Hobbies And Interests
Footprint Paint
Try this activity outdoors with lots of room for children to run. Roll out long sheets of plain butcher paper in the grass. In front of each sheet, place a paint tray with a different color tempera paint in each. At the end of the paper, place a bucket of warm soapy water and a towel. One by one, give each child a chance to step in the paint and walk, run or skip across the paper with painted feet. At the end of the banner, children will step into the soapy water and then dry their feet off before moving to the next color. For a different effect, have children skip the soapy water bucket and instead mix colors and run across the paper. Use the long banners to decorate your summer camp space.
Shaving Cream
This sensory activity is a favorite with young children and can really help clean off a table. Try this activity after a super messy art project on a table with paint spills or drips. Squirt a large amount of shaving cream onto the table and allow children to spread it around with their hands. Ask children to be sure to cover the whole table in shaving cream. Children can use their fingers to write their names or draw designs into the shaving cream. When the activity is over, remove the excess shaving cream and wipe down the table with a damp cloth. Not only will the table be super clean, but the room will smell nice as well.
Water Balloon Toss
Balloon games are a staple of the summer camp program. Split your campers into teams of two. Give each team a very full water balloon and ask them to toss it back and forth. After each toss, instruct each member of the team to take one step backward before making another toss. The team who completes their tosses from the farthest distance are the winners. For more of a challenge, blindfold one member of the team or have children stand with their backs to each other and toss the balloons over their heads behind them.
Messy Balloon Pop Race
For more balloon fun, create a race between two teams. Before the race, fill several balloons with messy substances such as pudding, Jell-O, water, whipped cream or finger paint. Have children dressed in their bathing suits for this activity. Split your campers into two teams. Have one member of each team race across the room, choose a balloon and sit on it in order to break it. After successfully popping the balloon, the child will run back to his team and tag the next person in line, who will then run and choose a balloon to pop. The winning team is the one whose members pop all of their balloons first. Allow the winning team to jump in the lake to clean up first.