Weekly themes for summer camps: 110 Theme weeks ideas | summer camp themes, summer preschool, summer camp activities

Weekly Camp Themes | YMCA RIC

What is the purpose of a theme in camp? A theme helps create the camp magic throughout the summer.  Each week of camp has a different focus. Our specialists and camp staff implement traditional day camp activities that relate to that theme. 

June 5 – “Splashtacular”

Start the summer off with a wet and water-filled week of thrilling activities. Who knows? You might experience baby pools, water balloons, super soakers, wild water games and activities that will help cool down from the summer heat. Your camper will be sure to have lots of water fun! Get ready to be in the splash zone! 

June 12 – “Survivor Challenge” 

Challenge yourself to a week of competing outdoors, both with and against other teams! Challenges will be difficult, but the opportunities to meet new friends will be endless. Will you conquer camp this week? 

June 19 – “Once Upon a Summer”

Once upon a time, a group of magical campers joined us for a week of fairytale fun! Together, we will make magic wands, build a fort against a mysterious mythical monster and brew some potions to stop the Evil Queen! 

June 26 – “Paint Wars” 

Like getting messy? This week we will be getting colorful throughout camp! We will be all about the colors we see every day, which will include our traditional fan favorite Paint Wars. This week is typically one of the camp favorites, so register early! 

July 3 – “Mission Possible”  (closed on July 4)

Welcome to the world of espionage! Give your camper a chance to break the secret code and solve the mystery throughout the week. Reveal the hidden clues to be the first team to complete the scavenger hunt and save the day!

July 10 – “Camp’s Got Talent”

We have so many talented campers that come through our camp doors each and every summer. The goal is to use your gifts and talents to impact the world around you. That’s why we want to showcase them! Get ready to take center stage in our talent shows across the Richmond area! We’ve got spirit, how ’bout you? 

July 17 – “Camp-i-con”

Calling all superheroes! We need everyone to unite and defeat the camp villains by leading and creating strategies to protect the entire camp. Learn what it takes to become a superhero and show how to use caring, honesty, respect and responsibility as guides in your adventures! 

July 24 – “Going for Gold” 

At the Y, we are all about helping campers achieve. Well, put on your game face and join some competitive fun as we compete in an out-of-this-world competition! Try new and different Olympic events as you make leaps and bounds towards earning your place on the Olympic Podiums. 

July 31 – “Summerween” 

Get ready for a Spooktacular Halloween in this late summer adventure! Make Jack-o-Melons and wrap your counselor in the fiercest Mummy for our haunted week. Will you get tricked or treated? 

August 7 – “Tropical Paradise” 

Welcome to paradise! What better way to end your time at camp than with a cool island vibe? Enjoy a week of summer fun and games with our paradise-themed week from limo contests, tiki tosses and beach volleyball. Join us while we bring the beach to the Y! 

August 14 – “Explorers/Edge Finale”

Camp Thunderbird will host the last week of day camp for summer 2023. This week is not your typical camp week! To wrap up the summer, we bring in fun activities, performers and special events to make that last week so memorable! As staff go back to school or other workplaces, these fun and engaging activities take the place of some activities that may be closed for the summer. We will continue to offer transportation from bus stops across the Richmond area! 

2022 Summer Care Weekly Themes

Week 1: Jun. 20-25

Art Extravaganza

Break out your pallets and brushes because we’re making art! This week we will be exploring all the ways we can be creative and make our own masterpieces. From fiber arts to finger painting, we are letting out our inner artists and sharing it with you!

Week 2: Jun. 27 – Jul. 1

Animal Kingdom

It’s time to let out your wild side and explore the Animal Kingdom. This week will be learning about animals through stories, art, play, and more. From the wilds of the jungle to our own backyard we will discover the animals that inhabit our world and walk alongside us.

Week 3: Jul. 6-8

Olympics

Calling all athletes! We want you to join our elite team as we move our bodies and challenge our minds. We will play games, practice sports, and have some summer fun!

Week 4: Jul. 11-15

This Blue Earth

This week we will be showing love to our home sweet home, Earth! We will be taking out our camping gear and enjoying the great outdoors. From experiments to art to nature walks, we will find many ways to appreciate and care for our world, and truly enjoy the things it offers us.

Week 5: Jul. 18-22

Under the Sea (water week)

Water week is a favorite of summer camp and this year is no different. This week we will get our swimsuits and beat the heat with as many water toys as we can! We will also discover the creatures that inhabit our oceans. Sharks and whales and fish, oh my!

Week 6: Jul. 25-29

Kindness Camp

This week we will be turning our attention to the people we love and our community. We will find ways to appreciate family and friends, care for our environment, and send some love to our neighbors. From picking up trash on our way to the park to making keepsakes for loved ones, we will focus on being kind to others, and ourselves!

Week 7: Aug. 1-5

Now That’s Entertainment

There is nothing better than a good story and this week we will be searching for the best stories and creating our own. We will explore different ways of telling a story, from painting to writing to movies. If you love getting lost in your imagination and entertaining yourself and others, this is the week for you! Action!

Week 8: Aug. 8-12

Build It!

If you like building, constructing, anc creating, this is your week! We will dive into the world of construction and discover all the trucks and materials used to create the world around us. We will build our own creations inside and outside. Let’s build!

Week 9: Aug. 15-19

Spirit Week

As a final send-off to summer, we will be doing a spirit week! Every day will have a different theme that campers are welcome to come in dressed up for the day’s theme, and don’t worry, the teachers will dress up too! Look out for days like pajama day, rainbow day, mix-match day, and more!

The Ministry of Education told how summer camps for children will work during the pandemic

Photo: Yuri Inyakin / PG

stationary 2214. Shifts will be reduced from 21 to 14 days, all visitors will be tested for coronavirus, and “parental days” will most likely be canceled. Those who do not get into the camp, the Ministry of Education plans to take “online shifts”.

The main thing is the safety of schoolchildren

Summer camps in 2020, although a month later, will still open, assured on Tuesday, May 19, Deputy Head of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Education, Supplementary Education and Children’s Recreation of the Ministry of Education Yanina Golubeva at a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy. Due to the coronavirus, fewer organizations than usual will be able to accept children, and it is proposed to reduce shifts by a week to 14 days. The safety of students will be at the forefront.

The Ministry of Education insists that children and employees be tested for coronavirus before going to their shift and in the camp itself. The department also recommends abandoning “parental days” – this will eliminate the possibility of the spread of infection. In order for children to be able to get to the camp and back home with a minimum risk of infection, “green corridors” will be organized for them at railway stations and airports in Russia. Such a measure will minimize their contacts during the trip, Golubeva explained.

There should be a doctor in every camp

Rospotrebnadzor also prepares its recommendations for children’s recreation in country camps. One of the main conditions, according to the deputy head of service Irina Bragina , is to create in organizations “the most closed regime, even provide for a one-time check-in” – the current epidemiological situation does not allow people to live for several days, she specified. In all institutions, it is necessary to carry out not only general cleaning, but also a complete disinfection. In addition, stocks of antiseptics and personal protective equipment should be created in the camps. True, funding for this still needs to be provided.

Also, according to Bragina, it is necessary to take care of work in medical camps. “Given the shortage of medical personnel … the subjects should work this out especially carefully,” she emphasized. “Because here we need not only ordinary medical staff, but reinforcement is needed, both in quantitative terms, and some additional training is needed.”

The Ministry of Health also opposes the opening of camps without an adequate number of health workers. And this can seriously limit the choice of vacation spots, since most of the medical staff are now involved in helping patients with COVID-19, the department warns. As the representative of the Ministry of Health Elena Baybarina explained, in June last year, when school camps were operating, eight thousand doctors and 31 thousand paramedical workers were involved in the process throughout the country.

Given the added risk factor for the possibility of COVID-19, we would strongly oppose camps opening without medical staff.

“During the months when school camps are less active, we employ almost five thousand doctors every month and between 13,000 and 14,000 nurses. This is a big number, and I’m afraid that this will be (this season. – Approx. ed.) One of the serious limiting factors for the opening of camps. Considering that an additional risk factor for the possibility of COVID-19 is imposed, we would be categorically against the opening of the camps without medical workers,” Baibarina warned.

The ministry warns that this summer will have to walk a razor’s edge “between the general desire to improve the health of children and send them on vacation and the risk of a second outbreak of coronavirus infection, which still persists.” Therefore, each step must be carefully analyzed – it will bring more benefit or risk.

Senators will continue monitoring the process of preparing and conducting a health campaign in the regions, said the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Inna Svyatenko . At the same time, special attention should be paid to compliance with the requirements regarding the sanitary and epidemiological situation, she is sure. “Due to the fact that the situation is changing daily and even hourly, there are certain problems, and the quality of this campaign depends on their solution,” the head of the committee emphasized.

For those children who cannot get into the camp, the Ministry of Education, together with pedagogical universities, is preparing new programs – online shifts. Although this is not a full-fledged replacement for outdoor recreation, such an offer will still keep children busy – it will give them the opportunity to communicate and develop, and also protect them from getting “on destructive sites,” the department assures.

“Bugorok” – the territory of childhood

“BUGOROK” – THE TERRITORY OF CHILDHOOD

shifts. Such events cannot be ignored. They are always held in a solemn atmosphere and are accompanied by parting words, which are obligatory in such cases. And the participation of the police brass band gives these unforgettable moments a special significance and touching. But finally, we ourselves found ourselves in the epicenter of a fun and eventful camp life. And the place of our short stay was the police camp “Bugorok”, functioning on the basis of the Rehabilitation Center of the Medical Unit of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate in Moscow.

As a kind and hospitable hostess, the head of the camp, Lyudmila Ivanova, became our guide through the camp space. Her story about the everyday life of the children’s home is quite emotional, because what the camp lives and breathes today, she endured and continues to endure on her shoulders. It is thanks to her temperament and efficiency that the camp is able to receive such a number of guests and provide them with everything necessary for a full and high-quality rest. During the summer holidays, Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna became a truly kind and caring mother to the children. And this is noticeable in everything. A line of children passing by the head of the camp will certainly echo in chorus: “Hello, Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna!” And this can only be the result of sincere respect and love.

Our reference

Ivanova Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna. He has served in law enforcement since 1995. For 10 years she worked as a state inspector of the traffic police of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the South Administrative District of Moscow. Since February 2005, she was appointed to the position of head of the Bugorok Rehabilitation Center of the Medical Unit of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate for Moscow (in the summer – the head of the Bugorok children’s health camp). In 2001 she graduated from the Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. In 2008 she defended her Ph.D. thesis and holds a PhD in Law. Lieutenant Colonel of the Internal Service.

— We have the largest camp in the Moscow region. – Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna begins her story. “Today, about 800 children are resting in the camp. Strategically, the camp is divided into two subcamps – “Junior City” and “Older City”. The age of the younger ones is from 6.5 to 10 years old, the older ones are from 11 to 15 inclusive.

Life in the camp is in full swing. Children devote all their free time to sports activities, circle work and events held as part of the First Strategic Russian Project. This project was launched in 2007 and has fully proved its timeliness and viability.

“Since our main contingent is the children of policemen,” continues Lyudmila Ivanova, “we rely on military-patriotic education, and the children’s movement itself is aimed at popularizing the work of law enforcement agencies and promoting the continuity of generations. We also pay great attention to the issues of family, peace and kindness. The strategic project that we have mastered provides for the development of precisely these value orientations in children. Moreover, within the framework of the project, children write special programs and implement them themselves. We do not impose anything on them, but only give direction, suggest.

Previously, the upbringing of children in the camp was carried out through another program – economic. Its essence was reduced to self-government, that is, the camp was declared an independent state – St. Bugorkom. The mayor, ministers were elected, and most importantly, the local currency, the so-called bumps, was in circulation. Any work, whether it was garbage collection on the street and indoors, helping circle leaders, participating in the work of ministries, sports or cultural events, maintaining cleanliness in the wards, or being on duty in the dining room, was paid in lumps. In turn, one could buy various goodies for the bumpers, for example, chips, ice cream, sweet water. But the camp administration was soon forced to abandon this program, as it began to notice that the money fever had overwhelmed the children so much that personal items were used, up to players and other expensive toys.

“Children now have completely different bonuses, not monetary ones,” comments the head of the camp. — So, for example, within the framework of civic-patriotic education, we annually hold a “Memory Watch” in the camp itself and delegate about 180 people to a city-wide action in Moscow. On June 22, on the Day of Memory and Sorrow, children go to Moscow in an organized manner, where, together with veterans, they participate in a torchlight procession and rally. The event ends with the laying of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a mini-concert. Unfortunately, this year we had to abandon the traditional boat trips along the Moskva River, and earlier they were regular. After such events, the guys return to the camp inspired and full of unforgettable impressions. I think of these children 90 percent will grow up to be good people.

We have been cooperating with the Public Relations Committee under the Government of Moscow for a long time, and they are very supportive of us in many matters. In particular, they helped organize trips for children to Veliky Ustyug and to the Max Air Show in Zhukovsky.

— There are other areas of activity, — Ludmila Vyacheslavovna continues her story. – The camp is friendship, it is first love. We do not prevent boys and girls from expressing their feelings towards the opposite sex, but we try to teach them to do it intelligently. After all, you can just come up and say that I like you, or you can do it gallantly. To do this, we hold the event “Secret Admirer”. Children first give each other souvenirs. Then a box is hung up, where they throw their messages. Through such simple tricks, boys learn to beautifully care for girls.

Various forms of work of the children’s health camp provide an opportunity for the harmonious development of the child’s personality. The pedagogical team builds its work in such a way as to make the most of the creative possibilities of children, expand their horizons, reveal their creative potential, and carry out the harmonious development of the individual. Thanks to creativity, the upbringing of children becomes unobtrusive and focused solely on their abilities and needs.

There is something for every child in the camp. In particular, much attention is paid to the work of circles. It aims to develop creativity and aesthetic taste in children. These are circles of knitting, beadwork, macrame, pyrography, fine arts, theatrical, dance, environmental, soft toys, English and many others. At the end of each shift, an exhibition of works “Our Creativity” is organized. The winners are awarded with certificates and sweet prizes.

A glorious tradition of choral singing has been maintained and developed in the camp for many years. And the theme of the song repertoire is not accidental, it is an integral part of educational work. One of the main events in this direction was the fact that the camp had an anthem that sounds at the opening and closing of shifts, at events and city meetings. This is Oleg Gazmanov’s song “We are together.”

Sports work is well developed in the camp. It is based on involving every child in sports, participation in competitions and competitions, on the formation of a desire in children and adolescents to develop their physical abilities in the most suitable sports for them.

Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna talks about the camp counselors with special pride.

— This is my golden fund! she says. – Elite! For example, as a leader, I am very impressed that counselors to children turn to you. As part of the “First Strategic Russian Project”, counselors are constantly trained with a mandatory instructive seminar on the basis of the Bugorok CR. The nearest plans include the recruitment of counselors from among the senior students of police colleges to the school. 14 people have already been trained. There are currently two such trainees working in the camp. I would like to highlight one of them in particular. This is a cadet of the 4th year of the police college No. 1 of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate in Moscow, Denis Goryachev. Two trainees are also planned for the third shift. We intend to develop this direction further, since it is necessary to have a personnel reserve.

The main difficulty that one has to face before the next summer campaign is the struggle for each counselor from among the staff of the head office. Unit leaders are reluctant to let their subordinates go. Many mistakenly think that the work of a counselor is not to beat a lying person, but this is not at all the case. The counselors themselves admit that at their main place of service they have more free time, and less responsibility. And here you have to constantly be on the alert, bear personal responsibility for each child in the detachment. In addition, the counselors begin work even before arrival – they prepare the territory of the camp and the premises of the buildings. And at the end of the shift, they will again equip the camp for the Rehabilitation Center. They work almost from mid-May to mid-September.

In autumn “Bugorok” opens its doors to police officers. Unfortunately, one trend is alarming – some policemen come to us not for the rest that we are able to provide them. We buy good programs, arrange movie screenings, discos, fire shows, and finally, our guests stock up on alcohol and sit in their rooms for this activity. Come on, they would sit, sometimes we become witnesses of drunken brawls and are forced to resort to the help of the territorial police department. Recently, we have managed to reverse the situation somewhat, thanks to cooperation with the heads of departments. Only management is able to calm their subordinates, and this has become a great help in our work.

Recently, we have purchased new equipment for the cinema – projector, acoustics, screen. Now we have the opportunity to demonstrate high-quality films on modern equipment. We have updated the library. Relaxation room equipped. The gym has been refurbished with new equipment. Today, our main scourge is that the rooms in the buildings are not equipped with separate bathrooms. Toilets are shared, one in each wing of the floor of the building. However, we are always very clean. Beautiful curtains and bedspreads.

Every now and then legends are born in the camp. Children with their sharp eyes notice what is hidden from the eyes of adults. Another such legend was the gap between the crowns of trees, shaped like a heart. Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna volunteered to show us this attraction. Passing through the territory of the camp, the chief periodically bends down to pick up a piece of paper or a package of chips or crackers.

“Oh, kids, kids,” she laments. – No matter how much we tell them at the beginning of each shift to keep it clean, there are still those who litter.

Here the director notices a more significant disorder. He immediately contacts his deputy. From the conversation, it becomes clear that her untidy area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territory causes her concern – the grass is not mowed, the branches broken by the wind on the paths of the alley. Ten minutes later, returning back, we notice that the work is already in full swing – the grass is mowed, the garbage is removed.

A special event in the life of the camp was the creation of a press center in 2007. There was also its own printed organ – the newspaper “Gorod”. In each issue of the newspaper, figures are added to the name “City”, as it turned out later, symbolizing the number of its inhabitants (from among the older age group). So we first had a copy of the newspaper with the name “City 310”, and only later – a number called “City 298”, as 12 pupils were forced to leave the camp for one reason or another. But this is more the exception than the rule. People tend to the camp, and especially those who have visited it at least once.

Let’s go back to the newspaper. As a “big brother” we volunteered to conduct an educational program for young journalists, and they accepted this idea with enthusiasm. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Anna Kozhushner, a very energetic and talkative girl, gathered her entire journalistic corps for an impromptu briefing. The deputy editor-in-chief of Petrovka 38 told the children about the history of the oldest police press organ, gave detailed answers to the questions asked by the children, and, most importantly, shared several valuable tips. In particular, the advice that all materials must be coordinated before the release of the issue to the public in order to avoid unintentional distortions turned out to be useful. Anna immediately picked up this idea and gave instructions to her correspondents regarding the materials being prepared.

And the next issue of the Bugorkovskaya newspaper will be dedicated to a very sensitive topic – love stories. Here’s how the editor commented on it:

— This year is very fruitful for couples, and the idea to dedicate the issue of the newspaper to love stories I hatched for almost two years. Yes, and many guys turned to me with a similar proposal. And so we jointly began to prepare such a number. In general, a newspaper is primarily an information flow that broadcasts news about camp life. Thanks to her, those who could not attend this or that event are in the know. In addition, from the pages of the newspaper, we introduce children to interesting personalities that appear in the camp. The materials of the newspaper remain with the guys as a memory of the camp, of the summer, of friends. The newspaper in “Bugorka” is very popular. Unfortunately, it turns out to print only two copies per squad, but this is already the cost of technology.

The head of the camp, taking the opportunity, sends a couple of compliments to Petrovka 38:

— We all read the newspaper Petrovka 38 from time to time and I want to note that the newspaper has become more interesting. The topics covered in it are close to everyone, and not only to police officers.

We thank Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna for her kind words addressed to the editorial staff and we proceed directly to communication with children of different age categories and counselors.

“Oh, I would like to look at least from the corner of my eye at all these children’s amusements,” we think, and soon we get to an event prepared by representatives of the “Junior City” (with the help of teachers and counselors). It is dedicated to the history of Moscow. And the names of the teams are appropriate: “Apples from Yakimanka”, “Heel guys from Rublyovka”, “University of Smiles”, “Star Torch”, “Circus performers from Tsvetnoy Boulevard”, “Champions from Cherkizovo”, “Mysterious Arbat”, “Yunnaty from Pechatnikov and others.

The stage is decorated according to the theme of the performance. And here is the designer himself (according to the private confession of the head of the camp)! This is Igor Egorov. He comes out in a monk’s costume, which gives everything that happens a touch of mystery. The show starts. Epoch after epoch flashes before us, reflecting the most significant events in the history of Moscow.

Little ones, of course, do not always shine with artistry. Sometimes memorized words are forgotten and movements are confused. But everything is permeated with that spontaneity that only children are capable of. In addition, the support of the audience helps young artists a lot. An hour and a half pass by unnoticed.

Again, the head of the camp summarizes what is happening, cordially invited by the participants to the stage:

— You are all very lucky. You live in a wonderful city called Moscow. Love your city and be proud of it!

“Senior City” prepared the program “Memory Watch”. Everything is friend here. There is dead silence in the hall. Actors sometimes do without microphones. The performance of songs alternates with the recitation of verses. Some of the spectators out of inertia try to applaud, but immediately hear the warning of the neighbors: “You can’t clap!” This is the rule of the evening, the core of which is the pain and sorrow that overwhelm each of those present.

Hosted by Elena Knyazeva. Her professional entertainer (if only this word is applicable to this event) sets off the inevitable overlays in crowd scenes. Everything looks natural, without pretense, which attracts the attention of the audience.

Children leave the event holding hands and with tears in their eyes.

“This is no longer a lost generation,” Ludmila Vyacheslavovna concludes, and we unquestioningly agree with her.

— By the way, many interesting personalities passed through our camp, — she continues. – Well, for example, among our pupils is the famous actress Ekaterina Guseva. And the deputy head of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, Major General of Militia Alexander Melnikov, 27 years ago, led our circle work, led the karting circle. But we have ambitious plans – to grow, at least, the head of the central office! (Laughs). In general, the summer campaign is fleeting. In order to provide such a camp with everything necessary, from the selection of personnel to carrying out repairs, the provision of food, furniture, sports equipment and much more, a set of certain measures must be carried out quickly and accurately. And here we are constantly supported by the leadership of the Main Directorate, the Medical Unit, the City Committee of Trade Unions of Workers of State Institutions. For which many thanks to them.

Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna also gives several names of her employees, which she has a special account as a manager. First of all, these are her deputies: senior lieutenant of the internal service Mikhail Andreev and captain of the internal service Irina Naboka. Secondly, the so-called old-timers are people who have worked in the center for decades and have proven themselves exclusively on the positive side: Fadeeva Valentina Mikhailovna, Fedotova Tatyana Dmitrievna, Khraponenkov Vladimir Ilyich, Sorokina Galina Ivanovna, spouses Loktev Dmitry Anatolyevich and Kornilova Evgenia Gennadievna. Special words of the chief are awarded to the head of production Pekhterev Sergey Ivanovich – a master cook, a member of the Guild of Chefs of Russia, the winner of the “Cook of the 3rd Millennium” competition and the senior doctor of the medical center – pediatrician Alexander Evgenievich Fetisov. Lyudmila Vyacheslavovna also notes the employees of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, who are repeatedly sent to conduct a summer health campaign. These are operational duty officers – senior police sergeant Sergey Mashtakov (OMON) and senior police sergeant Vladimir Popadinets (2nd OPM), physical instructor – senior police sergeant Igor Tarasov (OMON), artist – police warrant officer Igor Yegorov (UM on MM), a master of all hands – police captain Ivan Sergeev (5th regiment of the UVO), counselors – police sergeant Alexei Valuev (South Administrative District), police lieutenant Kirill Alexandrov (CAO) and our old acquaintance senior police lieutenant Alexei Tyurin.