yes, it’s true.  the votes are in + tallied.  youth education {more specifically club u} has been voted by the people to be the best day camp in salt lake city, utah!  thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who helped make this happen.  especially the little people, for without you we would not even have a day camp to be the best at.    and a huge thanks to the big people:  the staff, the parents, the nice people at the university of utah. . .  you are the heart + soul of this operation; without you our program would not be full of the high-quality fun that it is today.   you all seriously rock.  club u for life!!

Club U is known for its amazing outdoor adventures.  Whether it is an outing to a local natural spot such as Red Butte Canyon for an animal tracking adventure, or a trip to a local reservoir like Pine View for a day of fun in the sun, or a journey up Big Cottonwood Canyon for a little exercise and beauty, it is certain that we will be exploring the wonderful Wasatch and discovering hidden treasures and magical moments in the natural world.  Creating a kinship with nature and an appreciation of the outdoors is an important part of what we try to do here in camp.  This week’s journey up to Lake Mary was a great opportunity for all of the campers to enjoy the sweet serenity of the mountains.  It was a cool day in mid July, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the lake was beautiful and the campers were smiling.  We couldn’t ask for a more perfect way to kick off a week that is all about the University, the Wasatch and the great state of Utah.  Stay tuned for more updates about our awesome adventures.

Bet you haven’t seen that before!  This is one of our lovely campers dissecting a cow heart. This heart just happens to be as big as or bigger than the camper’s head! You can tell by this camper’s face that she may have been a little bit apprehensive. This is just one of the awesome activities the kids in this week’s camp have gotten to do.   We have had lots of fun doing kitchen science and it is amazing what you can create from things in the kitchen!  Today continued the fun with more science creations and fun experiments! Tune in next time to find out what happens next!

Although this week is short, it remains powerful!  We had an exciting start to the week with a paper airplane contest and an AMAZING physics demo.  The kids got to be creative in constructing their own planes and contests ensued in the farthest launch, the most creative flyer, the most twists and turns, and finally the best crash!  The physics demo followed with many mind blowing demonstrations.  Static electricity, the vacuum effect, and many others created a stir among the youngest and oldest campers!

what?  you haven’t heard?  if you missed it you should know that club u is now famous!  check out KUTV 2’s news spot (<—- link), featuring the club u tri wizard tournament we had on monday.  with the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince there’s been some harry potter mania going on around town.  and we have been anxious to get in on the magic!

{photo:  ron bird working his tv magic on some club u campers}

Well, I have to say, so far we have had an amazing summer. The bad news is, we are almost halfway done! But, I am not letting that get me down and you shouldn’t either. This week we had another camp full of outdoor adventures, new friends and fun. One of our elective groups tried out some candy sushi which they made themselves. Another group hung out in the sand and played beach volley ball while another group created amazing sand sculptures. We had some super survivors learn about island culture while testing themselves to see if they could survive stranded on a desert isle. Our drumming friend Jose came to visit and that elective jammed out to some island beats and created some beats of their own.  There was lots more, but this gives you an idea of the good times being had every day!

A super field trip to Layton Surf ‘n’ Swim let everyone hang ten in the giant wave pool. Several of the campers were seen “shreddin’ the gnar” on their inner tubes! Needless to say, a hot day in the sun playing in the waves left everyone a little worn out.

on monday club u went to the living planet aquarium to check out the aquatic scene. since we’re a little landlocked here in utah, this is a great place to see some marine animals we otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to check out in real life.  this place is also great because it focuses on native species and utah-specific habitats as well as the more exotic.  {stingrays?!  sharks??!!  too cool for school!}

here’s a list of fun things to see and do at the aquarium:

• Travel from the river to the sea, as you experience a freshwater stream stocked with Utah´s fish species.
• Run your hands through a touch pool and discover the playful touch of friendly stingrays.
• Come nose to nose (almost!) with several species of fascinating sharks.
• Immerse your imagination in the ‘jellyfish’ room and watch the lights shimmer on their ever-dancing forms.
• Enjoy an interactive experience at the Bio-Facts Station.
• Stroll along the pier and take a ride on Great Salt Lake within our expanded Utah Wetlands exhibit.

I hear the aquarium was a hit with both campers and counselors alike.  go check out their new exhibit — Journey to South America.  you can see a green anaconda, a red pirhana, and even a four-eyed fish!  {among other very cool south american animals, of course}

there’s nothing better than getting your hands dirty.  there is just something about digging in the soil that really connects you to your environment.  luckily, some of our campers had the opportunity last week to learn about organic gardening right here on campus.  I’ve only heard good things about this elective.  the kids were engaged and excited to learn about the soil, composting and how plants grow.  it’s a good thing when kids can see first hand where food actually comes from. we have to give a big, hearty shout out to the office of sustainability and the biology department (more specifically fred montague) for helping us out with this one!  hopefully we can get our hands dirty again sometime soon.

“I never knew there was so much going on under the soil!”
–a very excited club u camper

we discovered scales and tails earlier this year for one of our spring break camps.  it is one great show.  reptiles of the larg and small variety.  creepy crawlies.  they have it all.  it is amazing.  high energy.  and the kids get to hold and touch most of the animals afterward.  you couldn’t ask for more!  I know they’re available for birthday parties, so check ‘em out!  you definitely will not be dissapointed.  (but you might be freaked out if things like this make your skin crawl, I’m just sayin’…)

the ropes course at UNI is one of the best activities we have to offer.  complete with low and high ropes events, the kids work on communication, teamwork, and overcoming their precieved limitations and fears.  it is amazing.  I wish everyone had the opportunity to go through the course.  unfortuntately they can’t take all 120 kids.  and it was a bummer that the weather started turning south near the end.  I know not everyone got to try the high event because of immenent lightning + rain, but everyone dealt with the dissapointment really well which was amazing to see.  we have some great kids here at club u who are there to support eachother.

I know we’ve been slacking off here on the blog front, but it’s only because we’ve been having too much fun in camp!  last week’s Into the Wild Wasatch was a definite success and there will be more photos and recaps to come, I’m sure.

this week will be one of our wettest and wildest yet!  {and by wettest I do not mean rainniest!}  we are going swimming, surfing, making tropical island treats and hanging out at the club u luau.  so bring your beach towel, your sunglasses, and definitely some high SPF because we are going to be hanging out in the sun all week!