First Day of Journeys Outdoor School

What an amazing first day of camp. We arrived about 30 minutes late due to a bus picking us up late, but that was the only issue all day. Students quickly unloaded all the gear and then starting playing a tag game associated with animal characteristics within 10 minutes of arriving. They soon got into their trail groups and hit the forest. After eating lunch in the natural environment, students spent the rest of the afternoon exploring with their trail group. A few of the groups hiked up to Bald Peak, which offered a spectacular view and is a worthy goal to make it to the top. Others discovered the quartz outcrop on a mountain and spent time exploring all the neat rocks in the area. A few groups were able to do their archery station and not one child I talked to said they didn't have a blast there. Community time arrived around 5pm, after they got into their cabin groups and unpacked. Community time was shorter today, but many students loved learning the new game called Gaga-Ball. Dinner was, as I'm sure it will be all week, a favorite for most kids. It was family style dining with tacos being the theme. No one went away hungry. They had about 20 minutes after dinner to hang out in the cabin or outside with leaders before returning to the lodge where the night activity took place. Tonight was "Science Alive". Students focused on the scientific method as they rotated through about 10 stations, each taking about 5 minutes. Lots of neat things being learned here!