At Smirkus, Dress Up is Every Day
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Will Ciardelli
Aside from all the circus classes and rehearsals the kids have been attending and doing here at camp, they have been having an absolute blast participating in some of our other fun activities and traditions at camp. Some of these include well known games and sports like soccer and dodgeball, but others are more camp specific with activities like Gold Rush, Staff Hunt, and Dutch Auction!
Last evening we held the Smirkus Camp version of Halloween, where staff members hid throughout the camper dorms as the campers went around knocking on doors to see who was behind them. Staff members used creative liberty to decide what treats to give out to the campers. Items included paper clips, rubber bands, buttons, and even dish soap or chairs!
The campers had loads of fun getting to dress up and act like it was October 31st! They collected all sorts of odd items and other things in the place of candy and sweets. Afterwards, they all got together and shared their mid summer Halloween hauls, which were filled with jokes and laughs. As Halloween wound down, a few campers gathered around on the brown to watch one of their peers perform a magic trick, a great ending to a magical night! The campers had a blast and will likely look forward to playing next year!
Halloween isn’t the only time our campers got to dress up. Each evening we have a dress up theme for our dinners! Last night it was Hunger Games vs Harry Potter, two very popular book and movie series amongst our campers. We saw a wide variety of creative costumes stretching from drawn lightning bolt scars on foreheads to using clothes hangers with string as bows and arrows. But tonight is a staff favorite: “Staff Impersonation” where campers dress up and act like a coach, counselor or any member of our staff. This is always a good time filled with a lot of laughs. We are all very excited to see what the kids come up with.
This week we have moved into the preparation stages and rehearsal time for the upcoming showcase, campers have chosen, and been placed into different acts where they have something they want to show off to their adults. It’s bound to be an exciting show with great clown acts, impressive juggling routines and beautiful aerial routines. All the campers are absolutely giddy to show what they have been working on and we can’t wait to put them in the spotlight!