Mandarin Camp: Day 4
- Dave
- Jun 10, 2025
- 3 min read
Note: Our apologies for the late post. It seems there was a technical issue that interfered with the upload. I discovered this morning that it was still in draft.
Today was one of those picture-perfect summer camp days—the sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with just a few puffy clouds. The sun beamed down all day, making it feel a little hot at times, but the energy and excitement of the campers more than made up for the heat.
This morning, our two groups rotated between two activities: the zipline and an ecology session. The zipline is always a crowd favorite. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of launching off the platform and soaring through the air. It’s a rite of passage here at camp, and for many campers, a personal highlight.
In contrast, the ecology session offered a chance to slow down and look more closely at the natural world around us. Campers went into the fields to gently catch and observe some of the many butterflies that have graced us with their presence this summer. We've been lucky this year—Camp is teeming with fluttering wings and vibrant colors, making it the perfect time for this activity.
After lunch, we moved into our free choice period. Campers could pick between arts and crafts or archery. While we originally planned to offer climbing as the second option, an enthusiastic wave of camper votes led us to switch it to archery instead—and we’re glad we did! It was a big hit.
The craft for today was “Shrinky Dinks,” which many campers had never tried before. For those unfamiliar, Shrinky Dinks are sheets of special plastic that campers can draw on and decorate. Once their artwork is finished, we pop the plastic into an oven where it shrinks dramatically, hardens, and becomes a sturdy charm or keepsake.
The highlight of the day, without a doubt, was our massive water-themed wide game in the late afternoon—a perfect way to cool off after the heat of the day. The event was actually a series of games:
A hilarious and splashy relay race where teams had to pass water backward, over their heads, from one pot to another down the line.
A water balloon walk, where pairs had to carry a balloon between them—without using their hands—and deliver it safely to a collection bin.
A slip-n-slide distance contest, where campers took turns seeing who could glide the farthest with a running start.
And finally, the grand finale: a full-scale water fight! Buckets, water guns, and plenty of squeals and laughter made this a memory-maker for sure.
After a quick shower and change into dry clothes, campers sat down to enjoy a well-earned dinner. As we write this, they’re finishing their meals and getting ready for our final evening event: the end-of-week party night!
Tonight, our counselors become carnival barkers, setting up and running a variety of fun carnival-style games. Campers will roam from booth to booth, trying their luck and collecting prizes, all set to music and laughter under the stars. In the end, we close the booths down and it turns into a big dance party.
Tomorrow, your children will return to you, and we know many of them are eagerly looking forward to a warm hug and a familiar face. Please remember to pick them up promptly at 3:00 PM.
This will be our last blog post. We just wanted to say thank you all for putting your trust in us and allowing us to host your children for these past few days. They have been a great bunch of kids and it has been a pleasure to have them. We wish you all the best for the coming year, and hope to see you again next year.
I have included a final link to the entire week of photos below. We will still have a few more pictures and a video or two that we will upload tomorrow, so be sure to check back with the Dropbox link.
As I have mentioned, the password to this blog will change in a couple of days, and you will no longer have access to it. However, the Dropbox link will remain active for a while longer. If you are unable to download all the photos now, please save the Dropbox link below, and you can access it at your leisure for a little while longer.
— The Camp Team
We hope that you and your children have had a great experience here at Camp Taiwan. If so, please consider helping us to spread the word by leaving a positive review on Google Maps or the platform of your choice. If your or your child(ren)'s experience has been less than ideal, please let us know directly so that we can work to improve our camper experience in the future.
