Swimming

a glimpse of the pools

As we get closer and closer to July 1st, we will be blogging about the different activities in which your children will be participating.  We want you to know just how much fun they will be having, as well as what they will be learning.  We are starting with the activity that we find is one of the favorites – swimming!

Learning how to put her head in the water. The water is about 1 foot here.

At Camp Riverbend we have 4 pools that are meticulously maintained.  They have different depths, from 1 foot to 11 feet, and your child is placed according to his or her needs and abilities.  The campers receive swimming lessons every morning.  Learning how to swim is an essential skill when children are around water.  The campers will learn how to be comfortable in water, but more importantly, they will learn how to be safe in the water.

Because safety is always of upmost importance, the campers are always closely monitored and watched by more than 20 experience lifeguards, regardless of whether it is lesson time or free play.  Our Waterfront Director is Robin Breene Hetrick, one of the daughters of the Founder/Directors, Harold and Marianne Breene.  She calms the nerves of first time parents and ensures that the pool operations run smoothly.

Learning how to swim is a skill that will serve your child well for his or her entire life.   The free swim period is a great time for the campers to cool off and enjoy time with friends in the afternoon.  Don’t forget, they need 2 bathing suits and 2 clean towels a day!

What’s for lunch?

Preparing lunches can be a very stressful ordeal for some families. I know it can be in this house! Some families do it the night before, some in the morning as they make the frantic dash to the school bus.  Some families purchase lunch for their children.  You might think that now that your child is going to summer camp, buying lunch is not an option.  However, you’re in luck!  Camp Riverbend contracts with a caterer called Simply Gourmet Lunches to provide prepared lunches delivered to camp each day.  Lunch costs about $4.50 a day and there are many options from which to choose.  Simply order ahead of time and the lunches are distributed to the campers at lunchtime when the rest of their group is eating.

If you are a family who makes your own lunches, you might be interested in what we have been finding over at Pinterest.  Some people are so clever when it comes to preparing and organizing their lunch and snacks.  What seems to be a really popular idea is to use a box with compartments or bento box to pack all the food.  I like the idea of expanding the brown bag sandwich lunch to include healthy options like brown rice and veggies, among other choices.  Another plus is that nothing gets squished when it has its own compartment.  And best of all?  The kids will LOVE it!

Fresh Tomato Salsa & Chips

Tomato Salsa

On
April 27th we had our Spring Open House at Camp
Riverbend. There were many activities happening all
over camp and one of them was making homemade chips and salsa.
The families enjoyed helping prepare and then eat the yummy
snack! As summer approaches, it is great to have some recipes
ready to use with the surplus of fresh
tomatoes growing in your garden. Or maybe you
bought them at the Farmer’s market since the squirrels ate all of
yours, like mine. Either way… This recipe calls for
fresh tomatoes, but being April, decidedly
NOT tomato season, we decided to use the canned tomatoes
and they worked out quite well. We used the peeled , whole
tomatoes that come in the big cans. As long as you drain the
tomatoes, they work nicely. Fresh Tomato Salsa*

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic
  cloves, minced
• 1 -2 tablespoon
  cilantro
• salt & pepper, to
  taste

Directions:

1. Wash and dice
   tomatoes, peel and cut onion, peel and mince garlic or do what I do
   and use the already minced onion.
2. In a small bowl
   combine garlic, onion and tomatoes with cilantro, salt, and pepper.
   Stir with a spoon and mash a little, this will make it juicy, and
   as it sits it’ll get juicer.
3. Enjoy with chips or
   add to entrees for flavor/side dip.
4. Make it “yours” by
   adding chopped up peaches, mango, or a squeeze of
   lime!

*Recipe from food.com
Here is the recipe we used for the chips. They sure were
tasty! This is an adult project as the oil gets very hot.

Tortilla
Chips*

Ingredients:

• 12 corn tortillas cut into 6-8 wedges
• oil for frying
• salt to
  taste

Directions: We used an electric fry
pan, but you can also use a regular fry pan over medium-high heat.
Start off with about 3/4 cup of oil. Since we made a
lot of chips we had to keep adding oil in between batches. If
you need to do that, make sure you give the oil time to come back
up to temperature after adding the new oil. Heat oil over
medium-high heat for a few minutes. Slide pieces into oil
using a slotted spoon or spatula, a few at a time. Let pieces fry
until crispy, about a minute or so. We found we needed to
flip them so that they were even. Remove to a paper towel
covered plate to drain. You can even blot them with paper
towels to absorb more of the extra oil. Sprinkle
with salt and serve immediately. If there are leftovers, they
can be stored in an airtight container. These are so good
you probably won’t have to worry about leftovers! *Recipe
adapted from About.com

Beginning the Day at Camp Riverbend

The benches are waiting for the campers !

At Camp Riverbend, we have three different programs, depending on the grade the camper is entering in the fall.  Our youngest campers, in preschool and kindergarten, are in the Clubhouse Division; grades 1-8 have the Riverbend experience; and Day trippers is available for those in grades 7-9.  However, each camper begins their day in the same way…at Morning Assembly.

Morning Assembly takes place after all the buses have arrived and dropped off the campers.  The campers proceed from the bus directly to the benches.  They sit by group, with the youngest sitting the closest to the stage.  The camp counselors and Mr. Breene lead the whole camp in camp songs.  Any pertinent information needed for the day is given out before the campers are sent on their way to their first activity.

As parents, you probably expect your child to find a sense of community and camaraderie within his or her group and that definitely happens.  What is great about the Morning Assembly is the sense of community it builds through the whole camp.   To hear the entire camp singing, “We welcome you to Riverbend” is just an awesome sound.  We can just feel the excitement of the day contained in those few minutes that everyone is singing together.

We Welcome You to Riverbend
We welcome you to Riverbend,
We’
re mighty glad you
’re here.
We’
ll send the air reverberating,
With a mighty cheer, rah, rah!
We’
ll sing you in, we’
ll sing you out,
We’
ll stuff your ears with sauerkrat!
Hail, hail the gang
’s all here and you
’re welcome to Riverbend!

Sun Safety

This past Saturday we had our Spring Open House at Camp Riverbend.  It was a beautiful day with quintessential Northern New Jersey spring weather.  The problem with that kind of breezy, sunny weather is that you don’t think about how much sun exposure you are getting.  It was not until much later that evening that I realized how sunburned the back of my neck was.  It was a reminder that today is as good a day as any to discuss sun safety.

At Camp Riverbend the safety of our campers is of upmost importance to us.  This includes sun safety.  We ask that campers apply sunscreen every morning before they get on the bus for camp.  This ensures that it is already on and working before they get here.  They reapply after swimming or the spray park, as well as after lunch.  The counselors assist the younger campers, of course, in reapplying.  The counselors will let you know if your child’s sunscreen needs replacing during the course of the summer.

On the hottest summer days the counselors are encouraged to keep the campers in cool, shaded areas and the spray park is open all day for cooling down.  Plenty of water is provided in many locations around the camp on all days.  This is a good reason to send a reusable water bottle labeled with your child’s name on it.  Hydration is essential to a safe summer at camp.  Becoming dehydrated can lead to headaches and dizziness, so it is imperative that our campers drink, drink, drink!

Camp Riverbend counselors and staff do everything they can to ensure that your child comes home to you in the same condition he or she left in the morning, albeit a little tired and a lot satisfied with how they’re summer is going!

Don’t forget to like our facebook page!

Camp Riverbend and the environment

Yesterday was Earth Day.  I hope everyone was able to get outside and enjoy our earth in some way or another.  I was doing some research on what Earth Day is, exactly.  It turns out that it is pretty much what I thought it was, a day to think about and take action on saving our environment.  It got me thinking about what a great job Camp Riverbend does at addressing environmental awareness with our campers.

It starts with our camp grounds.  If you have not been to our camp before, it is located on 30+ beautiful acres in Warren Township, NJ in Somerset County.  We have woods, fields, nature trails, and a wetlands sanctuary.  We are located right along the Passaic River where campers of all ages enjoy canoeing while exploring the river habitat.  One of the favorite activities of our campers is the Nature program.  They explore insects, birds, plants, and do basic science experiments.  Last year, for instance, they grew different herbs and vegetables.  It is a program that encourages campers to treasure the natural world and take care of it through conservation, recycling and smart energy use.

The American Camp Association, by which we are accredited,  wrote about how time spent in nature helps children mentally, physically, and emotionally in their article, Nature Nurtures Kids.  It gives children a chance to unwind without “screens” and helps them build a connection to nature that can last a lifetime.

At Camp Riverbend we are excited that we can be a part of teaching our campers about the natural world around us.  We hope that it helps them develop a respect for our environment that grows as they do.

Our answer to the question, “What did you do today?”

How often does this happen at your house? Your child gets off his or her bus after a busy day at Camp Riverbend, and after giving them a hug you ask the usual questions: “What did you do today?” and “What’s going on tomorrow?”  The answers are vague, at best:  swimming, played gaga, and the ever-favorite, nothing.  We want you, as parents, to have a way of knowing what went on during the day at camp, right at your fingertips.

That is one of the reasons you may have noticed that we have had more of a presence online as of late. We think it is a great way to share information about what’s happening as we prepare for the 2013 summer season.  Once camp begins, you can come to our facebook page and follow our twitter feed to keep abreast of daily happenings and special events.  Who has a cook out today?  What’s going on this Wacky Wednesday?  Today’s the Pancake Breakfast!   By checking in on facebook during the day, you can greet your camper and already have questions to ask them, such as: “How was the Counselor Talent Show today?” or “Tell me about the dog show.“   Of course, we will continue the e-mails that we are sure you depend upon, but we think being able to check in on facebook is a great option!

We have also been pinning like crazy!  Check out our Pinterest boards to see what has been grabbing our attention…new crafts, new recipes, camp gear…and let’s not forget GAGA!

So come join us, like our facebook page and follow us on twitter and pinterest.  Check back here for regular updates.  We hope you’re as excited as we are!