Programming & Activities
No two days are ever alike at Camp Carvela!
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There is a fluidity to our programming and activities vary as widely as the creativity and imagination of campers and staff allow.
Our programming isn’t just about the what, it’s about the how. Our staff practice co-created programming. This means we take campers’ perspectives into consideration and work with them to turn their ideas into activities. From Finding Nemo scavenger hunts and stargazing to sunrise pancake-making, campers have invented some of our best and most memorable programs!
Campers plan and lead over 20% of our activities, and their voices are heard in 100% of what we do.
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Each day we run six to eight activities during both morning and afternoon program period. All activities are open to every participant, regardless of age, gender, or cabin group.
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Some activities are weird and creative, like turning the Lodge into a haunted house. Others, like Listening Point (personal meditation in nature) are on the quieter side. We offer special programs and day trips, too, like sailing on Lower Herring lake, sunrise walks to the Elberta Farmer’s market, hikes to Mount Baldy, and more.
After dinner, we gather as a camp and participate in evening program. This special time is used for all-camp games, skit nights, carnivals, trips, the Sing Down, variety shows, plus the yet-to-be-invented.
Before bed, camp winds down with Mellow Time, an open-mic campfire where campers and staff share stories, poems, songs, and moments of silence.
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Camp activities are non-competitive. There are no color wars or intra-camp / inter-cabin competitions. Although we have many team sports, team composition changes frequently so that everyone who wishes to play will have an opportunity. Scores are kept haphazardly.
We have no camp movie/video nights, electronic games, computer labs or all camp social dances. Instead, we do many games and sports, special events, skits, dramatic, talent and music activities which foster active, involved, and individual participation.
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Below you will find a small sample of the types of activities our campers and staff can come up with. This list of activities is from the 1st half of last summer, the 2nd half of the summer was equally as involved!
Painting From Afar
Horses
Crustaceans
Assassins
Whales
Sailing
Vikings
Kayak Soccer
Canoe House tour
Floatilla
Yachting
Fishing
Water Hike
Boohoo
Inlet
Marl Pits
Voyageur
Outlet
Paddle Boarding
Paddle Board Yoga
Raft building
Tiny Boats
Treasure Hunt
Snorkel the Shipwreck
Map the Lake
Whale Swim
Swim Across the lake
Petoskey Hunting
BEACH DAY
Sand Castle siege
Zorch
Charcoal Drawing
Green Point
Jeffs Dune
Classic Jeffs
Breaking Jeffs Record
Farmers Market
Poetry in the Sugarbowl
Baldy Hike
Bushwhack to Baldy
Primal
Peninsula Baseball
Clearing the Ballroom
Outpost
Fort building
Hammocking
Listening Point
Water Coloring the Woods
Find the Bug
Disc Golf
Sardines
Fairy Doors
Fairy Tales
Hammocking
Places unsat
VIP the Activity
Sail School
Party
Spring Breaktivity
College the Activity
Day at camp in an activity
Bad First Aid
All the Gear no idea
Zero to Hero
Camp records
99 tivities in 1 activity
Kite making
BIG KITE
Promo Videos
Camp News
Music videos
Camp Zine
Making a play
Drama Games
Create your own Board Game
Sockey
Extra the Activity
Pottery Barn
Library
Haunted House
Bear Den
Screen Printing
Session Ts
Mafia
Werewolves
Risk
Poop the Journey
Counting to 1000
Khaki Scouts
Field Games
Soccer
Football
Rugby
Cricket
Calvin Ball
Crab Soccer
Kick the can
Dutch Soccer
Capture the Flag
Zen Gardens
Sculpture Garden
Capture the Flisk
Ultimate
Sporting's Greatest Moments
Celebrations
Catch through the Ages
Tossing through time
Sink or float
Boat Building
Chipmunk boats
Tye-dye
Copper Enamelling
Stitching
Scrunchies
Book Binding
Duct tape Wallets
Clay Sculpting
Glass painting
Mosaics
Crocheting
Pompoming
Flower Crowns
My box and me
Mario Kart
Hurdling
Parkour
Splatter Ball
Splatter Painting
Boutique
Batik
Macrame
Weaving
Sketching
Rock Painting
Collaging
Self Portraits
Face Painting
Henna
Beach Cleaning
Beach Art
Sand Art
Trick Shots
Candle Making
Marble runs
Woodburning
Staff building
Carving
Lino Printing
Leather Working
Embroidery
Beading
Jewelry Making
Artist Trading Cards
Quidditch
Creating Worlds
D & D
Dune Monster
Larping
Spectacular activities
Banana pilgrimage
Outback Steakhouse
Ambient sound song
Deep conversations while playing catch
The maze
Carvela tree map
Space protestors (space is fake)
Mini watershed construction
World building biology
Float down the outlet
Weather recording board
Giant Mound of Sand
Spice the Soup
Nature Stamps
Instruments
Guitar Lessons
Drum School
Tree Huggers
Boy Band
Get Physical
Newspaper Runway
Paper Planes
Egg Drop
Fire Building
Empires
Jabberwocky
Scatterball
Dodgeball
Human Stratego
Jurassic Park
Badge Making
Stamping
Kneedle Felting
Stuffies
Wool Spinning
Conquest
Mapping
Bunker 51
Bowling Off Jeffs
Pie Making
Mountain Biking
Grilled Cheese
Anzac Biscuits
Mini Pizzas
Psychology
Chromatography
Character creation
Sun bread
Fix its
T shirt transformation
Hunter gatherers
Mint tea
Day spa
Sketch Comedy
Writing
Story tellers
Blackout poetry
Song writing
Improv games
Pruey
Set building
Cathedral Makeover
Digging a hole
Musicals the activity
Rodeo
Demolition Derby
Lucy
Gravity Hill
Canoe Battleships
I am the Dirt
Aquawrestling
Ninjas
Detectives
The Dadtivitiy
Grandparentivity
Beat Vortex
Crayfishin
Fishing
Animal Spotting
Habitat Building
Active!
Carving
Body Art
FBI
Indoor Forts
Big Little city
Balance
Kayaking
Frame Making
Charter Fishing
Doodling
Mandalas
Sleep on the beach!
Ruths Kitchen
Cake Designs
Carnival
Circus
Music Festivals
Letters to the future
Writing to Companies
Letters of Gratitude
Short Stories
Anime
Comic Strips
Toilet Design
Camp Newspaper
The Spyglass
Zine
Toilet News
Dance
Banner Making
Country Creation
Shallow Water Games
Shallow Water Baseball
Beach Volleyball
Sport Court Madness
Outback Hiking
Nine Pine Island
GONE FROGGIN
Wizard School
Wand Making
The Grand Ball
Pockets
Band
Nukeum
Smurf Ball
Parade
Baseball
Softball
Kickball
Song Writing
Science Experiments
Creating Spaces
Corn hole
Drift wood art
Drift wood gagaball pit
GagaBall
Star Gazing
Star Painting
Midnight Hikes
Launchum
Spulunking
Hoofin it
Head Bands
Scared the activity
Trivia Night
Escape the island
Artists
Beat Poetry
Slow Mo
Rolling 100 Tennis Balls Sown Stuff
Taking Apart Machines
Sock Puppets
Puppet Show
Over Night Trips
Camp Olympics
Meditation
Yoga
Polar Bearing
Running Racoons
Medieval Games
Oil Pastels
Scrap booking
Game Creation
Rube Goldberg Machines
Tea Party
Synchronised Swimming
Mural Painting
Soap Making
Diaramas
Thunder Buddies
Trail Building
Positive Heckling
Conspiracies
Axe Throwing
Obstacle Course
Geocaching
Beach Glass Jewlery
Art Instulations
Knitting
Embossing
Wiffle Ball
Calligraphy
Loosing you Senses
Origami
Birding
Words of Kindness
Green Thumbs
Candle Light Ceremony