The first week at the Spectrum in Boone was a lot of fun! It was nice to see a few new faces this session. We started out by making baby chicks out of construction paper as we all got to know each other. Next, it was time to choose between two awesome lesson plans: Dinosaurs Galore or Jungle Fever!

Those who chose to hang with the dinosaurs got to make their own fossils and create some awesome dinosaur masks!

A lot of people seemed to really like Jungle Fever. We made snakes out of paper plates and played lots of games like Jungle Animal Scavenger hunt and "Tiger, Tiger, Bear" (the jungle version of Duck, Duck, Goose) 

Last Thursday was a beautiful day at the Spectrum, so we took advantage of it by going outside. We played a few silly games that mostly involved running around and playing with balloons. After it was discovered how easily the balloons would pop, all twenty were popped after about two minutes of being inside! Then we had to get creative and ended up racing and chasing each other around for a while.

Next, we headed inside and the kids were given the choice of doing shark-related activities or taking a trip to outer space. Everyone who chose to do activities from outer space got to make awesome flying saucers out of paper plates and tissue paper. We had fun throwing the saucers around the room and using them as Frisbees. For the shark activities, everyone got the chance to make a shark out of a clothespin and/or draw a shark on a balloon. Later, we used the balloons for a game of Shark Attack. The object was to try and stay away from the balloons that had sharks on them!

This was a very fun week at the Spectrum in Boone! We started out with a Valentine’s celebration and made cute heart-shaped glasses. One of the interns also brought yummy candy bracelets for everyone to munch on!

Next, the kids got to choose between playing real-life iPod games or taking a trip to Hogwarts. Over at the app store, everyone got to make their own Angry Birds masks (or other masks if they wanted to). They also went out into the hall to play Temple Run, which was set up as an obstacle course with boxes. All the kids seemed to enjoy crawling under chairs and jumping over (or knocking down) the other obstacles. It was awesome!

At Hogwarts, the students were learning to make potions out of sprite and food coloring. One of the kids made a really strong potion and forced one of the interns to drink it. It must have been some sort of happiness potion, because she couldn't stop smiling after that! Next, everyone got the chance to make their very own wand out of paper and feathers before they headed outside for a quick game of Quidditch (with frisbees)! All of the kids seemed to love getting to go outside…45 degrees is warm for February!

Come back next week for more pictures and updates!

It’s almost time for Mardi Gras and how better to celebrate than to decorate cupcakes with colorful sprinkles! This definitely got a bit messy, but boy were they tasty J We continued the Mardi Gras fun by playing a game where we tried to throw beaded necklaces into cups. “Tried” was the key word in that sentence, because neither the kids nor the interns found it very easy to get the necklaces to go into the cups. We all decided to just throw the beads around the cups instead and it was a lot more fun!

Next, everyone was given the choice to either take a trip to the zoo or play in the snow. After getting to know all the kids last week and hearing about all the cool animal facts they know, it was obvious that everyone would choose the zoo! We started out by making elephants out of paper plates, construction paper, and googly eyes. Even though everyone used the same materials, their elephants still looked so unique and creative! One resourceful kid even decided to use a popsicle stick to transform his artwork into an awesome mask! After everyone finished their elephants, we headed out into the hallway for a game called “barrel of monkeys”. This is a version of tag where each time a person is tagged, they must link arms with the tagger. In the end, the remaining person that has escaped the giggling chain of monkeys gets to be “it”! Next, we moved on to an elephant race! The laughter did not stop as everyone dropped to the floor and charged up and down the hallway making elephant noises. This was extremely fun, but also really tiring! We slowed down a bit and ended the afternoon with a game of “pin the tail on the zebra”.

Overall, it was a great day at the Spectrum in Boone and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next week!

Today was an excellent start to the early Spring session in Boone, NC! Everyone drew their favorite animals on balloons and shared them with the group so we could all get to know each other a little better. Then, we used the balloons for a relay race and a quick game of “Don’t let the balloon hit the floor”! The kids were then given a choice to ride with the cowboys or take a trip to Hawaii. The cowboys got to learn to make Native American headbands with paper bags and feathers. They also got to try out the shooting range and go on a wild animal scavenger hunt! The beach dwellers spent their time decorating beach buckets and making leis to wear around their necks. They also had fun playing beach volleyball (with a balloon) and showing up the interns during the Limbo! Everyone came back together at the end for a quick game of Pictionary. We couldn’t believe what talented artists we have this session! See you next week J I heard a rumor that one of the interns might be making cupcakes…

Last Thursday was another great day at The Spectrum in Boone! After a few days of blistery winter weather, it was nice to find creative ways to play with "snow" in the warmth of the indoors. Everyone enjoyed making snowballs out of construction paper and using them to play a variety of games. The kids started out by seeing how many of the snowballs they could throw into a bin at the center of the room. They stood far away from the bin and showed off their amazing accuracy as they made nearly every shot! We also had fun after breaking up into two teams and seeing how many unreturned snowballs we could throw onto the other team's side. Both the campers and the interns were laughing and smiling throughout the entire game! After the snow games were over, the kids were given the opportunity to make snowflakes out of construction paper or their very own bird feeder out of pine cones and peanut butter! We finished the day by playing a game that was called "Don't Wake the Bear". The person who was the "Bear" sat blindfolded in the middle of the room, surrounded by various items. Everyone else had to try to pick up the items without the bear hearing them. If the bear heard any rustling or jingling, they got to take off their blindfold and tag the person closest to them. The interns were not very good at being quiet, so the kid who got to play the bear was always able to catch someone. It was a fun way to end the day! Return soon to find out what new and exciting activities we do next time!

We had a great first day at the Spectrum in Boone! We started out by making creepy spiders out of paper plates and pipe cleaners. The kids were also given the opportunity to make other crafts. One of our creative campers even made her very own 3D dragon out of paper and tape! After we were done making crafts, we played some fun Halloween-themed games. Everyone's favorite game seemed to be "Wizard Says", which was a special Halloween version of "Simon Says". The kids did a great job at following the directions and coming up with funny things for everyone to act out. We also played "Musical Chairs" while listening to scary Halloween music. Some of the interns joined in for this game, but weren't quick enough to keep up with the kids and lost every time! We had a great day overall and can't wait to have even more fun during our next meeting!

Hello friends!

  We hate to see this session come to an end but don't be sad! Check out these pictures from camp. We had so much fun playing outside, making arts and crafts that we often used in activities, creating alter egos to help with scavenger hunts, showing off our trivia expertise, forming friendships, and using our imagination playing games.

  Our wonderful interns came up with themed activities last week that the
kids (as well as our team!) loved. "Outdoor fun day" was one option,
in which we played outside with sidewalk chalk and played frizbee. We
also had "spy hunt," in which we broke off in teams to search for our
hidden objects. Spy masks were also made to help with this task and
stay in character to be the best spy that one can be! 

 We are looking forward to this afternoon and will be uploading pictures soon to stay tuned!