As I walked through the quiet woods coming from dinner, I could hear friendly banter and shrieks coming from Acres. Clearly, campers don’t just nap and shower during rest and shower hours, so what exactly do they do? At Campus, Gaga Ball is the most popular bunk free time activity. Gaga Ball is played primarily by Middle Camp, but some Lower Campers, Upper Campers, and even staff join in. When I watched the game unfold, I was struck by the balance of competitive playing and lighthearted friendship. It was clear that the campers were focused on the game, as they all had concentrated faces while nimbly running and jumping. As instructor Eunju Namkung—AKA Lady Gaga—put it, “Every time a kid asks to play, the campers tell them to ‘Read the rules.’” Fortunately, the campers also traded jokes and sang songs, showing that the game is all in good fun.
At Acres, rather than Gaga Ball, beach volleyball seems to be the prevailing team sport. About a dozen campers were playing a very lighthearted game of volleyball. There were giggles, smiles, and occasional shrieks as the volleyball flew over the net. Although the game was far less competitive than Gaga Ball, it still appeared extremely enjoyable! Additionally, some campers at Acres enjoy friendly games of ping pong at the Pavilion.
Meanwhile, both at Acres and Campus, many campers who are less interested in athletics engage in card games instead. These include BS, Uno No Mercy, Spit, Egyptian Rat Screw, and more. As someone who frequently plays cards with my bunkmates, these games help to bring us closer together and create an extremely friendly atmosphere where we all teach each other our favorite games and talk.
For more artistic campers, projects including knitting, making friendship bracelets, and crocheting are extremely popular as a relaxing and rewarding activity for free time. Besides fiber arts, many campers, both on their bunk porches and at the Acres gazebo, were seen sketching as they talked to each other. For Middle Camper girls, another artistic activity that brings them closer together is doing each other’s makeup. Middle Camper Norah S. told me, “We do each other’s makeup, share skincare, and even gave one of the girls in the bunk a makeover.”
Needless to say, many of our campers enjoy reading. It’s only characteristic of a writing camp. Because of this, many campers take advantage of rest hour and shower hour to read as much as possible and share what they’re reading with others. As I sat in the Acres gazebo playing BS with my bunkmates and bunk counselor, Camii ran up to a camper reading The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris. She excitedly exclaimed that Zakiya used to be a Writopia instructor. It’s amazing to remember how many of our WriCampia staff are published authors!
No matter what campers are doing during Rest Hour and Shower Hour, it’s clear that this free time is lending a variety of opportunities for campers and counselors alike to grow closer together, contributing to the tight-knit and supportive community that WriCampia offers. And somehow, campers fit in their showers and rest time as well. ✎
