By Leena Rajkotia, Age 13
The campers crowd around the gaga ball pit, loudly cheering for the last two competitors. When one camper is hit by the ball, some gasp or groan. This is a normal Rest Hour, but not all campers play gaga ball. Some campers prefer activities like reading, sleeping, playing a card game, or showering. To see the correlation between rest hour activities and age groups, two campers from each age group (Lower, Middle, Upper, and Senior), will be interviewed about what rest hour activities are popular in their cabins.
Lower Campers are campers going into 5th or 6th grade. According to Sebastian G, gaga ball is definitely the most popular for his age group. “Almost all of us play it,” he said confidently. Matilda M, another Lower Camper, disagreed, saying that their bunk mates don’t play gaga ball, and the Lower Camp boys play gaga ball much more than the Lower Camp girls. Matilda M said that most of the people in her cabin do different types of arts and crafts, the most popular being friendship bracelet-making, knitting, and crocheting.
Middle Campers are campers going into 7th or 8th grade. According to Sarah D, a Middle Camper who has gone to WriCampia for 4 years, the range of activities in the age group varies. “Some people like to gossip or talk with their friends, but others like to play card games.” She went on to say, “ a very popular activity is gaga ball.” Jackson PW, a second-time camper, corroborates this, saying that most of his friends play this sport, or occasionally go on runs.
Upper Campers are campers going into 9th, or 10th grade. Asked which activities the Upper Campers partake in during their rest hours, Upper Camper Sonali B related that “most of the campers in my bunk either talk or read their books.’’ She went on to say that some of her bunkmates often played a miniature version of Monopoly. It was also mentioned that similarly to the Lower Campers, some Upper Campers enjoy doing crafts and practicing different bracelet patterns.
The bunks can get hot during the day, and conducting such activities outside is a way many Upper Campers combat that.
Senior Campers are campers going into 11th or 12th grade. “I usually read my book and I know others do the same,’’ said Senior Camper Phoebe S. Others talked, played games, and worked on Track projects. Still, others reported that people-watching—and getting out of the stuffy bunk—was the best way to spend their free time. “I do my SAT practice, and I know most of the people in my bunk talk and clean,’’ Senior Camper Ciri P added.
Activities don’t just vary depending on the age; they also vary depending on the person and the day. One day could call for basketball and crafts, and the next day could bring conversation and SAT practice. There are also times when the scheduled writing time just isn’t enough, and all people want to do during rest hours is write, write, write!
A similarity across all age groups? Most campers spent at least some of Rest Hour talked to their friends. Though the activities during Rest Hour may come and go, the memories made at WriCampia will last a lifetime!
