Summer has officially kicked in, which means it is time for a summer camp at Umang Foundation Trust! Our seven-day summer camp was an unforgettable one filled with laughter, exploration, and endless opportunities for growth! We called upon some of the most dedicated and experienced teachers to accompany us and guide these young minds to embrace their curiosity and push their boundaries. We hope this summer camp led various children to a path of self-discovery, friendship, and endless fun!
We started our summer camp with the “Paint Your Imagination” activity, where children could unleash their creativity. It was an engaging and expressive experience that helped ignite their imagination and allowed their inner artist to flourish. It was also a very therapeutic experience for them since it was also a process of self-expression, as the children could convey their thoughts and feelings visually. Our volunteers also assisted the children and helped them reflect their thoughts on paper more clearly. We also incorporated another activity, where nature and art intertwined– it was leaf painting. The children were provided with leaves which served as an artistic medium and led to the children creating very captivating work with their out-of-the-box imagination. The highlight of the day was certainly the time when they presented their artwork proudly, with joy on their faces, and explained what it meant to them.
On the second day, we were joined by Deepali Pandya, who came to teach the children the art of cursive writing. She taught them how to write letters in a flowing and connecting style. Another new thing she introduced was the ideal way of holding a pen while writing, as it can alter the way you write, which was very intriguing. After the lesson, Deepali, along with the children played hangman, Pictionary, and other exciting games, which helped the children put their skills together. It was certainly nice to see the kids enjoy doing these activities and also improve their handwriting skills at the same time. We are thankful to Deepali for sharing her knowledge on this subject and helping our students feel happy and proud about their cursive writing skills.
The next day, we focused on emotion therapy. The goal of emotion therapy is to help youngsters understand, express and control their emotions in a healthy and positive way. Our talented counselors Somrita Chatterjee, Jaya Rajdev, and Aarti helped the kids achieve this. We began the day by letting children create emoji puppets where they had to draw something based on the emotion they were given. The children were fully immersed in this process– they gave their input, shared their personal experiences, and guessed the emotions that were being acted out by the counselors. By the end of the day, everyone felt like they could connect in a better way with each other. We truly believe that emotional intelligence is an essential life skill and are glad that we could teach it to these young minds.
On Day Four, we emphasized team-building activities. We started by dividing the students into teams of three, which were the Dark Soldiers, Rainbow Girls, and Golden Stars. Each team put in their all, in the hope of winning. The first game was “Blind Man” where one person from each team was called upon, blindfolded, and told to find their own team member with the help of the other team members. The effective team communication and support for their team members were a reflection of how amazing their bond was. The next activity was “Build the Tower”, where students had to put their problem-solving skills and creativity to the test to create the tallest tower using a limited amount of materials. It was nice seeing the use of several strategies for each team, where they brought out their inner architects and faced the challenges they had head-on. We were thrilled to see how determined each participant was to help their team win.
Our theme for Day Five was “Treasure Hunt Bonanza”. We began with a “Scavenger Hunt”, where children were split into groups and told to find chits in different places based on several clues; whoever collected all the chits first, won. This required them to work as a team and be observant of their surroundings. The children were certainly energetic and ready to find these clues quickly so that they could be declared the winner. They also played another game called “Point Hunter”, which was an individual activity. The energy was electric as each student competed against each other and overcame all the obstacles that came their way. The children showcased resilience and intelligence and were also adventurous, we are very proud of them for giving it their all!
Lights! Camera! Action! Day Six was all about showcasing talent which we called “Kids Got Talent”. The dedication and passion could be seen in each performance as it was evident in every move and note they sang. The performances presented were absolutely incredible, leaving us in awe of their immense potential. Furthermore, we also played a game of “Antakshari” where two teams were up against each other, where they sang their hearts out and had an enjoyable experience. T Their confidence, talent, and the way they supported each other truly showed us their growth through the course of this summer camp.
On Day Seven, we celebrated the last day of our summer camp where we made unforgettable memories and new friends, did some extremely fun activities, and learned new things. Everyone had smiles on their faces as they danced to the rhythm of their favorite songs and showed some of their fantastic moves! We also played various games and handed out prizes as a token of our appreciation and love to each of these students. As the day came to a close, we talked and exchanged laughs with each other as we indulged in snacks. Their enthusiasm, kindness, and dedication during all seven days of the summer camp were commendable.