Hello again! I truly cannot believe that we are already four weeks into this experience, I feel like I have only blinked! This was the week where I felt like I settled into my confidence through leading activities for the girls which was a learning curve.

Although most activities are pre-planned and have instructions to go along with them, some of the transition activities are games and exercises we come up with on the spot. One thing I learned is that you have to read the room and the participant’s abilities before choosing activities. This week one of the transition games I chose was the wrong choice as many girls were left confused and disengaged. This was a learning lesson for me because it may have been more natural if I allowed the girls to have input on what they wanted to do rather than deciding for them, especially because the age group was six to nine year olds. 

Other than that, because the age group was slightly smaller this week, I was able to connect with individual girls and learn about who they are beyond just camp. One girl and I bonded over the Columbus Blue Jackets and it was so fun to see her get excited and share her opinions on the draft this weekend. Another girl was a big fan of the Wings of Fire novel series which was helpful to know as we often used the topic as a tool to help her calm down when she was upset. The staff even participated in some activities to see how well we knew the girls to insight some friendly competition while also prioritizing getting to know each girl. 

This week’s theme was Forest Fairies which included many structured activities such as making fairy houses out of pots, terrariums, fairy wings out of pressed flowers the girls collected, and a fairy party at the end with campfire cooked snacks. The girls even received notes and gifts from the camp fairy “Kamp” which was a joy to watch. 

Walking out of this week, I am excited for a bit of a break as next week will look a bit different due to no traditional STEM Camp. However, I am excited to pick back up STEM Camp soon with more knowledge and confidence.

Best,

Madeleine Auch