Another old song comes to mind: " If you miss the train I'm on you will know that I am gone, you can hear the whistle blow 500 miles" Don't miss the train on a summer load of fun 2011.
All the kids and staff have fun at Holdiay Hill Day Camp. Even if you have no idea where you are going, as long as your friends are along you know it will be fun.
Time
Time to Make a list of 10 things you love about summer. Here is mine:
1. Ice Cream Cones and Popsicles
2. Swimming
3. Canoe or Kayak on the lake at Mansfield Hollow
4. Rainbows
5. BBQ
6. baby animals
7. bare feet
8. watermelon
9. water fights
10. all day with friends!
Have You Eaten Mulberries at Camp? Do You Know Why Mansfield Used to Have 1000's of Mulberry Trees?
Long ago in Mansfield we had a busy little town full of small mills that were built by the rivers and ran on water power. All of the small villages in town grew up around a central source of employment, a mill. Conantville, Eagleville, Atwoodville and so on the mills were a busy center of industry in early America.
On Hanks Hill Road is the site where the first silk mill in America was built and run. It was no bigger than a back yard shed when the business began but the Hanks brothers were indeed in the silk business there.
Their business grew and they moved into a larger mill. The one pictured above was built in the early 1800's and is now part of the Greenfield Village Museum in Dearborne, Michigan. A sign denotes the spot near the pond where the mill once stood.
This is the newer and larger mill which is still in its original location and now is an apartment house. As you can see by the picture it was not a big business even then. The owners are to the left in the picture and the group to the right are the mill workers.
So what does all this have to do with the Mulberry Tree at Holiday Hill Day Camp?
Mulberry Trees were planted all over Mansfield to feed silk worms. The little worms were grown in homes, attics and barn lofts for the silk industry. Their cocoons would be unraveled and spun into the silk thread . Many farmers grew silk worms as a cash crop so they could have a little extra income. Many trees were planted to feed the hungry silk worms who dined on the leaves.
The Mansfield Historical Society often has displays on the silk industry and goes out to schools to share how the silk worms were grown. Maybe a few will be grown this year
You can read more about it at the Historical Society web page http://www.mansfieldct-history.org/
The best way to contact the Mansfield Historical Society is to email the Museum Director, Ann Galonska.
At Holiday Hill Day Camp there is time for Clownin Around. Gone are the school books, homework, passes to the library, special projects and book reports. The only report we want is that you are all having fun!
A session at Holiday Hill Day Camp is a great way to guarantee summer memories that will be shared for years to come. Learning to swim, master the high ropes course, a new best friend, seeing a counselor get soaked, paddling Mansfield Hollow with an Eagle over head, (or in the canoe), laughing until your sides hurt,it's all waiting at camp. http://www.holidayrecreation.com/
Our elf has been roaming the camp for most of the century! Still unseen by campers and staff alike, we see signs of the elf everywhere, especially now that the elf writes on our blog! But no one knows it's real name! What do you think our camp elf's name is? Post your ideas in the comments block.
Sure enough the mountains of snow have subsided. The ice coated trees are warming in the sun. The courts are drying and the wooden train can breathe again! Soon it will all be a distant memory, but we have not come far enough from winter to get there yet!
Just remember the day will come when waiting for pool time will be a hot sticky endurance test. When the frozen wonder is a blue freeze pop and being at camp making perfect summer memories is finally here. Call today if you haven't registered your session yet. The schools have finally figured out what to do about all those snow days and the kids are ready for summer plans! http://www.holidayrecreation.com/ 860-423-1375
The magic of time lapse photography allows us to watch a canoe being built by hand. Not a plastic canoe but a wooden one, handcrafted they way they have been made for centuries. I like how these guys have a small business, there's a dog hanging around in the shop, they all go to lunch they seem to work hand over hand each knowing what comes next. Teamwork in the workplace is really evident here.
Holiday Hill Day Camp http://www.holidayrecreation.com/ emphasizes teamwork and the kind of camaraderie displayed in the Northwoods video. Summer is a time for growth and skill development in children through play, sports, imagination and fresh air! Building strong children through games and activities helps them attain new confidence. Be sure your campers are ready to grow this summer with a session at Holiday Hill Day Camp.
Paper Airplanes have cetainly been around since paper became affordable to the masses. There is something that draws us to create flight. Is it our desire to be like a bird soaring high above, or the magic of something as inanimate as homework flying over the heads of our friends that draws us to the paper airplane. Whatever our reason the love of folding and flying paper airplanes has been around a long time.
I found this great video on how to fold an omni wing plane. Thought you all might like to give it a try. On Saturday I will post a video of the flight of the omni wing. If you want to be reminded of that join the group here at the blog by clicking Follow and the blog will come in your inbox like a magazine subscription. Also coming up another funny game of ball, tips for better skills in sports, news from camp as spring apporaches and all kinds of interesting articles. As always I will incude a few pictures to remind you of those warm sunny summer days by the pool and the adventures of attending Holiday Hill Day Camp! http://www.holidayrecreation.com/ If you haven't saved a spot for your family pool membership or your kids, jump over to the website and see what is being offered this summer. I'm counting the days until the Robin returns and the grass is green!
No, these are not your usual hoop stars. Donkey basketball has been around awhile and is quite often used for a fundraiser for a sports program. The Donkey provides enough comic relief to keep the audience laughing and the team members as well. Since riders are so close to the ground on these standard size donkeys the falls are harmless and haphazard.
You won't see any donkeys on the court come camp time, but it sure a fun game to watch as we wait for the snow to melt and the courts to dry and the summer sun to shine down on Holiday Hill Day Camp. http://www.holidayrecreation.com/
It will certainly be a sign winter is over when they return to the horizon at Holiday Hill Day Camp http://www.holidayrecreation.com/ Found this nice video of a group pitching a tipi so you can see how it is done.
If you can't wait until summer comes around and your camp session, remember, you can always pitch a card table tipi in the family room and have some camp fun for the smaller set.
Raising the tipi is not very different from an old fashioned barn raising. When everyone cooperates big jobs become simpler. That is one skill the team building aspect of the Ropes Course teaches.
Business, social club, youth group or any other group, we all need team building to learn the skills of cooperation and group strategy. A retreat at Holiday Hill Day Camp, http://www.holidayrecreation.com/ can give your members or employees the chance to really get to know each persons strong suit and more clearly define how the group can reach the goal of success.
