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This Week We’re Talking to…Camp Funshine
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2022 THIs Week, TJH speaks WITH… Camp Funshine
By SuSan Schwamm
Two months of amazing summer fun! For the last few weeks, our children have been basking in the sun, swimming, singing, and soaking up the fun every day. How are they spending their time away from their desks?
In this series, we speak with camp directors and head counselors to learn more about our community’s amazing, spectacular, incredible, marvelous, unbelievable (you get the point!) camps.
GoinG to camp when you’re younG is nonstop fun if you’re in camp funshine. Located in north woodmere, camp funshine provides miLes of smiLes for around 100 chiLdren in our community. whether it’s sinGinG or dancinG to the beat, these younGsters can’t stop GiGGLinG the whoLe summer throuGh. this week we spoke with mrs. eLkie foGeL, camp funshine’s director, to Learn more about aLL the fun.
Mrs. Fogel, we hear such wonderful things about Camp Funshine. Tell us more about the camp.
We are an adorable camp for 3-5 yearolds, based out of Ohr Torah in North Woodmere. We attract campers from North Woodmere and across the Five Towns! Everyone loves Camp Funshine for its warmth and non-stop activities, perfect for preschool age children. Now, we even have a year-round school called Little Friends Gan of North Woodmere. A lot of our school-year students are now our campers.
How many campers are enjoying Camp Funshine currently?
Every summer we have around 100 campers. Since our spots are so limited, we fill up right away each year. The beauty of that number of campers is that we are able to provide big camp perks, while at the same time give attention and love to each and every camper!
So some of these kids are students there during the year. How do you make them feel at home and excited to come to camp every day? How do you differentiate it for them?
I love that, because camp provides an opportunity to do different things with them than the school year. The kids enjoy a whole new dimension as their building suddenly transforms into a camp, and there are water slides and trips and so much more. They also enjoy the consistency of knowing the building and the layout. It’s fun and familiar at the same time.
You’re dealing with little ones. Do you have nap time or time during the day for a little “downtime”?
Some of our youngest bunks do real naptime, while other bunks just have a story-time break to relax and provide a midday rest. Sandwiched around that “rest time” is nonstop action and fun!
Tell us about your amazing staff.
They are the best! Everyone applying to work at Camp Funshine did so because they want to work with young children and make a difference in each child’s
summer. Our staff love their campers, and the campers love them right back!
How is the day structured?
We have a super-exciting, well-rounded schedule with a good mix of activities for every bunk. A bunk might have a specialty, then ride-ons, then a craft, then water play, and then lunch. Each period is 30 minutes long to keep the children interested and occupied. Our bunks have an exciting water play area with slides and fishing pools and a huge water slide inflatable! Do you bring in special performers or special acts for the kids to enjoy?
Yes, we offer the best preschool shows Are there special songs that they love to sing?
Our very own Camp Funshine song, of course! We produced and recorded it professionally. We all sing the chorus together, “Yes, we all love Camp Funshine!” It is precious to hear. Many of them know
all the words and sing it at home all the time, too!
Camp Funshine by the Numbers
Sounds like the perfect balance between excitement and downtime for these youngsters. Is there a theme this year?
This summer’s dynamic theme is “Out of the Box”! Our Assistant Director, Tehilla Kenigsberg, created an adorable program with weekly themes like Jackin-the-BOX, crayon BOX, mail BOX, etc.
Each week includes theme-related activities. Crayon Box Week brought tons of colorful fun. We painted Harold’s car (from Harold and the Purple Crayon) with purple paint. The next day, we enjoyed some fun in the sun (Yellow Crayon Day) and had a car wash to wash off the paint. Bunk Color Dress Up Day and a color hunt on Friday ended off the week. Every day we come to camp and can’t wait to see what our theme-related activity will be.
and outings in town! We have a weekly trip for the older bunks and a weekly show for all bunks. This summer, we also have an Erev Shabbos concert from Mr. Shabbos, who has the whole camp singing and dancing to different interactive songs!
Kids say the cutest things. Anything cute today that you’ve overheard between the little ones?
We love to overhear the kids chatting! One boy was jumping on a big inflatable slide and said to his friend, “Best day ever!”
6shows 10 trips 25 loving counselors 500 ices weekly 100 smiling faces daily
Were there any “surprises” this summer at Camp Funshine?
Although every day is structured similarly, every day is also a surprise! The children never know what activity to expect. For example, one day they came to camp and saw a circus tent hanging on the door. We had tons of circus fun and corn pops for a treat! We also had a surprise BOX activity where each camper ended up with a special prize.
