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Cousin Camp– You Can Do  This!

This is a grandparent exclusive!

A few weeks ago my Cute Kid #2 said, “Nana, I have some ideas for Cousin Camp. I can’t wait until it is time for it to begin!”  Cousin Camp is on my mind all year; however, in the spring the plans begin to take shape so that we are ready for a great camp in the summer.  

Cousin Camp is a few days set aside, for us it is 4 days and 4 nights, for the purpose of having our grandchildren stay with us for intense fun, training and bonding. Children need to be old enough to obey and follow instructions before attending.  We have 7 out of 8 that are eligible this year.

The parents bring their children at noon on Tuesday. (As they get older this may stretch to a longer amount of time such as 5 days and 5 nights.) They have a 30 minute window to come in, help their child put out the sleeping bag, take a tour of the themed camp for the week and say their goodbyes.  During that time, we take opportunity to take pictures of our Cute Kids so that  all can be in the pictures since #8 is not quite old enough to participate.

Then, camp is on!  We begin with an orientation of the theme, making everything exciting and staying on schedule for the benefit of us all.

A few pointers for an easy running camp:

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• Supply matching shirts and shorts for each kid.  Wash them daily so that this is the only change of clothes needed for the week.
• Supply matching PJ’s. This makes for great pictures and also keeps things organized.  
•  Keep meals simple. Kids don’t care about fancy meals, they just don’t want to be hungry.  For breakfast, cook bacon before the week begins, package it by the day, and heat it up each morning.  Bacon and cereal or a breakfast bar works great.  Our first camp we thought the kids would love making homemade ice cream. It took too long in their minds. They just wanted ice cream. Lesson learned.
• We have Bible Time twice daily.  It is fun and intense.  Kids will sit still and listen when there is something to listen to.  Keep it moving.  Involve the children.  Memorize verses.
• Carry out the theme weaving it into every area of the camp.
• Be prepared.  The reason I work on camp all year with ordering and planning beginning in the spring is so that we are prepared. Thinking through the theme early enough to think of awesome ideas makes a difference in the week.  Last minute prep does not work when children are waiting for the next thing to happen.
•  I’m providing a sample schedule for ideas; however, it is not necessary to do it my way.  The best thing to do is to use your personality. Choose a theme and organize your camp to suit you and your kids.  

COUSIN CAMP 2020

CIRCUSDAYS

June 23 – June 27

Schedule Example

Thursday

8:30 AM         Breakfast and Dress for the Day      

                       Lucky Charms, CocoaPuffs, and Bacon, Z Bars

9:30 AM         Bible Time with Papa

Theme Verse and Theme Song

Samson – Judges 14:19 – And the spirit of the Lord came upon him…

Give them their weights

10:30 AM       Go to Pelicans for a Treat

11:00 AM       Circus Games             (stilts…)

Pin the Tail on the Donkey (on the fence)

                       Pinata(on the swingset)

                       Relays with weights

11:30               Free Play

Noon               Lunch  

                       Mac n Cheese, Uncrustables, Hotdogs                                    

1:15 PM          Read If I Ran the Circus book – sign the book on the pages read.  

2:30 PM          Nap time / Rest time

4:00 PM          Circus Games – barbell snack and fruit

                       Samson Chain

5:30 PM          Dinner – Pizza

7:30 PM          Circus Games

8:00 PM          Singing around the fire

                       My God is so Great

                       What a mighty God We Serve

                       Jesus Paid It All

8:00 PM          PJ’s on

8:30 PM          Bible Time with Papa – Samson

Verse for Today -                   Samson – Judges 14:19 – And the spirit of the Lord came upon him…

Theme Verse and Theme Song

9:00 PM          Snack Time (Popcorn) / Watch Time                          Movie -

10:30 PM        Brush Teeth/ Bedtime

Example of Last Day

8:30     AM     Breakfast and Dress for the Day

10:00   AM      BibleTime with Papa                                                 Review

Theme Verse and Theme Song

10:30               Practice for Parents show

Noon               Parents Arrive

Cousin Camp Presentation

1:30                 And they lived happily ever after—the end!

Themes we have chosen.  The possibilities are endless.

Camping –decorate with tents and such. This was our first year and we didn’t have a thematic thread.  That began the next year.

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Aiming Your Arrows – Teepees, Arrows, Head dresses; Psalm 127:4  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Train Up – Trains, Conductor; Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Circus Days – all kinds of circus regalia, circus games, circus wording; Psalm 48: 1, 2 – Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

The Ultimate Race with a sub theme of Cute Kid Olympics – Olympic regalia, opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies, all kinds of our style of Olympic games, runner baton, the Olympic rings, gold, silver and bronze platform, metals. flags; Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

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Let’s train the next generation,  investing in the lives of the people we love the most! Deuteronomy 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently…” Now, let’s get going! You can do this!

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