Brooks School Day Camp Activities
Day Camp Activities
The Brooks School Day Camp is comprised of fourteen different activities, in addition to daily swim lessons and free swim. Participants enrolled in the Brooks School Day Camp will be grouped in small cohorts, each group having a different schedule that changes daily. As campers and their group counselors travel across the Brooks School campus, they arrive at a specific activity area, which an Activity Head and Activity Counselor lead. The activity staff are responsible for the planning, organizing, and leading of each activity. The activity staff are trained in their specific field and equipped to help support the campers as they partake in each activity. Having access to 270-acres, the athletic complex, lake, two outdoor pools, classroom buildings, and nature trails, the Brooks School is truly a one-of-a-kind setting for a day camp.
The Brooks School Day Camp Adventure activity entails a ropes course containing both low and high elements. All campers participate in the low ropes elements, while the higher elements are reserved for the Group 4 campers. The trained and certified Adventure staff facilitate all activities by teaching ropes course fundamentals such as spotting and belay procedures and supervising the campers to ensure the safety of all. Using a challenge by choice approach, there is no better place to learn experimentally and expand comfort zones in an adventure educational environment!
The Brooks School Day Camp Archery activity teaches the campers the fundamentals of archery in a safe and well-supervised environment. Archery staff instructs campers on the proper steps and techniques on how to go about shooting, aiming, and hand placement on bows and arrows, as well as general safety. For Group 2, Archery staff help position campers close to the targets and work on their basic archery skills, such as hand positioning on bows. Group 3 and Group 4 campers focus on more refined shooting techniques from a further distance away from the targets and a little more independence with the bows.
The Brooks School Day Camp Arts and Crafts activity fully immerses campers in the theme of every session through various planned art projects. In Arts and Crafts, Group 1 and Group 2 campers partake in projects that allow them to be independent with provided support when necessary. Group 3 and Group 4 campers are provided with age-appropriate activities that keep them engaged throughout the activity block. The Arts and Crafts team offers all campers a wide selection of materials and tools to bring their creativity to the next level!
The Brooks School Day Camp Boating activity offers campers the opportunity to access Lake Cochichewick using canoes and rowboats. The small-craft certified boating staff focuses on teaching progressive boating skills with an emphasis on water safety. Group 1 and Group 2 campers are always escorted in the boat by a member of the staff. After earning a boating badge, Group 3 and Group 4 campers are allowed to operate a rowboat or canoe under the supervision of the boating staff. Safety remains the highest priority on the waterfront, with a motorized rescue boat patrolling the boating area at all times with an American Red Cross lifeguard on duty. All campers and staff are required to wear a provided lifejacket.
The Brooks School Day Camp Explorations activity is an exciting cross between nature and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)! Our Explorations activity helps to feed camper interest in the natural world around them with interactive nature projects, science experiments, and so much more! With our Group 1 and Group 2 campers, Explorations provides activities that can include observational drawings on nature walks on the numerous nature trails here on campus, crafting their own creatures and habitats, as well as playing with a camp favorite, oobleck! Our older Group 3 and Group 4 campers engage in more sophisticated projects and experiments such as slime creation and engineering egg-drop contraptions. Offered exclusively to our Group 4 campers, they participate in the well-received Survival Challenge, an interactive game that simulates life in an ecosystem! This fun challenge takes placing using our 270-acre campus. Explorations allows campers to explore the world and environment around us in fun and interactive ways!
The Brooks School Day Camp Games activity challenges our campers in different ways. Games focuses on making connections within the camp groups. Games provides campers with team-oriented activities, where kids use problem-solving techniques to help them adapt to a specific game, work towards objectives, and enrich their team-building skills. Games works on good sportsmanship with the campers as well as encouraging camper participation. Group 1 and Group 2 campers engage in more motor skill-driven games. For Group 3 and Group 4 campers, at games, they engage in thought-provoking, decision-building games at a slightly higher level of skill, such as volleyball, life-size connect four, life-size Jenga, and much more!
The Brooks School Day Camp Gymnastics activity teaches the campers various skills that they would also encounter in a beginner’s gymnastics class. All campers learn safety rules and proper behaviors to use in our Gymnastics area. Group 1 campers practice basic skills through various gymnastic-based games that help reinforce their large motor skills. Group 2 campers focus on fundamentals and proper techniques to grow and improve their gymnastics skills and confidence. Group 3 and Group 4 campers continue to build on their gymnastics foundation as we introduce new and more complex skills, games, and activities to try at their own pace.
The Brooks School Day Camp Mindfulness activity fully immerses the campers in the art of relaxation and meditation. Mindfulness staff teaches the campers various techniques to help them calm their bodies and ground themselves for a small part of their day, allowing them to return to camp refreshed and re-energized. Yoga mats and a calm, cool environment are provided for the campers to practice and learn yoga techniques, deep breathing exercises, and mindful thinking. The Mindfulness staff’s goal is to give the campers the tools to use in their everyday lives to reset and refocus for a more productive and healthy lifestyle!
The Brooks School Day Camp Music activity gets campers to explore the concepts of rhythm through call and response exercises on several types of instruments. Campers can expand their love for song and movement with various skill-leveled music-based games and activities. Group 1 and Group 2 campers engage in basic rhythm music games, such as musical dots and musical chairs, and create their handmade instruments to create their own tunes! Group 3 and Group 4 campers engage in more sophisticated music games and activities, such as guess that tune, poison rhythm, and a weekly pass the tap competition. The Music activity also allows campers to participate in music parades around campus and watch live in-house concerts from their very own Music staff!
The Brooks School Day Camp Performing Arts activity provides campers with a fun and memorable experience while teaching them the fundamentals of theatre. Performing Arts promotes a safe and encouraging environment for campers to work on their theatrical confidence and performance abilities in front of their peers. Campers in Group 1 and Group 2 learn about ensemble building, concentration, and movement through fun engaging performing arts-specific games. The Group 3 and Group 4 campers focus primarily on activities that promote skills such as improvisation and character creation. All campers get the chance to improve on team-building skills and expand their creativity through skits.
The Brooks School Day Camp Skateboarding activity is one of our newer activities here at camp, is offered exclusively to our Group 3 and Group 4 campers. Skateboarding teaches campers the basics of the sport; pushing, turning, and the proper safety techniques to properly handle a spill. The Skateboarding area provides a variety of ramps that the campers use to drop in on, based on a scale from 1-5. Once campers can handle the basics, they are allotted free skate time and more individualized/ advanced instructions from the Skateboarding staff. All safety equipment and boards are provided.
The Brooks School Day Camp Soccer activity allows campers to expand their knowledge on the fundamentals of soccer while having the resources to play fun soccer games that emphasize teamwork. Soccer also focuses on developing camper’s communication skills, sportsmanship, and engagement in healthy competition. Group 1 and Group 2 campers learn the basics of dribbling and passing through games modified to their skill levels, such as snakes in the grass or Fishy-Fishy Cross My Ocean. Group 2 campers often progress throughout the summer and can later engage in keep-away or small-scale scrimmages. Group 3 and Group 4 campers focus predominately on building their foundation of soccer with larger scrimmages and learn the more tactical elements of soccer. The older campers often engage in fun shooting games such as lightning, the power of finesse, and of course, the camp favorite – World Cup!
The Brooks School Day Camp Sports activity facilitates an atmosphere in which campers have the opportunity to forge friendships through light-hearted competition. Here at Brooks School Day Camp, Sports features a collection of activities that include, but are not limited to, whiffle ball, flag-football dodgeball, and much more. Sports allow campers to showcase their athletic ability in an inclusive and encouraging environment. Depending on the age group, the sophistication and level of competition of the activity vary. Group 1 and Group 2 campers primarily play sports that build up their motor skills and confidence handling various sports equipment. In comparison, the older Group 3 and Group 4 campers play games that focus more on teamwork to achieve a common goal and individual athletic growth.
The Brooks School Day Camp Tennis activity allows campers to learn the basics of tennis or perhaps brush up on their already existing tennis skills. Campers improve their social skills while partnering up with other campers during games, matches, and practice. Group 1 and Group 2 campers focus their time at tennis on developing hand-eye coordination, determination, and basic “rally” tennis skills. The Group 3 and Group 4 campers learn the fundamentals of tennis through fun tennis-based games and match play while learning the standard rules of tennis.