Now in their third year at
Camp Montessori, electives have emerged as a fan favorite among elementary-age campers. Open to
Tigers,
Meerkats and
Dragons, e
lectives
run every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. and offer small-group adventures around a specific topic or skill.
So far, this summer's electives have included archery, abstract art, creek explorers, field games and yoga, among other activities. Photography, board games, crime scene investigation and basketball are among the electives that will be featured in the weeks ahead.
"Electives allow every child a chance to choose an activity that they
want to do during an afternoon at camp," said counselor and electives coordinator Alexis Szkotak (WMS '12). "They can choose from a variety of activities that they may have done before and enjoyed or something new that sounds interesting."
For the older camp groups, gaining the freedom of choice that electives allow is a rite of passage.
Kangaroos look forward to moving up to become Tigers so they can experience electives, and Tigers eagerly await a chance to become Meerkats so they can choose from electives like archery that are only open to Meerkats and Dragons.
Electives also encourage campers to interact with children in different age groups. Last week, the yoga elective group included campers ranging from our youngest Tigers (entering first grade in the fall) to our oldest Dragons (entering high school).
"[Electives] bring camp as a whole closer together because campers are meeting new faces every week - either because they are new to camp or in a different age group," Alexis said.
As a bonus, counselors also look forward to electives, because they can choose the activities they would like to host and often draw from hobbies they pursue outside of camp.
"[Campers and counselors] come to expect electives and get excited when their favorites come back again," Alexis said.
