A Balanced Schedule for a Fun-Filled Summer at Shibley

My name is Melissa Slansky, and my job is to create a balanced, engaging schedule that allows our campers to grow, explore, and most importantly, have an incredible summer. Every detail is thoughtfully planned to ensure a perfect mix of structured and unstructured activities, including arts, sports, adventure, and creative play.

Our Core Activities

• Aquatics: Swimming is an essential part of our day. We have two swims daily: one instructional swim focused on skill development and safety, and one recreational swim where campers can relax and play with friends.

• The Arts: Our diverse program includes arts and crafts, cooking, dance, science & nature, theater, and a new jewelry-making activity. We ensure every schedule includes a rotation of these activities, giving campers the chance (sometimes with a little gentle nudging) to discover new interests.

  • Spotlight: Campers in 3rd through 8th grade have the opportunity to audition for our summer theater shows.

• Athletics: We expose campers to a wide variety of sports, including soccer, flag football, basketball, Newcomb, volleyball, kickball, baseball, pickleball, tennis, and hockey. We focus on building confidence by designing games everyone can enjoy, regardless of their skill level.

  • Senior Camp Feature: Our older campers participate in organized leagues and tournaments that promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership.

• Adventure: This is where campers learn to take risks and build confidence! Children of all ages navigate elements in the Junior and Senior adventure parks, bounce and flip on the air bungee, and drive go-karts. Overcoming these fears together helps them realize they can achieve things that may look scary at first.

We also include dedicated time for our playgrounds and creative play areas. This scheduled “unstructured time” fosters imagination and social-emotional development.

Why We Balance the Schedule:

1. Confidence: We want everyone to have an activity each day that they love and excel in.

2. Energy Management: We want campers to be physically active but also have “down time” to rest… “Smiling, Tired & Dirty” but not so exhausted that they can’t enjoy the next day. We are counting the days until we are all together again and look forward to another amazing summer at Shibley Day Camp!