7:45 AM Polar Bear Call (Optional)
8:00 AM Rising Bell & get ready for the day
8:30 AM Morning Stretch or Flag Raising
9:00 AM Breakfast
9:45 AM Staff Meeting
10:15 AM Community Time
11:30 AM Interest Group 1
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Rest Hour
2:30 PM Assembly or Quad Meeting
3:15 PM Interest Group 2
4:15 PM Snack Time
4:30 PM Interest Group 3
5:30 PM Free Time
6:30 PM Dinner
7:45 PM Nights Doings
8:45 PM Evening Reflection
9:30 PM Bedtime Prep
10:00 PM Lights Out (grades 3-8)
11:00 PM Lights Out (grades 9-12)
We know there are a lot of terms to learn when coming to camp! We have our own dictionary of Miniwanca Jargon that explains all the camp terms you will hear this summer. Below are a few highlights from the Typical Day schedule:
Polar Bear Call: A classic Miniwanca tradition where campers and staff can choose to get up early and jump in the lake first thing.
Morning Stretch (Girls Camp) / Flag Raising (Boys Camp): Our first all-camp activity each day. A cabin will share reflective thoughts based on the theme for the day.
Community Time: Fun activities for each age group to help campers bond and make friends with people from other cabins
Interest Groups: Activity periods. Campers sign up for 3/day and change about every 4 days.
Assembly: An all-camp gathering to get re-energized for the afternoon. Staff will sing songs, do silly skits, and give updates on the world inside and out of camp.
Quad Meeting: Our campers are divided into quads (Girls Camp: Draws, Dunes, Ridges, Trails ; Boys Camp: Breakers, Creeks, Beaches, Sands) and the oldest campers are leaders. Quad meeting is a time for camper leaders to plan something with the other campers in their quad.
Nights Doings: Camp wide games or activities. Other camps often call this Evening Program. It might be Capture the Flag, a talent show, or one of many silly games we have made up over the years.
Evening Reflection: A reverential activity where a cabin shares their thoughts on the theme of the day, usually plays music, and everyone reflects on their day. Journaling is popular, but many just sit and enjoy the sunset!
About once per week, we shake things up with an atypical day! On these days, campers do not attend interest groups and instead we have camp-wide games and activities as special events. Some of these events are separated Boys Camp and Girls Camp, and some are mixed gender activities. A few of our past activities and traditions are below:
Fourth of July
Green Acre Games
Bryant Field Olympics
Slip & Slide
Paint the Leader
Doc Wheels Fun Run- a "5k" through camp that ends on the beach
Nostos - homecoming for Voyageur and Odyssey trips
Beach/ Well Site Day
Something Sacred- non-religious gathering usually in nature focused on a theme like gratitude or friendship
CarnAVAIL- carnival games planned by our oldest campers
Quad Cup / Four Fold Tournament
You will be scheduled for at least one hour of "down time" per day. Most often this is during one of the interest group periods, but may be at another time depending on your role. This is time for you to take a nap, take a shower, do laundry, call home, journal, do a puzzle, grab ice cream from the Stony Lake Market, or something else that helps you "recharge" for the day. Besides the market, you are on site for this time but are encouraged to be away from campers and programming. We have staff lounges, nap rooms, and other quiet places for you to relax.
Once a week you will have a scheduled day off. You will have input on choosing when this day off is each week. On this day, you are off from breakfast until bedtime. You can hang out in staff spaces or leave site for the day.
If you have something you need additional time off for (scheduling for fall classes, a virtual appointment, etc.) please talk with your supervisor so we can help find coverage for you.
Here are some pictures of staff hard at work at camp!