April Showers Bring…Hopefully No Rain This Summer

As the saying goes, “April Showers, Bring May Flowers” and we are hoping all the rain will be gone before the start of Summer 2024. We are crossing our fingers that June, July and August are filled with lots of sunny days, or as we like to call them at Wico, PCDs (Perfect Camp Days).

We cannot believe that it’s April already and our first group of staff head up to camp in just one month! During the off season, the full-time team has been working hard to prepare for all the summer adventures ahead. We take time working together, gathering feedback to enhance each summer’s programming. One of the topics we focused on this off season, with the help of our program-team, Prissy and Melanie, was our rainy-day schedule! While the outdoor programming at Wico is a big part of the draw to camp, rainy days offer a chance for us to come together indoors and create more unforgettable memories. This summer, we will be keeping the fun going, rain or shine!

• Indoor locations: We are lucky to have many great indoor facilities that we can use when it rains at camp! Some can be used to run normal activities (gymnastics, dance, etc.) and others will be used for multipurpose spaces for larger community activities (Anyone interested in pickleball in the playhouse?).  On rainy days we will be utilize all of our indoor locations including the: cooking studio, gymnastics facility, fitness center, dance studio, gymnastics pavilion, library, art barn, the big-top (our permanent indoor/outdoor tent), the theater, and our cabins!
• Buddy Bunks: Rainy days give us an opportunity to come together as a community and participate in activities with members of the community we do not always get to engage closely with. Buddy bunks is an activity where we pair an upper camp bunk with a lower camp bunk to plan and implement a lip-sync style dance to perform in our camp-wide rainy-day performance! Dances compete in categories including participation, choreography, and lip-sync skills and special appearances by leadership team members make the show even more fun! On rainy days, we will have other large group/whole camp activities to promote the Wico community!
• Skill Development: Many of our Wico programs can still run – rain or shine. However, some activities including but not limited to the pool, waterfront, tennis, and challenge course will have to pivot when it rains. These are great days to practice skills related to the activity but using our indoor facilities. For example, during indoor waterfront, campers can practice their stance and balance, arm positioning, handle grips and squat jumps! Each department has unique skills that be practiced in doors!
• Fun Snacks: What better time to bring out a special treat than a rainy, cozy day! Get ready for 2024 Wico Hot Chocolate and other comfort foods that might be on the menu in the cooking studio including popcorn parties, grilled cheese, or baked goods (cue cup cake wars)! In addition to fun snacks, rainy days will give us the opportunity to implement a theme (Wico loves a theme and why save them for dinners)! Get ready for 80s day, spirit day, DIY day and more!
• Bunk time: Rainy days are a great time to slow down the schedule and hang out with your friends in the cabin. By providing “bunk boxes” on rainy days, our Wico campers will have the opportunity to bring the program “home”. Bunk boxes will include games and crafts such as friendship bracelets, card games, charades, yoga, dance parties and more that campers can participate in without leaving their beds (and maybe pajamas)!
• Embrace the rain: With all of these changes in the schedule, lets not forget that we can bring out our inner child and get a little wet! Make sure to follow the packing list to be prepared on rainy days to jump in puddles, dance or twirl around, catch raindrops on your tongue, and appreciate the beauty of the rain – umbrella not included!

This summer, we will look at rainy days as an opportunity for even more adventure and community building. Whether we are getting crafty in the bunks, sharing stories or competing in challenges, we will make the most of every moment, rain or shine.