Our Traditional Camps thrill campers and spark a sense of wonder with classic outdoor games, inspired arts and crafts, and inventive STEM activities all day long. Water days and/or pool time ensure campers can beat the heat or build their aquatics skills. And every Friday, campers and their families can look forward to an exciting celebration of kids’ achievements that week!
YMCA Arlington Traditional Camps
WEEK 1: UNDER THE SEA
Sabastian new what he meant when he said…”Look at the world around you… right here on the ocean floor!” Kids can dive in to their love of sea animals and plants, while learning about how they can help protect the oceans.
WEEK 2: LUNAR MISSION
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! Explore the solar system and beyond learn about the universe around us and enjoy some fictional fun too! Future astronauts and astronomers blast off on a mission to star systems unknown as they learn the constellations and find planets with the naked eye. Kids think through what life on other planets might look like, and different ways the human race can explore the universe.
WEEK 3: FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
Discover the land we call home! We will celebrate everything red, white and blue, from hometown heroes to exploring the American frontier. The United States boasts a rich tapestry of peoples, cultures and regions that makes it unique and spectacular! Not only will kids explore different aspects of our country from coast to coast, they’ll also meet up virtually with campers from other YMCAs who’ll share what life is like in their corner of the nation.
WEEK 4: CAPTAIN Y
Its a bird…it’s a plane…it’s Captain Y and the Super Heroes! Grab your capes, shields, and masks and get ready to show your true strength this week. Buckle up because you are traveling to another dimension!
WEEK 5: RECYCLEMANIA
We’re going recycling-crazy! This week we will be reducing and reusing—let your imagination take the reins and create a robot from a shoebox or a volcano from a water bottle and just imagine what you could create from some buttons and a soda can… Many of our creations this week will be submitted to the YMCA’s Annual Thingamajig Invention Convention.
WEEK 6: IT’S A THINGAMAJIG
Got a kid who’s excited about science, technology, engineering and math? Unleash their inner innovator so they can conduct hands-on experiments, make mechanisms and create concoctions to better understand the world around us. The Y’s annual Thingamajig challenges children to build their S.T.E.A.M. skills as they invent solutions to everyday problems using only what can be re-purposed around them. Junior and Senior campers can even attend and compete in the 29th Annual YMCA Thingamajig Invention Convention.
WEEK 7: JUNGLE SAFARI
Put on your safari hat and grab your binoculars because it’s about to get wild in here! For budding zoologists and naturalists, this camp lets kids take a walk on the wild side while learning about different animals’ habitats eco-systems, and conservation efforts.
WEEK 8: Y-SPIRIT WEEK
We have spirit! Yes we do! We have spirit! How ‘bout you? Spirit week is an iconic camp experience, where teams compete in friendly games, challenges, activities, and songs to prove who has the most camp spirit. Campers will build their teamwork skills while pushing themselves to earn points that take their team to victory! The week ends with a huge celebration that lifts up all campers’ spirits as they come up with ways to one-up the counselors.