Happy Lazy Day everyone!  Our campers slept in today and we had a big brunch at 10:30am.

Our youngest kids, Groups 1&2 (6^th grade and under), went to see “How to Train a Dragon 2”.  The kids loved it,…very entertaining with popcorn everywhere!

Groups 3&4 (7^th & 8^th grade) went to the bowling alley in Binghamton where they bowled, bumper bowled, and ran around and play arcade games.

Group 5 & CIT’s (9^th grade and up) went to see a Binghamton Mets game.  The B-Mets played the Portland Sea Dogs and won.  Our oldest kids had a spectacular time sitting in the splash zone (where they got soaked! Ha!)

Last night’s evening activity was groups once again.  Here’s a breakdown of what they all did:

Boys groups 1&2 played kickball:  Boys  group 3 played indoor soccer:  Boys group 4 play Gaga ball:  Boys Group 5 had a “White Out Party” with Girls Group 5.  We gave out plain white t-shirts and the kids ran around on the theater stage, where we had black lights on, and wrote on one another’s t-shirts with special markers that look really cool under the black lights.  They had an absolute blast doing this last night!

Girls Group 1 played “The Great Imposter” (dress-up/skits with random stuff they put into a laundry bag from the bunk) & the “Telephone Game”:  Girls group 2 had a photo scavenger hunt:  Girls groups 3&4 played “Crazy Games” (each bunk dressed in a different team color and played fun games in the gym. Lots of bunk spirit and lots of fun!):  Girls Group 5 had their “White Out Party” with Boys Group 5

Tonight’s evening activity is Groups once again. We’ll fill you in on who did what in tomorrow’s blog.  Overall, our campers had a fun-filled lazy day.  Enjoy your night and until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Now that our campers are all well rested from last night’s ETB, tonight they look forward to LTB (Late to Bed).  Tomorrow is our 2^nd Lazy Day of the summer.  Groups 1&2 are going to see “How to Train Your Dragon 2”, Groups 3&4 are going to the bowling alley, and Group 5 is going to a Binghamton Mets game.  Lazy Day should be a great time for all.

Today’s special feature will be a guest blog held by, GIRLS BUNK 3!  They all came into my office (Wendy’s office, that is. Guess you now know who the daily blogger is, lol!).  The following are in G3:  Counselors- Alison, Ashlee, Nicole, & Rachel:  CIT’s- Emma & Grace:  Campers- Alyssa, Avery, Maclyn, Rachel, Whitney, Morgan, Chloe, Zoey, Sidney, Jordan, Rebecca, & Jane:  Group Leader- Kelsey

And now, a word from our campers:

“Island Lake is the best camp ever!” – Rebecca

“Circus is awesome!” – Rachel

“Island Lake is our home away from home!” – Zoey

“I-L-C is the place to be!” – Alyssa

“I wish Island Lake was all year round!” – Chloe

“We make new friends every day!” – Avery

“The archery teacher for major 1 is the best!” – Whitney (hint: the archery teacher is her counselor, Nicole)

“The kids, the CIT’s, the counselors, and the group leaders are probably the best thing that ever happened to this camp!” – Sydney

“Tennis is super fun!” – Jane

“I love when our counselors eat hot peppers to help us get over our fears!”- Jordan

“We love hearing Rachel’s stories!” – Maclyn

“We have the craziest bunk!” – Morgan

A message from the CIT’s:  “We enjoy being a CIT because we get the experience of being a counselor while still being able to participate in camp activities as a camper.  We could not have asked for a better bunk of girls.  We love them with all of our hearts!”

A message from their counselors:  “Our bunk is our family!”

A message from the group leader:  “I’m so lucky to have this bunk in my group.  Their smiles and happiness brings me such joy each day.  Each child has an individual spark to bring to the bunk, which makes the bunk truly remarkable.  Being a group leader would not be the same without them!“

We hope you enjoyed reading today’s special feature blog.  Until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!

Hey Island Lake families!  We can’t believe we’re already a week and a half into summer.  Time sure flies when you’re having fun!  We hope you’re enjoying all of our social media updates so you can feel as if you are part of the excitement here at camp this summer.  As a reminder, you can find us on the following websites:

1. Daily blogs here on our website
2. Daily tweets on Twitter (twitter.com/IslandLakeCamp)
3. Daily short videos on our Facebook page (facebook.com/IslandLakeCamp)
4. And of course, our daily photos and weekly videos through your CampMinder account.

It was yet another beautiful day of weather here in Starrucca, PA.  We had a few minutes of rain when snack break started today, but it all cleared up by the time 3rd major rolled around.  We had another storm come through during rest hour, so let’s just say our trees and plants are nourished very well now.

Tonight’s evening activity is,….drum roll please,…everyone’s favorite summer camp Simon Says guy,…Steve Maxx!  (Yay!  Woohoo!)

Today our pioneerers (is that such a word?) went on a climbing trip to Prompton State Park.  They had a fun-filled day of, well, um,…climbing!

We also had a Lego specialist here today assisting the children with great projects.  Amazing what these children can do!  So today we are featuring LEGO activities!

Tonight is ETB, Early To Bed.  The kids definitely need some extra rest after running around all day, day after day, having fun and playing hard.  That’s about it for now.  Have a great evening and until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!

Are we getting too repetitive by telling you that it was another beautiful day in Starrucca, PA?  Yet again we had a great day of weather, as well as another fun-filled day of camp activities and sporting events in and out of camp.

First on the list is our kayaking and canoeing overnight trip that went out this morning.  Those kids are having a blast paddling down the Delaware River right now.

We had lots of sporting events today in and out of camp.  Let’s just say we had a great day yesterday and today our kids all played hard, played well, and had some good ol’ fashioned fun.  Here’s a rundown of Island Lake sports today:

1. Golf trip out of camp.  Campers went out to a local golf course where they played 9 holes.  They said they had an absolute blast and the golf counselors said they all loved it.
2. 8^th-9^th grade boys tennis played out of camp
3. 10^th-11^th grade boys tennis played out of camp
4. 9^th grade and under girls volleyball played out of camp
5. 6^th-7^th grade girls softball played here at camp
6. 6^th-7^th grade boys basketball played here at camp

Today’s special feature,…LAKE!

Last night’s social was a fun memorable night for our Island Lakers.  DJ Dennis had the kids on their feet on the dance floor partying it up until, well, until canteen opened,…then we still had lots of kids dancing but I’m gonna be honest, many ran to the canteen. (wink wink)

Tonight’s evening activity is groups.  Enjoy the rest of your day and as always, ILC U THERE!

Happy Sunday everyone!  Another beautiful day in Starrucca, PA.  Lots of sporting events went on in and out of camp today.  Here’s a breakdown of events:

1. 5^th grade and under boys and girls played very well in a tennis tournament this morning.  Unfortunately, we didn’t win but the kids all said they had a great time playing.
2. 7^th grade girls went out of camp to play lacrosse nearby.  They returned with a fantastic victory, 14-13.  You go girls!
3. 8^th-9^th grade girls played basketball at home against another camp and finished with an amazing win, 41-18.  We’re so proud of our girls today!
4. This afternoon our 5^th grade and under boys left camp to play soccer.  It’s no World Cup tournament but they played like they were in one.  Our young boys came short by 1 point but put in a good effort.
5. But wait, there’s more!  Our 6^th-7^th grade boys played a home soccer game against another camp and won, 11-4.  Those boys played fantastically well together and sure earned their win.

Today’s feature,…boys 6^th-7^th grade soccer!

Tonight’s evening activity is our one and only SOCIAL!  Many girls will be all decked out in pretty outfits with their hair done nicely.  The boys, well, we’ll be happy if they shower and put on a clean shirt for the social!  (LOL!)  We have an outside DJ coming in so we can all boogie on down in the gym tonight.

Enjoy the remaining few hours of your holiday weekend and until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!!!

Another sunny day here in Starrucca, PA.  Today is International Day here at ILC so campers and staff dressed to represent a multitude of international countries.  Although the morning was cool, it’s warmed up a great deal this afternoon.  Today feels like the perfect summer day;  sunny, warm but not too hot, and no humidity.

But enough about the weather,…we kicked off our Wayne County sports tournaments today.  Girls 10^th and 11^th grade played a hard game of lacrosse against another camp but unfortunately they did not win.  On a brighter note, our 9^th grade girls tennis team kicked some major uh, racquet, against another camp and won their tournament 3-2.  Go ILC girls’ tennis!

Yesterday’s 4^th of July celebration was SPECTATULAR here at Island Lake!  As we mentioned in yesterday’s blog, our music lunch, cookout, and firework display were all out of this world amazing.  We had the whole camp dancing away at lunch and everyone was in awe of our firework show.  We even had a firework preshow this year- a magic show followed by a rock concert.  We were unable to set off the sky lanterns due to the wind but the campers all sat on the hill by the canteen and seemed to love every moment of their evening festivities.

Today’s special feature,…SKATEPARK.  Check out some “rad”and “gnarly” pics below.

As mentioned in the previous blog posting, our first weekly video is now up for all to enjoy.  Here’s the link:  https://vimeo.com/100001151

Well, that’s about it for now.  We hope you’re having a nice relaxing holiday weekend.  Until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!

Our first weekly video is now up on CampMinder.  Enjoy the following link:  https://vimeo.com/100001151

Happy 4^th of July!  Hope you’re all enjoying your holiday as much as we are here at Island Lake.  Campers are all decked out in their red, white, and blue clothing and accessories today.  We started the day with a late wake-up since we returned from Dorney Park on the later side last night (more info about Dorney in this blog).  This morning’s breakfast was at 9am and we started the 4^th of July with our annual speech about how the USA beat the British to become our own nation,…but that we are very good friends with the Brits now.

Next hightlight- MUSIC LUNCH!  We played music in the dining room and the kids had a fantastic time singing and dancing.  Most of the camp joined in on the fun and were bummed when it was time to leave and get ready for their next major.  You’ll be able to view photos of our music lunch in our daily summer photos later today.  Video footage will be in our 1^st weekly video too.

Next highlight- Outdoor COOKOUT tonight!  Burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, watermelon, red, white, and blue cupcakes, and more for dinner.  Our campers enjoy dining outdoors for our cookouts.

Next highlight- Canteen will follow rest hour and then as the sun sets we’ll put on a short MAGIC SHOW, have a few ROCK BANDS play live, and set off some SKY LANTERNS into the air (if wind permits).

Next highlight- Following this will be our FIREWORK extravaganza!  We pride ourselves in having a fantastic firework show, so good that our neighbors come outdoors to enjoy watching it, as well.

Today’s feature,…patriotic campers at the cookout tonight.

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Yesterday’s trip to Dorney Park was a fantastic day for everyone.   Our campers and staff had an exciting day filled with amusement park rides, water attractions, and lots of bunk bonding.  The rain held out until we boarded the buses to return to camp.  We could not have gotten any luckier.  The day ran smoothly and we’re happy to report that we brought home every single person that we took there with us!  (Ha!)  Photos should already be posted on our website from the Dorney Park trip for all to enjoy.

Hope you are all having a wonderful 4^th of July.  Until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!

It’s a rainy day here in Starrucca, PA.  Well, a rainy afternoon that is.  The thunder and lightning rolled in while we were all at lunch (Pizza day,..yay!).  The weather let up for a awhile but then we had to delay the start of our 2^nd major by a few minutes until it was safe for the kids to head to their activities.  Some outdoor activities had to go indoors to the gym and canteen, but the campers still stayed busy.

Wednesday nights are usually LTB, Late To Bed, as we generally have a late wake-up for Lazy Day brunch the following morning.  However, tomorrow is our big trip to Dorney Park so wake up will be at 7:30am instead of 8:00am.  We will depart for the park at 9:00am.  For that reason, tonight’s curfews will all stay the same as usual, no LTB.

Today’s feature,..THEATER!  The older campers are doing Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Below are Joseph and his brothers hard at work, rehearsing choreography with their director, Corie.

Tomorrow there will be no blog since we will be away at Dorney Park from morning till night.  Our blog will resume on Friday, July 4^th.  We’ll have some exciting scoop to share with you on that day.  Until then, ILC U THERE!

It’s another beautiful day in Starrucca, PA.  As campers settle into the camp schedule, play rehearsals have begun, sports tournaments are being scheduled, and lessons are taking place in all departments around camp (waterfront, tennis, sports, dance, rock shop, hoseback riding, etc.).

Tonight is ETB, Early To Bed.   We’ll take a break from our regular canteen schedule and our campers will go directly to their bunks after evening activity.  Tonight is a great opportunity for the kids to get in a good night’s sleep.  They need it once a week after running around camp all day.  It’s pretty hot here today but don’t worry, we’ve been emphasizing to our campers that they must carry around their water bottles and stay hydrated.  We’ve also reminded them quite a few times that they should use lots of sunblock, which they are doing.

We have our weekly staff meeting at rest hour today after dinner today.  Our campers will sit outside of their bunks on the grass and write letters home to their families (at least we hope they write home to all of you!). If you don’t receive mail don’t worry, it means your children are having too much fun to take the time to write home.  Well, that or they don’t know how to address an envelope!

Today we are featuring CIRCUS!  Kids are already learning routines and practicing to perform for our big Circus Show at the end of the session.  It’s amazing what these children can do in only a couple of weeks!