“Small Camp” is a special time for our younger campers, during which we offer unique activities and opportunities for them while their older counterparts are out of camp on their Big Trips. The day before our oldest campers arrive back at camp, our younger campers get to share in one of our favorite Small Camp traditions: Nell Day.
The Green Team raced to the finish line with their watermelon prize in tow!
Nell Day began as a commemoration of the woman who previously owned a sheep ranch on the Johns Island property where camp is now located. Nell Robinson was a remarkable woman who shaped the history of Johns Island and left a lasting impression upon all who knew her. Nell Day pays tribute to her and allows us as a camp community to reflect on our connection to the past and to the land. While we celebrate Nell and her legacy, we also acknowledge with gratitude that Johns Island is part of the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, who still live in and travel through this region today.
The Orange Team completed a challenge on the Ropes Course to earn Nell Day points.
Color teams, face painting, kooky skits, watermelons, and a scavenger hunt are all hallmarks of our Nell Day celebration. Campers from the Forester and Voyageur units were selected as color team captains, and they led their orange, pink, green, purple, and yellow teams of younger campers with pride and pageantry.
Campers selected costumes from the Drama Shed to display their team colors and spirit.
Teams traversed the island searching for clues and solving puzzles to complete the afternoon scavenger hunt and uncover the hidden watermelon prizes. The best prize of all: enjoying freshly-cut watermelon slices alongside your teammates!
Members of the Pink Team participated in a spiderweb painting challenge at the Craft Shop.
From selecting their “Nell Day Specials” (like making nature art and playing a rare daytime session of Capture the Flag) to performing their own silly color-themed campfire skits, campers participated in special activities from morning until evening. Nell Day is a favorite among many of our campers and staff, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate it again this summer!
This year’s Nell Day victors, the Purple Team, raised their watermelon in triumph as they approached the finish line!