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101 Things

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Devantier, A.  (2002). 101 Things Every Kid Should Do Growing Up. Sourcebooks: Naperville, IL.  List reprinted with permission of Sourcebooks.

Lists such as this are of course completely arbitrary, but they can still be fun, insightful, and useful as inspiration. In those lights, the list is broken down into things that you can do for your child more easily, things where we at Camp Augusta can offer special opportunities and gifts, and some borderline stuff that can happen at camp, but perhaps not as purposefully. Certainly, some things could switch lists, but it’s fun to look at the list whimsically.

Things You Can Offer

2. Every kid should believe in things that can’t be seen

8. Ever kid should catch snowflakes on his tongue and eyelashes

13.  Every kid should create a scrapbook of her childhood memories

14.  Every kid should go to a museum

15.  Every kid should build a gingerbread house and then get to eat it

16.  Every kid should get to spit watermelon seeds

17.  Every kid should do a “senior study”  {interview a senior citizen}

19.  Every kid should have a favorite book or bedtime story {which they might get at camp}

25.  Every kid should ride in a small airplane

26.  Every kid should experiment with simple science projects

28.  Every kid should help bake a cake from scratch and then lick the frosting bowl

29.  Every kid should grow a vegetable garden

30.  Every kid should blow a bubble gum bubble until it pops

31.  Every kid should experience a family car trip

32.  Every kid should see a classic movie on the big screen

33.  Every kid should go to a parade

35.  Every kid should create a special holiday keepsake

36.  Every kid should participate in a “-thon” (e.g., read-a-thon, bike-a-thon, skip-a-thon, etc.)

37.  Every kid should possess a soft, cuddly, stuffed animal that he is never forced to give up because “he’s too old”

38.  Every kid should have a collection

42.  Every kid should build a sand castle in the summer, and a snow fort in the winter {well, there’s snow here in the winter!}

43.  Every kid should go on a factory tour

45.  Kids should write a “memory letter” each year

47.  Kids should play dress up

48.  Ever kid should eat green eggs

50.  Every kid should have a treasure box

51.  Every kid should spend some time on a farm, even for a short visit

54.  Every kid should visit the place(s) where mom and dad grew up

55.  Every kid should get dressed up and go to a fancy dinner or restaurant

56.  Every kid should create a board game

58.  Every kid should write a letter to a favorite actor, athlete, or hero

59.  Every kid should have a pet

61.  Every kid should decorate her room according to the theme of her choice

62.  Every kid should take a trip to Washington, D.C.

63.  Every kid should have a secret hideout

65.  Every kid should run a lemonade stand

66.  Every kid should mark birthdays with a celebration {we do special stuff at camp if it happens here}

68.  Every kid should go to a family reunion

71.  Every kid should be taken for a pajama ride (surprise postpone bedtime and go on a magical journey)

72.  Every kid should have a “get better” box (stuff to do when they are sick)

74.  Every kid should spend some time alone with each parent

75.  Every kid should build a model

77.  Every kid should go to a baseball game with grandpa

78.  Every kid should play with his food

79.  Every kid should see mom or dad laugh

80.  Every kid should make caramel apples

81.  Every kid should publish a book

85.  Every kid should have a pen pal {maybe their counselor}

86.  Every kid should have a personal library card

88.  Every kid should experience the ocean

90.  Every kid should produce a video

91.  Every kid should experience the mystery of magic

93.  Every kid should make a meal for the family

95.  Every kid should spend some time alone

98.  Every kid should learn about the family history

99.  Every kid should learn the value of money

101. Every kid should have a dream for the future and an adult who believes in that dream.

Things That Can Be Done at Camp

1.   Every kids should do something to make the world a better place.  { service projects available at camp, by choice}

3. Every kid should go outside at dusk and stay there until it’s dark, watching the stars come out.  {overnights, stargazing in the meadow}

4. Every kid should camp in the backyard. {overnights in the safe woods}

5. Every kid should play in the bathtub until his skin wrinkles. {a child could sign up for a couple waterfront clinics, and swim everyday at general swim – hours!}

10.  Kids should own one really fun piece of clothing {they can make something in our art den, or perhaps tie dye something}

11.  Every kid should turn off the television for a weekend {a week or two here at camp – there’s no tv here}

12.  Every kid should eat homemade ice cream on a hot summer evening {cabins can make homemade ice cream as a cabin activity or on an overnight if they so choose}

18.  Every kid should receive praise for who she is and what she has accomplished {counselors do this all the time}

20.  Every kid should take a nighttime hike by the light of the moon {night hikes are an option if a cabin so chooses it}

21.  Every kid should receive an award {we have an individual award system, if children choose to participate in it}

22.  Every kid should make a special homemade present for Mon, Dad, Grandpa, or Grandma {our art den is the place for that, if a child chooses it as an activity}

23.  Every child should express creativity {camp is the place for that in spades!!}

24.  Every child should learn how to swim {we offer swim lessons for all abilities}

27.  Every child should take music lesson {we offer a music and singing activities, but such clinics run when there is sufficient demand}

39.  Every kid should attend a live performance {we have a drama production that kids can attend}

40.  Every kid should let a fuzzy caterpillar crawl up her arm, and then watch that caterpillar turn into a butterfly {our nature clinic and activities offer loads of hands-on nature experiences}

44.  Every kid should decorate the driveway {we’ve got the stuff, which kids sometimes do during drawing clinic, CAP, or for a cabin activity}

46.  Kids should explore other cultures {30% plus of our staff come from other countries}

49.  Every kid should ride a horse

52.  Every kid should be allowed the freedom to make choices, decisions, and mistakes {activities are chosen individually and in groups.  See the “success counselor” section of our partnering with parents information as well}

53.  Every kid should got to a fair, carnival, or amusement park {we often hold carnival at camp}

57.  Every kid should have one outstanding teacher {we have lots of the non-academic kind here}

60.  Every kid should have a hobby {kids often get passionate about things they can try at camp}

67.  Every kid should clown around

69.  Every kid should make a pizza {sometimes cabins make those on overnights or on a cookout if they so choose}

70.  Every kid should learn to appreciate the different abilities of people {counselors guide this}

82.  Every kid should have a best friend {one of the most common comments kids make on their evaluations is that they made great friends here}

83.  Every kid should experience the feelings of love, safety, and security

84.  Every kid should participate in extracurricular activity

87.  Every kid should enjoy lazy summer days {on the weekends in two-week sessions}

89.  Every kid should be given a camera to take pictures, and the freedom to take whatever pictures she wants to take {pack a camera, or your child can buy one at our store}

92.  Every kid should go to summer camp {hey, we made it!}

94.  Every kid should do chores around the house without being paid {kids “hop” the tables, clean the cabin, and help out around the camp}

96.  Every kid should have an adventure {we’ve got lots of adventures!}

97.  Every kid should experience the beauty of nature. {acres of Pine, Lake Vera, Gypsy Falls, Yuba River, Clear night sky, . . . }

100. Every kid should have the opportunity to act like a kid

 

Borderline items

6. Every kid should play with play dough {in arts and crafts, we play with all sorts of goo}

7. Every kid should receive notes of support, encouragement, or “just because”  {cabins sometimes choose to do this with “thank you circles” or as part of a cabin chat at night.  Counselors verbally praise the children individually all the time.}

9. Every kid should write a thank-you note of gratitude to a relative or teacher {kids have that opportunity on their end-of-session evaluation, and more generally to thank a donor if they so choose}

34.  Every kid should write in a journal {they can start one at camp and write in it every day during siesta}

41.  Every kid should create a self-portrait {if they attend the drawing clinic, they can give it a whirl}

64.  Every kid should play classic games {we have classic games at camp, but we have more unique and really campy games}

73.  Every kid should blow soap bubbles {we sometimes do this as the muses move us}

76.  Every kid should go on a scavenger hunt {we sometimes do this as the muses move us}

Camp has a special fun of its own as well

The book list is fun, but it is hardly exhaustive. When you examine all of the clinics we offer, loads of cabin activities, our evening programs, or the many other things we do, camp offers the chance to do yet another 100 things, many of which could only happen here.

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