Summer Camp Survival Tips!

Is it going to be your first time at a sleep-away camp this summer? Are you nervous? Well, here are my tips on picking (and surviving) camp!

If you’re still not sure about sleep-away camp, try a day camp! You usually start around 9 a.m. and do fun things like swim, make crafts, play games, meet friends and sing camp songs.

But if you think you’re ready for a sleep-away camp, give it a go!

The hardest part about sleep-away camps might be saying goodbye to mom and dad! Let the tears fall—everyone cries, and you’ll get over it as the fun begins.

Once in a while, you also might get homesick. Talk to a counselor or friend, and ask to rest a little. It’s perfectly OK to cry. But camp can be so fun that you won’t think about home!

Got stuffed animals or baby blankets? Do you absolutely HAVE to bring them, but don’t want anyone to know? Just stuff them way down in your sleeping bag—no one will know that they’re there!

Bugs, bugs, bugs. Most cabins WILL have bugs, so bring some insect repellent to wear!

You’ve heard the rumors how camp cooking tastes terrible. Well, it isn’t. Sometimes, it’s even better than Grandma’s cooking! Give it a try, and if you don’t like it, ask for something else!

Camp showers are usually VERY cold, and you might only have five minutes to take them! Lather up quickly and rinse. Bring a large beach towel instead of a bath towel. Beach towels with cover you better to keep you warm!

And that deep, dark, haunted forest? It’s not really haunted, and it’s full of cool wildlife and plants! Just remember to stick with a buddy or counselor when going anywhere in the camp, and stay inside the camp boundaries, too!

Whether it’s day camp or sleep-away camp, you’re gonna have a time to remember!

Space Is My Kind of Place

The best camp I ever went to was space camp! Space Camp was in 2007 and held at General Dynamics. My dad, Tracy Chavez, works at General Dynamics. We did awesome activities like making an egg parachute!

An egg parachute is where you make a parachute for an egg out of certain materials, such as rubber bands, food take-out boxes, squishy pads and plastic bags. The objective of egg parachute is to not crack or dent your egg as it parachutes down a staircase. My team won! The scientific part of this is that if you parachuted down to Earth from more than 500 feet in the air, you could live and not get injured. But if your parachute isn’t made right, you may get some broken bones! Ouch!

We did other cool activities, like looking at a Web site called Celestia. Celestia is a program where you can look up planets and see an awesome spaceship’s view of them! I have Celestia on my laptop, and I still use the fun application! Did you know that Mercury’s ring has a meteor called “pan” that cleans up the ring! It’s like a mini meteor vacuum cleaner.

In conclusion, that is the best, most fun camp I have ever been to! You should visit General Dynamics for this summer’s fun source! I even met a new friend. Her name was Serena!

City Life vs. Country Living

Camping out—far out—can be very fun. But so can visiting the city. But where do folks prefer to live? Out of eight people interviewed, seven said they preferred living in the country. The other one said that he liked both equally!

The seven who prefer country living gave reasons like:

• You can see about 2,000 stars without any telescope.
• It’s very peaceful and quiet.
• You get to breathe fresh air and never see smog.
• You don’t bother people when you do stuff (’cause there’s no one to bother).

Summer Means Mariachi Camp

I have been going to Mariachi Camp at Davis Bilingual Elementary School for the last four summers. The camp runs in June—four hours a day, Monday through Friday. Guitar was the first instrument I picked up that summer after kindergarten. I started learning simple MELODIES of songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “De Colores.”

Then as the summers passed I learned how to play chords and mariachi guitar rhythms, like “son” (rhymes with tone) and the “huapango.” Mariachi Camp helped prepare me to join Las Aguilitas De Davis, the mariachi band from my school that gives many public performances all over town each year. Meeting new people and learning new instruments are the best parts of camp. Last summer I met a new friend named Zack who made me laugh. I started to learn to play the trumpet. Now I play guitar and trumpet with the Aguilitas.

Students can learn guitar, vihuela, guitarrón, violin or trumpet. Our teachers are talented mariachi musicians and the camp is directed by Dr. Alfredo Valenzuela (the Davis Elementary music teacher and director of Las Aguilitas) and Jaime Valenzuela (also a music teacher, mariachi musician and mentor). Kids from other schools can attend mariachi camp at Davis. So come mid-April, give the school office a call (225-1400) to REQUEST information about this unique camp that has given so many mariachi musicians their start with this wonderful music that comes to us from the state of Jalisco, in Mexico.

1Week2Rock Band Camp Mixes Music & Fun!

Last summer I attended a camp like no other in Arizona! That camp is called 1Week2Rock, and it was insanely fun! Walker Foard organized the camp along with Wayne Sloan, Joe Dunlap, Mary Foard and Laury Browning.

The camp is almost like a day at school. But wait, school isn’t that fun! However, it isn’t a sleep- away camp either, it’s more like rock school! While at the camp you get to name your band, create your own logo, write two songs and visit a real recording studio. On the last day, you perform your song for parents, friend and family.

1Week2Rock band camp is held at Amphi Middle School, so it’s totally safe! Plus it’s a great way to make new friends!

One of the main highlights of it all is that you don’t have to be a pro at guitar, drums, keyboards, vocal, bass, or anything else that produces sound! 1Week2Rock will teach you as you go. Or you can go with a band you already have. You can also request to be paired up with a friend who is also attending, and they will do the best they can to let you and your buddy rock together!

This year’s camp dates are June 8-12, and June 15-19. If you’d like to attend this year’s 1Week2Rock band camp, visit www.1Week2Rock.com.

This Camp Rocks!

When I camp in Prescott, there’s a special place called Chapel Rock.

Chapel Rock is, well, what you think it is—a gigantic, gray rock. It‘s near a church, and it’s great for climbing. There is a little mossy space where you can see the whole place by standing on the side of the rock.

It’s a Summer Tradition

My best camp experience was Horizon Camp. I loved it because it was a lot of fun. The staff was nice, too.

We have a summer tradition to always go there. I love the field trips, and it is pure fun. You play many sports, games and have a blast.

I was so fortunate to go!

Down By the River

Camp had a big river and boats. We got to play football in the river, and we got to swim. We even made fire!