Kids’ Camp popular at Township Park

By Joanne Bender
Sun contributor
Mahrle Siddall (4), Sophie Ramont (7) Marcaira Midgley (4) and Audrey Ramont (4) were hard at work creating sand paintings, with a few googly eyes and colored puffballs added for astonishing effects. They were just a few of the happy kids busy at the art table at Glen Arbor Township Park on a Tuesday this summer.
This is just one activity supervised by Kelly Woodward and Leah Hilton, staff members, every Tuesday and Thursday for nine weeks all summer long. The group of campers at Kids’ Camp, sponsored by the Township, spent happy hours creating, running, jumping, climbing, laughing, giggling and lunching.

Camp was open to children ages three to six, but a few two and a half year olds and a couple of seven year olds were warmly welcomed, too. Some days saw 20 to 25 kiddies attending. The ninth week was a “bonus”, an additional two sessions requested by happy parents of the children.
Special activities were planned for each meeting of the enthusiastic campers.
They were seen beading, making bracelets and necklaces. They constructed rainmakers from tubes filled with rice, they hiked up Alligator Hill and they toured the Glen Arbor Fire Station. On that day, rain fell following their trip so they dined on their sack lunches inside Cherry Republic.
Other activities included planting lavender, poppies and sunflowers in containers that took root at Kelly’s house and then were taken home by each camper. They enjoyed filling Cherry Republic jam jars with Petoskey and Mancala stones, a colorful gift for their moms.
The children enjoyed making foam visors with different foam shapes adorning each one. And they loved the day when playing with a parachute stretched by each child and bounced balls in the middle. “And we hid underneath it, too,” added Gray Raymond, age five.
Gray’s fifth birthday was celebrated at camp on August 14 when he brought cup cakes for everyone.
Kelly is a senior at the University of Michigan, majoring in political science. She plans to work for “Teach for America” for a couple of years after she graduates next spring. Leah is a junior at Albion College, majoring in physical education on the elementary school level. Leah would like to be a “nanny” for a family in a large city following graduation in 2009, prior to beginning a teaching career.
Staff for the camp, which was the idea of (a few years ago) and is still organized by Glen Arborite Becky Sutherland, also included Sara Stratz, Chelsea Klumpp and Will Thomas.