camp

So last week I was getting all crafty on it as we had brownie camp on the weekend. The theme was pirates and we had lots of great activities planned around this. I wanted to share some of the things we did.
Firstly I want to say I have forgotten how much girls actually love pink. I one cabin there was a whole line on sweet pink gumboots lined up at the doorway. Also I have never eaten so many marshmallows, (marshmallow surprise for dessert, marshmallows on fruit kebabs, marshmallows at camp fire) and may I point out also pink.When we first arrived the girls had to get into their sixes by finding their personal key that was hanging in the tree. Each key was colour coded and therefore split the group into six groups. These are the groups the bunked with and did activities with. I had forgotten what it was like to be on camp and have passwords to enter cabins, roll calls to ensure everyone was present, be able to stay up all night (without any aid from substances) and giggle and chat about rubbish, some may argue that some things never change.
The girls made pirate flags for their six. I forgot what it was like to be a child; where the most important thing is to write your name and big and as bold as you can, dot your ‘i’s with love hearts and then of course write underneath who you love. How did I forget that! So many of the girls have ‘boyfriends’ and it’s so scary to hear them already fighting over them for their affection. I hate to say it girls but this is one thing that will not change!
I also had forgotten how carefree you are as a child. I mean don’t get me wrong I’m a pretty care free kinda-girl (some may say too carefree but I beg to differ) but as I sat and watched one little girl pick up a pen and draw a pirate monkey straight from her imagination, no worrying about if she was going to make a mistake, it made me realise how much of my playfulness I keep inside me on a day to day level. I vowel to spend more time drawing and crafting... and I really need to scrape book more!
Crafts! We made treasure chests, parrots (sorry I didn’t get any photos of these but they looked amazing!) and of course treasure to go in them. I really liked this purple and gold sword that Maree from Island Bay did, it looks very royal like. I can imagine a princess owning a sword like this! The glitter key necklaces I put together also worked out really well, some girls found it easier than others of course but they loved them.

On the last day we did an activity called Guides Own. It’s basically a little service to pay respect to the founders of guiding and to be thankful for what we have. While this is the most boring part of brownies when you are a child, it’s one of those things you look back on and are grateful that the leaders made you do it. I think it is a good wholesome task that puts you in good stead for the years ahead, reminding you to take time out and smile at yourself, as the world and everything in it is much bigger than you.
Anyway after the ceremony the leaders stood in the middle of the ring holding balloons with streams attached. The girls came into the middle and took the balloons back, reforming their outer ring. The idea being that the leaders are like the Captain of the ship. They lead everyone through the adventure and keep the team together, we are all connected through the captain and therefore are all connected together as a unit. I’m not sure the girls really got the point but they did have fun running around with the streamers and balloons, and the wind really helped!


One afternoon the girls made sail boats and we sailed them down the stream. The water was freezing so I watched from the bridge. But I loved it as the area was so Neverland like; bridges, fallen trees used to cross the stream, floating ships and streams of sunshine, the girls looked like the little lost boys (except they were girls) and Tinkabells wondering through the forest. They were so sweet and their ships were so creative! I’m actually thinking of bouncing some ideas off them when it comes to brainstorming projects for the office.

Other out comes from camp for me were:
a) It will be a while before I have children and I’m not sure I want as many as I thought. But I guess I was never considering having 50 either. But children have no sense of personal space, are extremely time consuming, have no common sense and have extremely short attention spans. Good bye Sunday brunches, goodbye privacy, basically goodbye life as I know it. Then again I guess it’s different when they are your own and it’s a gradual process... hum.
b) How fun and care free it is to be a child. I really want to embrace and reclaim some of my childhood moments and thoughts. Though it is important to remember to move forward rather than being pulled back by the past I think it is important to retain some of your playfulness that so many of us loose without realising.
c) Life is one big adventure! We never really grow up, things actually aren’t as complicated as we think and really they are exactly the same as they were in the playground. We just like to think they are more complicated and scary because they make us feel more important. I of course don’t do drama so of course this doesn’t apply to me  But, just though I should point it out for all you others out there. Smile and enjoy it xxx

Thanks for camp both leaders and girls. I had a great time and am excited for the year ahead and our next adventure.