Hunter while another camper and staff member went out on a Sunfish. 

Tonight, the campers could not wait to hurry up and eat their grilled cheese and tomato soup that was for supper so that they could find out the game for the night. We fully believe that "Pirates", tonight's evening program is going to be one of the best games we have played so far this session. It will require the most amount of energy from the boys and girls, so we hope that they sleep well tonight!

With tomorrow being the last full day, we are confident that everyone will make the most of it!

~Allissa and Sloane

The Halfway Point

Waking up this morning, everyone really felt the chill in the air. It was a crisp morning, but things started to warm up just in time for cookee bell. Breakfast today included bagels with cream cheese and butter, and cereal alternatives. Once breakfast was all cleaned up, cabins were organized at the flagpole to take their cabin photos, which are a great reminder of the week for campers to take home on Saturday!

After cabin photos, campers and counselors returned to their cabins to make them as clean as possible. This was a tricky task because so much mud was tracked into cabins from yesterday's storm that had to be swept out. An "overflow clothesline" was set up at the flagpole to make enough room for everyone's towels and swimsuits to dry from the rain.

Classes proceeded as normal, and campers continued to work hard on improving their strokes in both swimming and small craft. A lot of fun is being had on the A-field for sports class, including on the tennis courts and archery range for campers who decided to try new things!

Dinner today featured ham and noodles with carrots on the side. Butterscotch pudding proved to be a crowd favorite for dessert! Today we tried something new: instead of throwing away the food scraps in the garbage, we dedicated a separate bin to food scraps to donate to a local farm in Hebron! Everyone is very excited for this opportunity to waste less food while also helping a local cause.

The kids seemed even more excited for rest hour than yesterday and took advantage of the hour before heading out to either swim or play games around the lodge area. Gaga ball was a huge hit for the campers and there seemed to be an endless line of impatient little boys and girls eager to play!

Fourth period rushed by and the campers hurried to activity period because some of them had the opportunity to explore the lake in the Hunter! The Hunter is our largest sailboat at camp that has the capacity to hold 6 campers, making for a lot of fun!

Supper today was a little different than normal: it was kitchen staff's day off, so instead of eating in the lodge, each cabin went to a different location in camp and had sandwiches of their choice, with chips and "bug juice" (camp lemonade). This is a fun time for campers to have a change of scenery during mealtime!

Tonight's evening program is "Spies and Smugglers". This is a game where the camp is split into two teams, much like a big game of tag. When a "spy" tags a "smuggler", they then get three chances to guess where the "smuggler" hid their ticket beforehand. Each ticket has a number of points written on it that they are trying to smuggle to the A-field without it getting stolen. Both teams get a chance to be spies and smugglers. This game seems to be a huge hit with campers, and experienced campers always remember to wear pants with extra pockets to hide their tickets in!

This game will probably take a lot of energy, so we're hoping it will prove for a good night's sleep so the campers will be ready to take on another day full of activities!

~Allissa and Sloane

The day of the storm

Sorry we are writing so late but we had a very unique day! 

It all started this morning with a bit of rain around wake up time. The cookees, as usual, set the tables for cereal and corn bread and then everyone headed off to their cabins for Cabin Clean-Up. The campers found it difficult to clean today because of all the mud. We had some strong rain storms come through but luckily missed out on one of them. 

Classes as usual went on, however, sports class was held in the upper lodge today. The field was just far to wet to be able to head up and play a game. Instead our campers played a variety of games including telephone and other camp original games. Those in arts and crafts found it very interesting to listen to the screaming and yelling in the upper lodge. Swimming went on as usual, however, we did get the campers out early to change because it was very cold. Our boaters went out on the lake and successfully battled some strong winds. 

As lunch drew near, our cookees again headed up to set tables for a delicious meal of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and corn. Not only did the campers devour the main course, but also a dessert of vanilla pudding, sprinkles, and churros, everyone was stuffed beyond their usual capacity. 

Rest hour followed and everyone was very thankful for it. After a long morning and a calming hour, our campers were given a great choice of either swimming for general swim or playing a rousing game that is a combination of tennis and baseball. 

We headed on to fourth period and finally the weather warmed the field up, which made our hilltop girls extremely happy. They played a great game of spud up on the A-field and our tennis girls went right up to the court to play. 

Unfortunately, the nice, warm weather did not last for long. We had to switch up activity period a bit and play games in the upper lodge because a big storm was heading straight for the heart of Camp! We escaped with only a few rumbles of thunder and the campers got ready for a delicious supper. We had chicken patties with chips and applesauce. For dessert we had yellow cake with chocolate frosting. 

We had planned on playing an evening program game out in the woods but due to a big thunderstorm, we had an amazing indoor carnival!! We had a variety of games, including, cup stacking, horse racing, indoor bowling, and indoor archery! The kids had an amazing time and they even got ice-pops from the kitchen! 

We are all hoping to have better weather tomorrow!!

~Allissa and Sloane

Day 2 of Camp

Hello!! We are so happy to say how exciting today was and how much fun all of the campers had during their first full day of camp! 

When we all woke up today, our cookees set the table for breakfast. We had yummy french toast which was quickly devoured by everyone. Bananas were also served and in the event someone did not want french toast, we had some cereal alternatives. 

After breakfast, everyone went off to clean the cabins and get ready for first period. For some of our campers, they started in the water and found out their swimming and boating teachers, while others started out on the A-field for our first day tradition of playing "Nuc 'Em". 

We went through the first three periods which consisted of a mixture of sports, boating, arts-and-crafts, and swimming. After a counselor swim, a time for the campers to fish or play a few other games, we got ready for our big meal of the day, dinner! Today, we had chicken fingers, rice, and green beans. We ate so many chicken fingers that we ended up having to eat some ravioli to fill our tummies! 

Every day after dinner, we have store. This is a time for the campers to get piece of candy. Once they have their candy, they head over to their cabins to get ready for rest hour. This is a great time of the day for the campers to relax, write letters home, and even take a nap! Immediately after rest hour, we head back down to the waterfront for our big general swim! General swim is a big free swim where the campers are able to swim with their friends in their designated areas. 

Fourth period follows general swim. This period consists of the last class of the day which is the one that they did not get to do during the first three periods in the morning. During dinner, our counselors offer activities all throughout map that they are going to play during activity period. This time is right after fourth period. 

After activity period, we get ready for supper. Supper was tacos and applesauce with potatoes chips on the side. As we finished cleaning up, Chris announced that our evening program game was going to be Capture the Flag! Here at camp, we play this game partially in the woods, so our campers are getting their long pants and tied shoes on as we speak! 

We should have a great time with this game as it is always a favorite for the campers! We are all looking forward to another day here at Asto Wamah! 

~Allissa and Sloane

Day One of Camp

Today was a great day here at Asto Wamah! We had 86 excited campers arrive with some nervous parents. The parents spent their last couple of minutes with their children and then drove off leaving them with us for an entire week! As the parents headed home, the campers spent time getting to know their new cabin-mates and counselors. 

The cabins went on tours of camp to get a good refresher for the returners and our 50 new campers found out what their home looks like for the next week. After rules and introductions of our amazing staff, our 50 new campers headed over to the waterfront with Catherine, our waterfront director, to find out what level they would be in. Our new campers take a swim test, although, it really is not a test at all. It is more of a showcase of what skills they have. 

When swim tests were finally over and everyone changed out of their bathing suits, we gathered around the flagpole for flag lowering. After we all learned how to fold the flag properly, we headed on up for supper. 

Supper tonight was our traditional first day supper. It consisted of hot dogs, baked beans, tater-tots, coleslaw, carrots, and as many toppings as you can imagine! They campers gobbled up the food so they could get to dessert! Brownies are our traditional first day dessert, so everyone was looking forward to it!

Once everything was cleaned up and our dishees learned how to scrape plates and sweep, everyone went back to their cabins to get their tied-shoes on for Medical War! This game is a big dodge ball game consisting of two teams. When someone gets hit, they sit down and wait for the "medic" to come and run them back to the "jail" where they have to count to 100. Once they count to 100, they can return to the game and keep playing. Everyone had a ton of fun and are now off to their cabins to get their teeth brushed and pj's on for bedtime.

Every night, the counselors will read a book to the campers to help them fall asleep. We are hoping for more sun tomorrow for our first full day of lessons and activities!!

 ~Allissa and Sloane

Last day of the CoEd session

How is the last day over already? It seems like just yesterday everyone was nervously moving into their cabin. Now just 5 short days later memories have been made that will last a lifetime. It has been a lot of fun to watch each camper get comfortable with the camp schedule and really put themselves out there to get the best camp experience!

For breakfast today we enjoyed chocolate chip bread and cereal. As I'm sure you can imagine the chocolate chip bread runs out very quickly! Morning classes were a little more hectic today as campers worked until the last minute to impress their teachers. If teachers felt comfortable with their campers' performance, they were passed into the next skill level! It's always tricky to pass swimming and boating classes in just 5 days, especially when you throw a rainy day in the mix. Even so, many campers were thrilled to find out they were moving to the next level! Arts and crafts focused on finishing projects. If a camper was totally done they enjoyed an exciting day of nature as an alternative. Today in Nature, Kevin taught everyone how to safely build a fire. He even tested their brain power with some tricky riddles! Sports class played another round of handball to finish the session!

The kitchen offered Shepard's Pie for lunch today with a side of salad. Many first year campers were pleasantly surprised to find that Shepard's Pie was their favorite camp meal! Lunch was followed with a dessert of ice pops! Today a few lucky cabins were able to skip rest hour and complete challenges on our ropes course instead! It was a special treat to reward the awesome behavior we saw this session! 

We had around 20 campers checked in for general swim today, while other campers participated in a high energy game of Non-stop Cricket. Deb, the Arts and Crafts director, allowed some campers to finish their crafts. Activity period offered jumping off the tower, which was especially exciting for campers who passed into level 4 swimming. They were allowed off the tower for the very first time! Other activities included soccer, a ride on the Hunter (our largest sailboat) and an intense Gaga pit tournament. 

In the down time before dinner campers were encouraged to start packing up their belongings, especially because a thunderstorm came rolling through! All clothes, wet or dry, have been stored in everyone's laundry bags - enjoy washing that tomorrow! 

Dinner was make-your-own chicken fajitas, with a side of carrots and chips. It's still a little stormy, so tonight before campfire we are playing a game involving some trivia about our staff! After that we will enjoy a campfire where we will recognize those who have passed their classes. We will also be learning some more camp songs and enjoying our messiest dessert - S'mores! 

Campers will surely sleep well tonight, especially those who skipped rest hour earlier today! They will be well rested and excited to see their family again. Pick up starts at 8:30 tomorrow morning! 

It really has been a great session. As staff we have loved getting to know each camper and giving them an experience they will remember forever! Thanks for sharing your family with ours!

~Taylor and Shannon

Thursday, June 30th

It was the general consensus among counselors that it was hard to get the kids out of bed this morning. Pirates last night was pretty exhausting! Everyone started their day with english muffins and cereal. Morning classes were as exciting as always, especially with the awesome weather we have been having these past two days. With only one full day left, classes were focused on perfecting campers' skills and finishing art projects! 

Baked ziti was offered for lunch today, along with a salad and slices of french bread. Campers had pears for dessert and then stopped by the store to grab some candy to ensure their sugar rush would hit right before rest hour! Everyone went in for general swim today and we had a record breaking 57 swimmers in aquarium! There was plenty to do in the water today. Many campers chose to dive for rings, play with noodles, and search for the smoothest rocks in the lake.

Fourth period was as exciting as the morning classes! Sports class offered soccer on the A-field and nature worked on making "weapons" to go "boar - hunting." Kevin, our nature expert, is very good at coming up with creative ways to get campers excited about the outdoors. Activity period followed and soccer was back by popular demand. Other options included jumping off the tower, an archery tournament, and more piano lessons. The Gaga pit was as popular as ever, with campers battling it out in the sandy ring!

Grilled cheese was paired with tomato soup to fill campers with a comforting meal. Chips, salad, and fruit were also served on the side. Apple crisp was passed out for dessert and the campers were thrilled! 

Tonight for evening program we are trying a new game called "Step it Up!" The object of this game is for campers to earn beans by completing various challenges set up on the A-field. With each bean they give to their team captain, the staff member representing their team takes a step closer to the A-field. Whichever team's captain arrives to the middle of the A-field first wins! We are expecting it to be a big hit with the campers!

We are confident the campers will fall fast asleep tonight ready to wake up and finish up their last full day of camp tomorrow!

It has been a fun week at Asto Wamah!

~Taylor and Shannon

Wednesday, June 29th

After a rainy Tuesday we woke up to clearing skies! For breakfast this morning we enjoyed chocolate chip banana bread for the first time at Asto Wamah. We are lucky to have a very talented baker as a counselor in Cabin 6 - she spoiled us this morning! We returned to our normal outdoor schedule for morning classes. Swimmers worked on perfecting their strokes, boaters got comfortable in their new small craft, arts and crafts worked on their individual projects and sports classes engaged in a lively game of handball.

Chicken fingers were served for lunch today with a side of carrots, rice and a dessert of chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream. After lunch we posed for cabin pictures in front of the lake, and those pictures will be available for purchase on Saturday! 

Today for general swim the campers had the choice to either swim, learn to play ukuleles, or learn to play the piano. Many campers selected swimming on this beautiful day, but those who played music were very excited to show off their new songs. After general swim campers finished their class schedule and attended an activity for activity period. They could choose between ultimate frisbee, jumping off the tower, paddle boarding, or an archery tournament.

Dinner was exciting tonight! Campers got a unique opportunity to eat dinner around camp for our "eat out" night. Because kitchen staff have their night off, staff make sandwiches for the campers which they enjoy somewhere else around camp in a sort of picnic style setting. Some cabins ate dinner on main dock, and another cabin chose to eat in the Lean-to in the woods. "Eat out" always ends with lots of energy, laughter, and campers who are ready to play their evening program. Tonight our sports director Drew organized a high energy game of Pirates - a game involving guns made out of flour wrapped in dishee rags (our version of wash cloths) and a challenging treasure hunt. 

With only 2 full day of camp left everyone is eager to try everything camp has to offer!

~Taylor and Shannon 

First Full Day of CoEd Camp: Monday June 27th

Happy first Monday of Camp! Summer has finally begun at Asto Wamah! 

Yesterday campers arrived and got settled into their cabins. They were introduced to camp with a tour of the property led by their counselors. Our first dinner was our traditional hot dogs, tater tots, and baked beans followed by delicious brownies for dessert! Campers eagerly prepared for evening program by putting on their tied shoes and heading to the A-Field. Quickly we began our usual first night game of Medical War! Campers were very excited to get some energy out after hearing all the rules of camp! Even better, the game ended in a perfect tie!

Most campers were early risers today after spending the first night sleeping in the woods! It's always a new experience, especially for the first time campers. Breakfast was cornbread and cereal. The perfect breakfast to get ready for an exciting day of classes. Campers rotated between sports class, small craft, swimming lessons and arts and crafts. After classes campers were treated with some free time which they quickly filled with games of knock hockey, tetherball, and most excitingly our new Gaga Pit! The addition of the Gaga Pit has been a huge hit with all of the campers (photos below).

Our dinner for today was meatballs, mashed potatoes, with a healthy side of carrots and green beans! Dessert was butterscotch pudding which many campers enjoyed much to their surprise. After a big meal everyone relaxed in their cabins during Rest Hour. They finished the day with their last class, and then went straight into activity period. Campers had the option to participate in jumping off the tower, playing KanJam, soccer, fishing off the dock or going sailing in some of our sunfish. 

After an active day, campers enjoyed chicken patties for supper, with a side of chips and carrots. Cheesecake followed for dessert. Now the campers are off to play a game of Capture the Flag. Now that everyone is more settled in we are positive campers will be sleeping very well tonight!

Stay tuned for daily updates on all of our fun camp activities!
Taylor and Shannon 

Happy 4th of July!

Hello Birch Bloggers, Happy 4th of July! The past two days have been filled with lots of activity – we have not let the rain get us down! Thankfully we were able to get a full day of classes in yesterday along with most of a regularly scheduled evening. For dinner we had grilled cheese and tomato soup which was followed by chocolate pudding pie (a camp favorite) for dessert! For evening program we put on a carnival in the lodge. Each cabin picked an activity they wanted to run and they were given beans that acted as money where they could play and win. The games offered were musical chairs, limbo, a hair braiding station (for the girls), an obstacle course, cards, and more. Campers could turn in the beans they earned for an ice pop as a tasty treat to end the night.

This morning we were treated to a delicious meal of waffles and peanut butter. I had never had peanut butter on waffles until I came to camp, so don’t be surprised if your children as for a side of peanut butter the next time they have waffles! Most of the morning ran smoothly; we moved inside for third period where we played games as an alternative to the regular swimming and boating classes. The swimming class played an exciting game of Scattegories followed by a game of Categories and a sing-off.

For lunch we had another camp favorite, Shepard’s Pie, with some refreshing watermelon for dessert. Then we moved into rest hour where most campers headed back to their cabins for some quiet time. Those who had unfinished arts and crafts projects were given the option to stay in the lodge and work on them. Rest hour has ended, so the campers are currently in the lodge playing games offered by the staff. There are activities like Catchphrase, cards, arts and crafts, and Scattegories being offered.

Next we will move into fourth period, which will most likely be held indoors. They will have a little bit of free time before enjoying pizza and applesauce for dessert. Tonight evening program will consist of a skills challenge. For the skills challenge, they are divided (hilltop, lakeside, and seniors) and then compete as a cabin to win. Skills challenge is always a fun rainy day evening program because some of the skills – picking up marbles with your toes, writing with your opposite hand – are pretty ridiculous.

As per tradition, the last night of the session will conclude with a modified version of campfire. Instead of s’mores, campers will be treated to ice cream sundaes in celebration of the 4th of July. This will be accompanied by an awards ceremony that takes place in the upper lodge. They will get an award based on how many years they have come to camp (first years receive a hat, second years receive a feather, etc.). You can ask any returning camper and most of staff and they will tell you they still have all of their year awards. Campers will also be receiving awards for passing boating and swimming classes.

This will conclude the final night of the coed session; I can’t believe how fast time has flown! It seems like just yesterday they were moving in and we were learning the names of our cabin-mates. When you arrive to get your campers (8:30-10am tomorrow!) be sure to ask them all about this week because I am sure they will have plenty of stories to tell. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the Asto Wamah season is off to a great start!

- The Birch Blogger

*** REMINDER FOR PARENTS ***

-Pick-up time tomorrow is 8:30-10am!

We had a Wonderful Wednesday

Hello Birch Bloggers, We had a fun and busy day yesterday, not letting the hot weather or the rain put a damper on any of our activities!

The day started with Sue’s chocolate chip bread, a camper favorite! The campers have really learned their way around camp and all did a great job cleaning their cabins and getting ready for their classes, you would not believe how perfectly and wrinkle free their beds were! Sports classes included a riveting game of either kickball or Ultimate Frisbee. Then campers happily got in the water to cool off and work on their strokes. It is great seeing the campers who arrived saying that they didn’t know how to swim, now swimming under the water, blowing bubbles, and using kickboards. During arts and crafts class, many campers made their own fishing pole and were able to catch some fish! Kevin, the nature and survival expert, is doing a great job teaching everyone important lessons. Canoeing and Sailing classes got to practice capsizing, or flipping their boats over, it was a perfect way to cool off in the heat.

That brings us to lunchtime, everyone enjoyed delicious Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and blue ice for dessert. A few of the campers were a little skeptical about trying the meatballs at first, but after taking a bite they found the food to be great! Then we had one of the quietest Rest Hours I had ever heard! Even the younger campers enjoyed a break to read, write, enjoy their candy, and take a quick nap. It wasn’t long till everyone was back in the water and enjoying General Swim. Some of the activities offered by the counselors included jumping off the tower, a big nature walk, aquarium games, and archery.

Wednesday dinners are a little different at camp because our kitchen staff takes their time off. Instead of eating in the lodge, campers make peanut butter and jelly, turkey, or ham sandwiches and each cabin has a picnic, counselors bring the chips, bug juice (lemonade) and chocolate chip cookies. We were so lucky because we were able to finish dinner outside right before the rain started!

Usually Drew, the Sports Director, is in charge of evening program but last night we put it in the hands of the campers and WOW, they did a great job! We had a big carnival spread throughout the lodge and each cabin was in charge of a different booth. The campers worked together to figure out what they wanted to do. The booths included pin the star on the American Flag, musical chairs, battleship, hair braiding, and an obstacle course. It was great seeing the campers having fun running their booth and also enjoying the other booths.

When the campers get home you will have to ask them what their favorite songs are because they have learned so many! We sang a couple favorites after evening program to get everyone to settle down from all the excitement. Then campers and counselors went back to their cabins, got ready for bed, and listened to the counselors read. It was a wonderful Wednesday here at Camp Asto Wamah!

Thanks for reading and I’ll be sure to update you soon about the awesome day we are having here at camp!

- The Birch Blogger

First Full Day!!

Welcome Birch Blog Readers! Camp is off to a great start! Yesterday we welcomed new and returning campers, for the first day of the Asto Wamah season. Staff just finished up their training and did a great job welcoming in their campers. First year campers took their water level placement tests, so that when they had general swim today they were either in Deep Water, Intermediate, or Aquarium, based on their swimming skills. We ate a delicious meal of hot dogs, tater tots, and brownies, a Camp Asto Wamah tradition. Then campers took to the field for a rousing game of Medical War; a fun game of dodgeball with a fun Asto Wamah twist.

Campers were awoken by the bell for the first time this morning. We gathered around the flagpole, raised the flag, and did our daily morning stretches - Chicken Fat. For breakfast we had blueberry bread and cereal; campers who finished their orange juice got some piping-hot hot chocolate. Breakfast was followed by cabin clean up and camp duties (making their beds, sweeping the cabins, bailing boats, etc.).

The campers  all went to boating, sports, swimming, and arts & crafts during the day. In boating and swimming campers met their instructors that will be teaching them all week. They learned the rules of the lake and how to behave in the boats. Sports class included a fun game of nuk'em and some campers got to do archery or play tennis! In arts and crafts campers were given the opportunity to make a collage, basket, fuse beads, or learn about nature and survival. Then there was a little bit of free time before lunch; campers were all around the knock-hockey tables, ping-pong, tether ball, and horse-shoes. Then lunch time came and we all enjoyed baked ziti, followed by tasty apple turnovers.

After lunch campers were able to buy a piece of candy from the camp store to take with them to rest hour. During rest hour they had quiet time on their bunks where they read, slept and (hopefully) wrote letters home! When the bell rang everyone met at the waterfront for general swim, a free swim period. Next the went off to fourth period and then activity period. The activities offered included: nuk'em, aquarium games, hula-hoop dancing, and fishing. That brought us to dinner which was chicken patties and applesauce with cherry cake for dessert.

Campers are currently on the A-field learning the rules to capture the flag! Soon they will be running around and getting rid of some energy before they are off to bed. Counselors have all picked a book that they read to their cabin last night, and will read for the rest of the week to calm them down before bed. The campers did a lot of running around today so we are sure they will sleep soundly tonight!

Thanks for reading and we look forward to updating you tomorrow!!

- The Birch Blogger