Buddies Intensive Camper Program
For adolescents with special needs, ages 12-15
$680/week
Important Notice! In an effort to keep the integrity and effectiveness of our special programs such as Special Needs Campers (40), Buddies Intensive (8), Junior Camp Counselors (12), and Yak Apprentice (12) there will be a cap for participants each week, noted in parentheses. Once the cap is reached, a wait list will be generated. Please don’t wait to register because these programs fill up fast!
Registration Opens April 17th at Noon
Buddies Intensive Camper Program
For adolescents with special needs, ages 12-15
$680/week
Important Notice! In an effort to keep the integrity and effectiveness of our special programs such as Special Needs Campers (40), Buddies Intensive (8), Junior Camp Counselors (12), and Yak Apprentice (12) there will be a cap for participants each week, noted in parentheses. Once the cap is reached, a wait list will be generated. Please don’t wait to register because these programs fill up fast!
Registration Opens April 17th at Noon
Join the Super Friends!
We want to welcome our incredible campers to become marvelous superheroes! No dark and stormy days will stop us from bringing the magic of friendship and the power of kindness to all of Camp Yakety Yak!
Day 1
Today is the first cay of superhero camp! In Play class, superheroes got to choose a team name superpower unique to them as they played 'volleyball' with soft balls. Week four of Games class was so much fun! We brought back some of our favorite activities from camp this summer! Campers participated in human tic tac toe relays, flip cup tic tac toe, and the cup race. It’s a bird… it’s a plane… no… it's SuperYak and the Super Campers of Friendship class! We started the week with the icebreaker question, if you could have any superpower, what would it be and why. After practicing listening and not interrupting, they worked on designing their own action battle bracelets. Today in Discovery the superheroes came together to read Even Superheroes Have Bad Days, after, we discussed the zones of regulation and that it is okay to feel our feelings, but not okay to be unkind or unsafe. We then worked on our official superhero nametags for the week.
Today in Cooking Class, the Orange Team made a delicious and portable Trail Mix. Then we went on a Superhero Walk on the trail. The Yak Apprentices mixed ingredients together to make Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. They made some trail mix while waiting for their cookies to bake. We welcomed our superheroes in Projects today by reading Finding the Hero in Me. We then took our creative energy and designed our own superheroes and introduced them to one another. Today in Mindfulness we learned how to do a body scan to help us and others be aware of how we are feeling if others can’t see it. We then made giant outlines of ourselves and filled in the blank space with things we talked about during our body scan. The X-ray scan of us was to show others what is going on inside of us even if they can’t see it for themselves. After cleaning up, they went to their next activity. In Explorers Red we began our rehearsal and planning for a special play we are presenting at the end of the week. We are excited to present a play that shares a great lesson to the younger campers. Today in Explorers Blue we made superhero masks and did superhero puzzles. To kick off the final week of camp, Buddies made superhero puppets and played with play dough.
Day 2
Our superhero report came in and our mighty heroes are league material! In Play class, each camper chose a superpower they’d like to have and taught it to the other campers. Next, teams participated in an egg and spoon relay with their teammates cheering them on demonstrating their teammates’ superpowers! Today in Friendship class we used our superpowers to detect our emotions and how we were feeling. Campers got to read the story Even Superheroes Make Mistakes. They also learned that they can tell how they feel even without words by making super emotion meters out of paper plates. Whatever zone they feel throughout the day, they used the arrow to point at that zone. In Discovery the superheroes designed their very own masks! Each camper got a felt mask to decorate however they liked. We had a superhero fashion show at the end of class. Today in Explorers Blue we made our own superheroes! We also played with superhero figures in playdough. Today our Buddies made superhero popsicle sticks and played with stamps.
The Green, Purple, and Explorers Blue had fun making friends and playing board games. The Orange team started this week off with tic tac toe relays, flip cup tic tac toe, and the cup race in Games class. The Explorers Red mixed ingredients together to make Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies in Cooking class. The kitchen smelled so delicious. Today we started Projects out by reading Superhero School and talking about our own super powers. We then made little puppet show superheroes that the kids used to act out and save the city. In Mindfulness we had a Superman day! We borrowed our friend Superman's powers and played a game of four corners with our super hearing. We then played “keep the kryptonite away” where players had to remove the “kryptonite” without the use of their hands. Today in Explorers Red we continued our play prep. We also worked on our feelings well and made some fun props. We really enjoyed cooking today! In Explorers Blue we made our own superheroes! We also played with superhero figures in playdough. Today our Buddies made superhero popsicle sticks and played with stamps.
Day 3
Avenger's Assemble! More fun for our super campers! In Play class, campers played a mystery game called ‘Undercover superhero.’ Campers closed their eyes as a superhero was chosen. The remaining campers chose a color (red, green, blue) to identify as and shuffled to a different seat whenever their color was called. The superhero shuffled to a different chair regardless. Campers worked together to notice patterns & identify the undercover superhero! The focus of Wednesday’s Games Class was an obstacle course. Campers had some time to practice the different obstacles on the course before they were put to the test to work as a team to beat the clock. The Friendship class continued to be super friends by discussing the diversity around camp. We read the story Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger and then decorated superhero paper plates with kindness signals. The goal of today was to create a safe space to discuss diversity and learn what our strengths are in terms of friendship. What makes us good friends? Those kind words and images were added to their own superhero signals. Today in Cooking Class, the Yak Apprentices made a hearty breakfast favorite: omelets! They got to choose their preferred mix-ins and are all set for brunch.
Today in Discovery the superheroes decorated parachutes for the action figure of their choosing. After, we tested out the parachutes, as the superheroes descended upon the city to “save the day”! Campers today made their very own superhero logos in Projects! We began the day by reading I am Amazing! and talking about what superpowers we have as people. This Wednesday the Mindfulness teacher was out, so each team got to pick special activities designed by their Team Leaders.Today in Explorers Red we continued our feelings well and played prep. We really enjoyed Games class with Katy! In Explorers Blue we did superhero splatter paint. We also played Battle of the songs. Our Buddies made superhero shields today and played with slime.
Day 4
The Justice League has determined that fun was off the charts despite the humidity. In Play class, campers used flashlights to identify locate, and illuminate various pictures around the room in the dark.This activity works on object identification,memory, and visual tracking skills. Campers took turns being the leader, calling out which icons to look for (example: find the monkey, lighthouse, and shark). The Green and Purple teams played board games together. Our focus was on being good winners and losers. The attitudes and energy in the gym was great in Games class and everyone had someone to play with. Today we got to become even better super friends and get to know one another more in Friendship class. Campers listened to the story Super Duck. The theme of today was about working together and helping one another in a kind way. Campers then got the chance to create their own superheroes out of toilet paper rolls. The Explorers Red made a delicious and portable trail mix in Cooking class. Then we went on a nature walk and enjoyed our trail mix while strolling.
Today in Discovery the superheroes designed their very own masks! Each camper got a felt mask to decorate however they liked. We had a superhero fashion show at the end of class. We continued our superhero missions in Projects today by learning to fly!! We read Ten Steps to Flying Like a Superhero. We then created our own flying heroes. Kids decorated these with markers and other assorted items. In Mindfulness we read a book about Mindfulness being our Super Power. After this, we made our own mindfulness heroes or villains. We then played mindfulness BINGO where campers could win stickers to take home. Today in Explorers Red we did a run-through for our play and finalized props. We played games and had a really great time cooking. In Explorers Blue we painted superheroes made from our hands. Then we played superhero bingo! Today in Buddies, our campers decorated superhero capes and built superhero stickers!
Day 5
Last day of camp to happen tomorrow