What a week it has been! One of our favourite moments was our camp-wide Junior vs. Senior Soccer Game. The Tigers proudly cheered on our representatives, Sizzle and Wheels, and their energy could be heard across camp!
They cheered as loudly as they could, celebrating every exciting play and showing incredible camp spirit. What made the moment even more special, though, was the sportsmanship they showed throughout the game. It was wonderful to see our campers come together to support their team while celebrating everyone’s effort.
Another awesome moment was one of my favourite Tiger traditions—our Friday afternoon camp dance. Campers paired up with friends, counsellors joined in, and the whole unit danced together. It was such a joyful way to celebrate another amazing week and seeing everyone smiling, laughing, and dancing together perfectly captured the spirit of our Tiger community.
Our specialists kept campers busy with a fantastic variety of activities throughout the week. In Science, campers created their own colourful lava lamps and experimented with different combinations to see their creations come to life. One particularly heartwarming moment came when two campers in T1 noticed there weren’t enough materials for everyone and immediately chose to share without hesitation. It was a simple act of kindness that perfectly reflected the teamwork we love to see at camp. Campers also bounced their way through Kangoo, tested their aim in Archery, and recorded songs during Recording. During CYOA, campers had the opportunity to choose from exciting activities including high-energy dodgeball with Pylon, soccer with Zig Zag, and beading with Aqua, where many campers made beautiful beaded stars to exchange with friends.
This week’s unit program transported the Tigers into our very own Summerween adventure! The story began when campers discovered missing Sizzle posters around the den. Their mission led them on a search into the dark theatre, determined to rescue Sizzle. Instead, they came face-to-face with the mysterious witch Wizzle—who looked suspiciously similar to Sizzle! To complete Wizzle’s Halloween challenges, each group painted real watermelons and transformed them into pumpkins, creating some incredibly creative masterpieces. Next came the always hilarious mummy challenge, where counsellors were wrapped head-to-toe using toilet paper and caution tape. The celebration ended with a glow stick party in the dark, complete with music, dancing, glowing bracelets, and candy. It was the perfect mix of imagination, teamwork, and Summerween fun, and campers fully embraced every part of the adventure.
Congratulations to this week’s campers being recognized! A huge congratulations to our 3-Year Campers: Noor, Mira, Maximus, and Ella—thank you for being such an important part of the AVDC community over the years.
This week’s Silly Banana Awards go to Maximus and Kaayel for bringing fun, laughter, and positive energy to our unit.
Finally, congratulations to Ela and Martin, who earned this week’s Big Chair Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership and being wonderful role models for their fellow Tigers. We are so proud of all of you!
Staff Celebration Moment: Aqua!
This week’s staff spotlight goes to Aqua. Aqua takes the time to genuinely get to know every camper she works with. She remembers the little things, makes each child feel welcomed, and creates an environment where everyone feels included. Earlier this summer, Aqua was away for a week, and campers asked where she was countless times throughout the week. That says everything about the relationships she builds. We are so grateful to have someone who cares so deeply about making every camper feel seen, valued, and excited to come to camp each day.
Caregiver Question of the Week
How do you choose Silly Banana winners?
Each week, the Leadership Team meets to determine who will win a Silly Banana. We don’t take this responsibility lightly – we know that campers (and their caregivers) put in lots of work to win! There is often heavy debate and negotiations involved 🙂
Winners are chosen based on creativity of concept, execution, and effort by the camper. We encourage caregivers to reinforce to campers that we make costumes for the fun of making them – not to win!
