5 At-Home Activities for When You Miss Camp

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It happens to the best of us.

Summer ends, school begins, and nothing feels quite as fun or exciting as those precious weeks of fun and freedom at camp. Diagnosis: you’re campsick!

Luckily, summer is just around the corner. Here are a few of our favorite year-round activities to bring that camp feeling home!

 

1. Make s’mores

Nothing says “summer camp” quite like campfires, and nothing says “campfires” quite like s’mores. Luckily, making s’mores at home is easy — you can even do it over a stovetop if you’re truly desperate! (Although a backyards campfire is a million times better if you get the chance.)

If you’re making s’mores using a stove, here’s a good recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Graham crackers
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Marshmallows

Place marshmallows on graham crackers in a baking pan and toast under broiler for a few seconds, until golden brown. Remove and finish the s’mores with chocolate pieces and graham cracker; the heat from the marshmallows will melt the chocolate. Yum!

 

2. Go backyard camping

Camping is super fun, but sometimes you’re too busy to go hiking into the wilderness to do it. Backyard camping to the rescue! The best part about backyard camping is that the house is close by if anybody needs something they forgot; and you can bring plenty of books to read around the campfire.

 

3. Send mail (or e-mail) to camp friends

AC9U8468One of the best parts about summer camp is the friends you make. Even if they don’t happen to live near you, keeping in touch by snail mail can be just as fun as hanging out in real life. I mean, seriously; who doesn’t love to get a real-life letter these days?

So bust out those craft supplies and get creative with fun letters and postcards! Let them know how everything’s been going at home and school, and add some drawings and glitter paint if you’re feeling artistic!

…And of course there’s always email and chat for those of us who just can’t wait for the old-fashioned post office.

 

4. Enjoy a nature hike

Another part of camp that many of us miss during the year is simply the rejuvenating feeling of being in the great outdoors. The wind in the trees, the quiet of the woods — it’s part of what makes camp so special.

So if you find yourself missing nature, you don’t have to wait until next summer to enjoy it; just get your family together for a trip out to the nearest park or natural area! All you need is a Sunday afternoon, sturdy hiking shoes and a sense of adventure.

Plus, it’s a great chance to put some of those orienteering skills you learned at camp to good use!

 

5. Join a new activity

AC9U8885Last but not least, always remember to challenge yourself. People tend to think of camp as the place for trying a million new things, and “real life” as being a little boring by comparison; but it doesn’t have to be that way!

One thing camp teaches you is that variety is the spice of life, so when you have the chance to try something new, just go for it. Chances are you can make time for dance lessons, band, writing a book, becoming a rock star, or whatever else it is that you might be putting off. All you have to do is step up to the challenge and believe in yourself — just like at camp.

 

…So give it the ‘ol camp try! Next summer is just around the corner, but that’s no reason not to have a blast while you wait!

 

 

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4 Constellations Visible from America’s Finest Summer Camps and How to Find Them

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Lights out doesn’t have to mean the fun is over; after all, our summer camps are the perfect places for stargazing! All you need is a clear sky, a few tips and pointers, and of course a helpful counselor.

Once you figure out how to find the north star, it’s a slippery slope to becoming an astronomy expert. Who wouldn’t want to be knowledgeable about this beautiful universe of ours?

Here are four of the easiest constellations to locate during the summer months at camp, and how to find them.

 

The Big Dipper

For many aspiring astronomers, the big dipper is the first constellation they ever discover. The Big Dipper is visible all year round, making it a dependable friend even if you aren’t an astronomy master.

The distinctive dipper or ladle shape is hard to miss, since it’s composed of a few of the brightest stars in the sky. Take a look at the shape in the picture below; this is what you’re looking for.

 

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Found it? Awesome!

Beyond being dependable, the Big Dipper is your secret key to the celestial world. Once you can find the Big Dipper, you can use it to pinpoint many other constellations.

Now let’s use the Big Dipper to find our next constellation: the Great Bear.

 

The Great Bear

The Big Dipper is actually part of the Great Bear, so if you’ve already located that elusive ladle then you’re literally halfway there. Hint: the handle of the dipper is the tail of the bear.

Look for the brightest stars directly forward from the dipper part of the Big Dipper to find the bear’s head, and extend downwards from the dipper’s bottom to find the bear’s legs. Can you spy the Big Dipper in this picture?

 

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The Little Dipper

The Big Dipper isn’t done helping us; we’re also going to use it to help us find its smaller but no less important sibling, the Little Dipper!

Find the two stars that make the “front” of the Big Dipper and draw a line with your imagination upwards. The brightest star in that line is the end of the Little Dipper’s handle.

 

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The Little Dipper is much fainter than the big dipper, and if any wispy clouds are hanging around it might be quite tricky to find. But there is a reward! That bright star forming the end of the Little Dipper’s handle is none other than Polaris, the north star.

If you can get this far, you have everything you need to find your way in the wilderness. North is always the direction of the North Star, which is why sailors used to be so concerned with astronomy in the old days. Pat yourself on the back!

 

Draco

Everyone loves dragons, so let’s finish by finding the dragon constellation, Draco. We can use the Little Dipper as a reference point, just like we did before.

The snakey part of Draco wraps around the spoon part of the Little Dipper in a giant “s” shape, leading up to the “head” of the dragon — a suspiciously ladle-like four-point star formation, as you can see in the shape here:

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Show off your new astronomy skills to your friends!

Astronomy is like everything else at camp: challenging, but rewarding. And most importantly, tons of fun.

The best part about these four constellations is that they’re visible all year around. Be sure to show your friends at camp, or if you’re a counselor, be sure to teach your campers. That way they can take their newfound astronomy skills away with them and show their friends at home!

When they ask where you learned something so cool, you can just say, “at one of America’s Finest Summer Camps!”

 

 

 

Sailing the high seas… or the camp lake!

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Screen Shot 2015-03-27 at 2.48.18 PMCamp is filled with activities that allow you to learn new skills and test your limits.

Perhaps one of the most unique activities here at America’s Finest Summer Camps when it come to having a blast and building character is sailing.

Sailing teaches many skills; how to tie nautical knots, understand the weather, and control a boat with nothing but the wind to guide you. But like any camp activity, the most important lessons being learned are team building, communication, and the power of believing in yourself!

Team Building

Sailing is a team activity, so learning to work with your “crew” is critical! Whatever style of boat you happen to be sailing, campers are constantly practicing team building skills with other campers on the lake.

  • Campers listen closely to what the rest of their crew is telling them, responding clearly and quickly to commands and questions. If you’re sailing solo, you will still have to communicate with other sailors on the water — so it’s lucky that all the sailing terminology is totally fun!
  • Sailing teaches you to trust in the skills of your crewmates (even if the worst that can happen is getting wet!) You won’t have time to check that every knot is tied correctly, so you’ll soon learn to trust that your friends will stay on top of their duties while you’re on the water, so long as you’re holding up your end of the bargain.
  • When you’re sailing, there’s a job for everyone on the boat. You and your fellow campers will quickly learn to identify situations where you can jump in and help each other.

Self confidence

It’s normal to feel a little hesitant your first time out on the lake. However, with practice you’ll develop your skills and, along with them, self-confidence.

Creating small, measurable goals such as learning new knots can slowly increase your confidence. Small setbacks (like having trouble steering!) followed by successes (catching the wind at just the right angle) teach the importance of bouncing back in the face of discouragement.

Organization and Planning

Managing any boat, even a single-person craft, requires organization and planning. You have to assess multiple factors such as the weather, obstacles in the water, and the lay of the shoreline to navigate your boat to your destination. You also have to keep your sails and lines organized for quick course changes — easily the hardest part of the sailing activity!

Sailing also taps into leadership skills, requiring campers to create a plan and divide responsibilities between the crew. Campers quickly learn to recognize crewmembers’ talents and divide the sailing tasks between everyone aboard accordingly.

Ready for anything

While you’ll learn plenty of physical skills while sailing the camp lake, you will also be practicing important life-skills that can help you at camp, in school, and everywhere else that teamwork and communication are important to success.

The secret to sailing is striking the balance between having a detailed plan and being adaptable when conditions change. Come to think of it, that’s a pretty good strategy for most everything at camp — and life in general!

So have a blast on the lake this summer. May the winds always be at your back!

 

5 Ways international camps expand camper horizons

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wNxh05rFRfag3dpov5qZyvaDgEbrsdGCsbnxS3VgwCYSummer camp is already super fun. So as you can probably imagine, adding international campers and counselors to the mix turns up the fun-dial even higher!

…But international camp isn’t just the same camp activities and friendships with a few exotic accents thrown into the mix. The secret sauce that makes international camp so special to returning campers is the chance to learn something about people who are truly “different” — and learn something about themselves in the process.

1. Difference is the spice of life

Everyone is different and special in their own way — at international camp, they’re just a little more different! Meeting peers from other countries and finding common ground with campers from the other side of the world teaches international campers to value differences.

After all, no one wants to be around people who are exactly like themselves all the time! Learning to appreciate different cultures helps international campers grow into curious, tolerant, and fun-loving world citizens.

2. Communication is everything

Is talking about communication redundant? We sure hope not, because workshopping camper communications skills is a huge part of the leadership programming out here at camp! International camp is a chance for campers to put their communication skills to the test.

Especially when all the campers come from different cultures with separate languages, finding common ground and making oneself understood can become a challenge; every international camper learns the rewards of sharing a part of yourself with someone completely different.

3. Meaningful friendships

Friendship is at the core of the camp experience, and it’s what keeps campers returning year after year.

“Who’s going to be in my group this year?”

“Where will they come from, and what will they be like?”

Questions like these are at the top of any young summer camper’s mind.

…The best part is, once the summer ends, international campers return home with pen pals from every corner of the globe. Who knows — maybe you’ll even go visit some of your new friends in France, China, and Spain some day soon!

4. Tolerance is the international passport

In a world that’s more connected every day, learning to be tolerant of those who are different from you is an important lesson for everyone to learn — not just summer campers.

International campers learn first-hand how the differences between cultures can be fun and interesting rather than intimidating or alienating. Bridging cultures is the name of the game at international camp.

5. Curiosity is key

International campers know that the secret to making friends is to always be curious. Instead of assuming things about people from different cultures, international campers simply ask.

When it comes to making friends with campers from other countries, listening with a curious ear is the easiest path to a fun summer. Who knows what you might learn!

Always open to new experiences

The world is an adventurous place full of fun and opportunity for those who know where to look. International camp is an excellent first step, teaching campers not just the exciting things the world has to offer, but an appreciation for the things that make their own culture unique and interesting.

Every country in the world seems exotic from someone’s perspective — for international campers, the world is one big family!

Baseball fever at summer camp

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Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 12.48.08 PMBaseball. The crowd going wild while a player steals home. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs in the bleachers. Afternoons playing catch with the family at the park. Generations of American tradition, all wrapped up in one game.

Much like summer camp, baseball is something that many of us take for granted as a part of our childhood. Few activities come close to being so… well, American. Baseball and summer camp are as close to our hearts as flag, family, and country.

…So it should come as no surprise that baseball is one of camp’s most intensely anticipated activities, with campers going wild year after year, debating over particularly clever plays well past the last activity and into the evening.

So what is it that makes baseball so special?

“The thinking person’s sport”

Everyone has their theories around here at camp, but here’s one that seems particularly insightful: baseball, like camp, is a thinking sport. The strategy is different from games like football or basketball — where the adrenaline comes from chaos, and each player is constantly making split-second decisions.

Baseball, on the other hand, requires more planning for the future. Half the game is spent between plays, with players huddled in circles determining their best bets. Like many things in life, the game is all about anticipation. Baseball teaches campers to think ahead, and to enjoy waiting for the fun parts of life. As it turns out, anticipation is often just as fun as the event itself.

Taking time to reflect

Interestingly, many of the campers most excited about baseball at camp aren’t actually players at school. Baseball is their top pick at camp, and meanwhile they play soccer or lacrosse for their teams back at home.

It’s hard to say why this is, but it may be that the leisurely pace of the game is better suited to camp, where campers have a chance to think ahead and reflect in ways that the hectic school year schedule often doesn’t allow. Baseball requires concentration and focus, both of which come easier in a supportive environment like camp where everyone has plenty of time to look inwards — and of course, no homework to keep them distracted!

Room to breath

Everyone needs a little room to breath when they think towards the future. Room to breath is something that camp and baseball have in common. They show us that you don’t have to be doing something every single second of the day in order to have a great time. Sometimes, it’s someone else’s turn — and that’s a good thing. After all, you’ll be using that time to get ready.

…When your turn comes, we know that you’ll shine!

More Than Just A Lake

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rdspsUTMrlXdz4jrAyADor2vbjs_17dBJcY6PO6UCDwThere are many things notice when they arrive at camp the first day. They notice the cabins, all of the new faces, the baseball fields, ropes course, tennis courts and acres and acres of open space to run in, play in and explore in. But one of the most breathtaking and exciting parts of camp is the lake. With over 2,500 feet of private shoreline and over three miles of “so-clear-you-can see-right-to-the-bottom” waters, the lake and sandy shoreline is a popular place for campers to spend the majority of their summers.

When it comes to watersports, campers can try a variety of different options while at America’s Finest Summer Camps. Campers can relax and learn the art of fishing, or work their muscles on a standup paddle board, or they can get their heart rate up as they experience the speed and thrill of wakeboarding and water skiing. Professionals monitor each and every sport based in the water closely, and safety is of the utmost importance. The lake doesn’t just offer a location to try new sports; it serves as the backdrop for the time in their lives when kids will remember they tried something new. It will be the place they fondly remember as the spot where they faced their fears, tried something new, and had the time of their lives.

The lake also serves as a great place for reflection and peace. A quiet stroll along the shoreline can be a great place for a confidential conversation between friends, a quiet place for journaling or writing letters back home, or simply a place to connect with nature. Warm, sunny days heat the water to a comfortable 80 degrees during the day, making it easy to run, splash and play in the crystal clear waters all day long. (Don’t worry, sunscreen is readily available and lifeguards and other professionals are always around!)

The lake is a central part of camp, and it brings campers together in a variety of waves. America’s Finest Summer camps would feel incomplete without all of the activities, events and life lessons that are centered on the lake. Self-confidence, friendships and trust are all built on the lake. Campers who come from a part of the country where they don’t have access to such a beautiful part of nature really connect and enjoy everything the lake has to offer.

The lake is so much more than just a body of water in the middle of camp. The lake is a place that campers really connect with, and where lifelong memories are made.

 

 

What I learned about friendship from the social life at camp

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Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 3.23.53 PMYou know that “first day of school” feeling? I’m sure you do. Some people love it while others may find it a little scary. The chance to explore a new place, try new things, and make new friends can be simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

How about that “first day of camp” feeling? I’m going to be honest with you, I was a shy kid, and the first day of camp I was worried about getting overwhelmed. So many new faces! So many totally new activities! You mean we’re staying here for three weeks?!

Making friends at camp is a piece of cake

Well, it turned out my fears were completely unfounded; I quickly learned that it’s practically impossible not to make new friends at camp. From the team games to the delicious communal meals to the campfire circles, sticking to yourself isn’t really an option. There are no TV shows or computer games to distract you — going outside and joining in the fun is your only choice!

If you’ve ever noticed how doing things with friends is more fun than going solo, you’re not alone. Friendship is at the core of what it is to be human, so it’s only natural that friendship is the part of the camp experience that gets talked about the most.

…But camp doesn’t just teach you how to make friends. It teaches you how to keep them.

Teamwork makes the dreamwork

Summer camp is a crash course in socializing. Spending days and days together with the same core of friends teaches campers how to communicate with each other in ways that you can’t really learn at school. After all, it’s not just nine-to-five like at school; it’s seven-days-a-week, from dawn ‘till dusk.

You aren’t just playing games at camp; you’re learning how to live communally. That means sharing, communicating, and understanding different perspectives. It’s all easier said than done, and camp provides a friendly and supportive environment for practicing those skills.

Being there when your friends need you

Learning to be a good friend means learning to give as much as you take. Everyone has rough days, and camp is no exception. Cheering up a friend who doesn’t feel like playing the games or joining in the campfire can be tough, but every camper does it. Why? Because they know that their camp friends would gladly lend them the same emotional support.

Friends that last forever

The camp experience is as intense as it is fleeting. Experiences like that don’t come around often, so it’s no surprise that campers often become life-long friends (or at least pen pals). When you find yourself missing summer, your camp friends are always there to remind you that you aren’t alone. Only someone who was there with you can truly understand what the nostalgia is all about — it’s an experience that links you forever.

Summer is always around the corner

The only sad part about camp friendships is when camp is over and you have to wave goodbye. Next summer always seems so far away!

I can guarantee the first question your family will ask when you get home: “did you make any friends?”

Regardless of how shy a camper may be, the answer is always the same: “so many!”

What I learned from playing sports at camp

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I wish you could have seen my face the first day of summer camp; my excitement was so contagious I was worried the nurse would put me in quarantine. That being said, my excitement had nothing to do with sports. So far as I was concerned, sports were just another stressful school activity, and to be honest I was initially disappointed when I first saw “basketball” on my daily schedule.

Fast forward a week later, and I was signing up for golf and baseball of my own free will, and even organizing pickup games during rest hour. While I’d dreaded sports at school, they quickly become one of my favorite activities at camp!

So what happened? Well, it might sound a little cheesy, but it didn’t take much camp spirit to change my attitude. Let me explain…

Camp is “different.” In a good way.

Although many of the team sports at camp are familiar from the team sports at school, the experience of participating in sports at camp can be a completely different experience. In a good way, of course.

11754301_10153473318116419_718260190002830276_oFor campers who thrive on organized sports at school, camp offers a unique opportunity: a chance to hone skills in a more focused environment, and access to incredible coaches who are completely invested in helping their campers have a blast and build their skills. “You mean I get to spend all day long outside playing games?” For sporty campers, the athletics program at camp is paradise.

For campers who might be less inclined towards sports at school, on the other hand, camp offers a different kind of advantage: a chance to try a wide variety of sports in a stress-free environment, without the pressures that come along with the high-stakes atmosphere of organized team competitions at school.

Learning to challenge yourself

I know I wasn’t the only convert; many other campers who would never describe themselves as sporty outside of camp found themselves discovering the more positive, pro-personal-growth side of athletics during their time at camp. If the school environment sucks the fun out of volleyball for you, just try it at camp! It’s a totally different game. Trust me.

When competitive sports let me down at school, I thought it was everyone else’s fault. But getting a chance to chill out and try new things at camp taught me that actually, it wasn’t anybody’s fault; I just needed to relax and learn to be okay with winning some days and losing on others. You know, just like life.

Camp is a great environment to try new things

Regardless of a camper’s feelings towards sports at school, the number one difference that camp has to offer is this: variety.

At camp, it’s not a question of fitting a sport or two around academics; it’s a question of fitting as many sports as you can imagine into a single day! Roller hockey, golf, flag football, lacrosse, cheerleading, baseball, tennis, soccer… and those are just the tip of the iceberg.

The chances for finding a sport that suits you are endless, and if you don’t care for a particular game you aren’t stuck with it; after all, a new one will be starting up next period.

Keep an open mind

So here’s my advice to a new camper who might be anxious about team activities at camp: relax, give it a try, and keep an open mind. The best part of camp is that the scenery is always changing. Even if you decide that an activity isn’t up your alley, you can always sign up for something new next time.

…And once you do discover your favorite sport, it’s just a question of signing up as much as possible!

Go Back to Camp!

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Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 3.32.52 PMMy friends have stopped asking me what my summer plans are. They’ve stopped inviting me to beach trips and concerts and road trips. Not because they don’t like me anymore, but because they know that there is only place I want to spend my summers: America’s Finest Summer Camps.

They know that all year I count down the stays to pack my bags, buy new tennis shoes (that always get destroyed by the end of camp) and head off to my favorite place in the world. They know that I don’t sleep the night before camp, not because I’m nervous, but because I know there are hundreds of kids going to bed anxious and nervous and excited about going to camp, meeting friends, and meeting their new counselors!

I go back to work at camp every year because it makes me a better person. I feel like investing in the lives of kids and watching them grow, learn and blossom into who they are meant to be beats anything else I could be doing with my summer. I go back every year because I made a goal to be the person my younger self needed. I needed someone to trust, to talk to, to listen to me, to encourage me, to answer my questions and to make me feel important. And so I go back every year to be that to the campers. At the end of a summer I am full of emotion, knowing I enhanced the lives of kids. I didn’t get that sense of satisfaction and purpose after a summer of road trips and concerts and beach trips.

I get beach days as a counselor when I spend time kayaking and swimming and fishing on the lake with my campers. I get concerts when I watch kids sing and dance their hearts out on stage. I get to experience adventures as we mountain bike, climb the wall on the ropes course and race down the zip line. But when I do it, I’m not doing it for me, I’m doing it for the dozens of campers who depend, trust and rely on me. And there is not better reason than that.

I go back to camp every year because it is a blast. It is a summer full of fun and excitement, where we learn something new every day. I go back to camp because I’ve built relationships with campers and want to reconnect with them, and be part of the lifelong memories they are making.

My friends see how happy and refreshed I am when I come back from a summer as a counselor, and compare it to how exhausted, sunburnt and broke they feel, and are beginning to ask questions about what it means to be a counselor. They want in on this adventure, this experience that I’ve fallen in love with.

I go back to camp because I become a better person every time I go, and so do the campers. And it fills my heart to be a part of that.

Camp crafts: keeping the arts alive

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Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 3.29.17 PMSummer camp isn’t just about campfires and sports and jumping in the lake: we’re happy to report that the arts are alive and well at Camp Starlight!

From fine art to ceramics to theater, there are activities and specialty resources available for practically anything a creative spirit could dream of.

Art offers variety

Camp is a hands-on place, so it makes sense that the hands-on approach applies even outside the core activities like sports and archery. Not everybody wants to be on their feet all day, so painting, ceramics, and other studio arts give campers a chance to slow down, zone in, and get their hands dirty in a creative environment.

Not a huge fan of ultimate frisbee? How about ceramics then! Not a pottery buff? Maybe some theater will float your boat? Camp is full of creative outlets, and everybody gets a chance to try out as many different mediums as they want until they find the one that speaks to them.

Art builds real-world skills

One of the best things about doing arts activities at camp is how they build on themselves from year to year, all while connecting with students’ activities and interests during the school year.

Campers who dream of going to art school can find plenty of time and resources for honing the skills they already have, while newcomers to a craft can start fresh and continue to grow the next summer if they desire.

At camp, the level a camper wants to reach within the arts is completely within their own control. The sky’s the limit!

Theater keeps everyone laughing

What’s a campfire without some good-natured inside jokes? Theater is a great way for campers to play and practice team organization outside the sports environment. The end product is usually a little on the goofy side (this is summer camp after all, not Shakespeare in the round), but what’s really valuable about the activity is applying those teambuilding skills to something more like “real life” than a team sport.

You could say that the team that plays together, stays together.

Self-expression builds confidence

Ultimately, the goal of creative activities at camp is to build confidence through self-expression.

The arts have always been a safe place for campers to express the things they have on their minds. Making art in a community ensures that everybody gets plenty of attention, and skilled instructors are always on hand to pair campers with the tools appropriate to their skill level. No matter the discipline, every camper gets a chance to show their own unique creative spark.

Camp isn’t just a fun place — it’s a creative place too! So get creative in the arts. There’s no better time than summer to make something spectacular!