Happy first full day of camp! Yesterday’s Opening Day went extremely well with lots of happy campers coming off of the buses. New and old friendships are blossoming already. Campers are bonding with one another, as well as with their counselors, and they are settling into Summer 2017 here at Island Lake.   Be sure to check out our daily summer photos through CampMinder. We also tweet on our Twitter account daily, post on Instagram, and put up short videos on our Facebook page. There’s SO MUCH to check out that’s going on here at ILC.

Today was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL DAY in Starrucca, PA. The temperature hit the low 70’s with a light breeze and it was the perfect day to run around and have some fun. It was our 4-minor day so the kids were busy trying out activities to see what they’d like to sign up for as their majors for the remainder of the session.   Campers took deep-water tests, had sports orientation, pioneering, and were tested for their tennis levels outdoors. Auditions for the musicals went on all day today as well. We’re excited to offer a combination for our older campers of the show, Pippin, along with our circus department. The 2 departments will work together and at the end of the session the performance will take place in the circus building. Our younger campers will put on Lion King Junior in the theater at the end of the session.

Lots of other activities also took place today. Horseback riders and dancers were tested for levels, circus activities were in full effect, our magicians started to learn their skills, our skaters & bladers rode in the skatepark, in addition to all of the other activities we offer here at ILC: magic, video, cooking, rock shop, gymnastics, and more!

After lunch we gave out many 5-year jackets and 10-year jackets to our loyal Island Lakers, both campers and staff. In our daily summer photos through CampMinder we will show you photos of campers and staff in their ILC-wear. I hope this beautiful weather continues so they won’t have to wear these (rain) jackets quite so much over the course of the summer.

After their 4 minors and our snack break, we held our favorite camp extravaganza,…PANIC! It’s a camp-wide game where I call things out over the PA system and our campers have to run into their bunks, find the item(s) and bring them as fast as possible to their group leaders in the middle of their campuses. It can be something as basic as a red toothbrush or more involved like 5 campers wearing 2016 ILC Color War t-shirts singing the camp alma mater. I play music over the PA in between while the kids all sing and dance with their bunks. Ok, I’m not gonna lie. The boys don’t sing and dance as much as the girls! Regardless, Panic was a hit and the kids participated and cheered their bunks on as they ran around having a fun-filled fantabulous time.

Tonight’s evening activity is GROUPS, which means the group leaders take charge and run different activities for their bunks. Here’s a list of what everyone is doing: BOYS: Group 1- Video Scavenger Hunt; Group 2- Gaga Ball; Group 3- Dodgeball; Group 4- Capture the Flag. On the GIRLS side: Group 1- Theater Games; Group 2- Minute 2 Win It (game show that you’ll have to google because I’m not even sure how they play it!); Group 3- Ugly Fashion Show (the girls dress up in crazy funny outfits and have a fashion show); Group 4- Crazy Game (fun active wild game to try to tire them out!)

Below is an array of photos from down at the lake today. Please return to this blog each day, as I (Wendy) will be posting ongoing events happening here at Island Lake. Until tomorrow, ILC U THERE!