Conversation Starters: Obedience to Him

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21

Conversation Starters
How can you keep this conversation going at home?  Try bouncing some of these questions around at the dinner table, as you’re driving your kids to school or an activity, or even while you’re shopping together:

For Preschoolers
What are some rules that keep you safe?
Why do we have rules like this?
What are some of God’s rules?  Did God give us rules to keep us from having fun, or because He loves us?

For Children
What are some rules you know we should follow?
Why should we obey these rules?
Is there more to being a Christian than just following rules?  What else?

For Students
Why are relationships important?
How do rules protect relationships?
Honestly, how would you feel about a parent who had no rules or expectations for his children?

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Parents, Camp Ridgecrest, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, parent resourses, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Crafts with Teeny: Summer Fun Jar

As I write this blog the first campers of the summer are finishing up their last full day at camp. Time sure does fly by when you’re having fun. We’ve had a great first session at both camps! We’re looking forward to three more great two week sessions and a starter camp for new campers.

I came up with this craft a few days ago as I thought about what our campers do while they are not at camp. I’m sure many are traveling with families, going to sports camp or perhaps hanging out with friends just enjoying not having to go to school. But I know there are campers and families that spend some time bored, wondering what to do next. This craft is a “Summer Fun Jar”.

Supplies:
– Mason Jar
– Paint
– Paint brush
– Scrap paper
– List of activities

The first step is to paint on the outside of the Mason Jar. I chose to call it the “Summer Fun” jar. You could have your campers paint their own name and then choose their own activities that they want to put in the jar.
Have your campers write down, on scrap pieces of paper, some activities that they want to do this summer. I have included a small list to help get the ideas started.

– Go to the zoo.
– Make a bird feeder.
– Bake cookies together.
– Make a fort with mom/dad.
– Play in the sprinkler outside.
– Catch fireflies.
– Play with bubbles.
– Make homemade play dough.
– Go to the park.
– Fly a kite.
– Go on a hike.
– Make S’mores.
– Watch a movie.

Next time your campers are bored tell them to pull out an activity from the Summer Fun jar. Have a great time this summer with your campers!

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Crafts with Teeny, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Summer | Leave a reply

A Nation Of Wimps

An interesting article from Psychology Today about kids in America today. 

Maybe it’s the cyclist in the park, trim under his sleek metallic blue helmet, cruising along the dirt path… at three miles an hour. On his tricycle.

Or perhaps it’s today’s playground, all-rubber-cushioned surface where kids used to skin their knees. And… wait a minute… those aren’t little kids playing. Their mommies—and especially their daddies—are in there with them, coplaying or play-by-play coaching. Few take it half-easy on the perimeter benches, as parents used to do, letting the kids figure things out for themselves.

Then there are the sanitizing gels, with which over a third of parents now send their kids to school, according to a recent survey. Presumably, parents now worry that school bathrooms are not good enough for their children.

Consider the teacher new to an upscale suburban town. Shuffling through the sheaf of reports certifying the educational “accommodations” he was required to make for many of his history students, he was struck by the exhaustive, well-written—and obviously costly—one on behalf of a girl who was already proving among the most competent of his ninth-graders. “She’s somewhat neurotic,” he confides, “but she is bright, organized and conscientious—the type who’d get to school to turn in a paper on time, even if she were dying of stomach flu.” He finally found the disability he was to make allowances for: difficulty with Gestalt thinking. The 13-year-old “couldn’t see the big picture.” That cleverly devised defect (what 13-year-old can construct the big picture?) would allow her to take all her tests untimed, especially the big one at the end of the rainbow, the college-worthy SAT.

Messing up, however, even in the playground, is wildly out of style. Although error and experimentation are the true mothers of success, parents are taking pains to remove failure from the equation.Behold the wholly sanitized childhood, without skinned knees or the occasional C in history. “Kids need to feel badly sometimes,” says child psychologist David Elkind, professor at Tufts University. “We learn through experience and we learn through bad experiences. Through failure we learn how to cope.”

“Life is planned out for us,” says Elise Kramer, a Cornell University junior. “But we don’t know what to want.” As Elkind puts it, “Parents and schools are no longer geared toward child development, they’re geared to academic achievement.”

No one doubts that there are significant economic forces pushing parents to invest so heavily in their children’s outcome from an early age. But taking all the discomfort, disappointment and even the play out of development, especially while increasing pressure for success, turns out to be misguided by just about 180 degrees. With few challenges all their own, kids are unable to forge their creative adaptations to the normal vicissitudes of life. That not only makes them risk-averse, it makes them psychologically fragile, riddled with anxiety. In the process they’re robbed of identity, meaning and a sense of accomplishment, to say nothing of a shot at real happiness. Forget, too, about perseverance, not simply a moral virtue but a necessary life skill. These turn out to be the spreading psychic fault lines of 21st-century youth. Whether we want to or not, we’re on our way to creating a nation of wimps….

Click here to read the rest of the article.

By: Hara Estroff Marano
Psychology Today 

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Just for Parents, parent articles, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Conversation Starters: Best For You

Jeremiah 29:11 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Conversation Starters
How can you keep this conversation going at home? Try bouncing some of these questions around at the dinner table, as you’re driving your kids to school or an activity, or even while you’re shopping together.

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Just for Parents, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Conversation Starter: Disobedience

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Conversation Starters
How can you keep this conversation going at home? Try bouncing some of these questions around at the dinner table, as you’re driving your kids to school or an activity, or even while you’re shopping together.

For Preschoolers:
Talk about how we all want things our way. Define disobedience. Explain that disobedience and wanting our way is not good. When we still try to get our own way, even when we’ve been told no, it makes God unhappy.

For Children:
Ask your child to remember a time when they disobeyed you. Explain that disobedience to God is called sin. We all sin, but forgiveness is available from God. Teach them to pray and confess their sins to God.

For Students:
Talk about times you rebelled against your parents or another authority. What were the consequences? Encourage your child to understand that sin is what separates man from God. Lead them to understand the necessity of confession and repentance.

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged 2 Chronicles 7:14, Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Crafts with Teeny: Bird Feeder

Summertime is quickly approaching which can only mean one thing: campers will be here in just a few short weeks! The flowers are blooming, grass is green and the birds are chirping. We thought it would be a great idea to do a craft to get everyone in the summer spirit. This month’s craft is a homemade bird feeder.

Supplies:
– Tin can (soup can)
– Paint
– Paint brush(es)
– String, ribbon, twine
– Bird seed

Directions:
1. Grab an old soup can and wash it out really well. Make sure to peel off the label and try to get as much of the sticky residue off as you can.

2. Once the can is dry enough to paint, let your campers paint whatever they want! Parents, you can paint your own can and show off your creative side too! Enjoy this time with your kids. Make sure to let the first coat dry before you add decorations like stripes or polka dots.

3. You can either tie string, ribbon, or twine around the can to hang it or you can poke a hole in the bottom and tie string through it to make it more stable.

4. Scoop some bird seed into the can and make sure not to fill it too full.

5. Go outside and hang it from a tree branch. Enjoy watching the birds eat out of your new feeder!

We hope you enjoy this craft with your campers. Send us a picture of your new bird feeder on our Facebook page or to rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com. See you soon!

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Crafts with Teeny, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Summer | Leave a reply

Upcoming Summer

Well, it’s camp time once again!  We are so excited for the upcoming summer.  I’m sure that you, as parents, are excited as well for your child to be coming to camp.  For some of you, especially our first time families, you are probably feeling a little anxious, not knowing quite what to expect for your child, or how they will survive at camp without you.

Rest assured, they will make it through, and most of them will thrive in our camp community!  Camp is one of the few places where children can begin to learn a sense of independence, and learn that they can make it on their own for a brief time.  They also learn a sense of inter-dependence, building friendships with other campers from all over the country, all under the supervision of caring and loving young adults.  It will be difficult for some of you to leave your child with us, possibly being the first time you have ever separated for more than a night or two.   Realize that you are doing them a favor by providing them with the opportunity to rely on themselves, adults other than you, and God.

We are excited about what God has in store for each of our campers and staffers this summer.  Thank you for entrusting us with your children.  We look forward to their being with us soon!  God bless!

Ron Springs
Director, Ridgecrest Summer Camps

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Ron Springs, Summer | Leave a reply

Crafts with Teeny: Message Boards

It is finally starting to turn warmer here at camp! Flowers are starting to bloom and the trees are getting their leaves back. Spring only means one thing: it’s almost time for camp! We are excited that camp is right around the corner. Our first staffers will arrive in about two weeks.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself always looking for a place to write down a reminder to myself or a note to someone else. Sticky notes are great, but they are pretty small. I found these ideas on Pinterest the other day when I was researching message boards. They are both fairly easy and quick to make. There are tons of possibilities on how to decorate them. I’ll show you how I did it, but it would be fun to see how your campers decorate their own!

Supplies for Chalkboard Tray:
– Tray (Dollar Tree $1)
– Chalkboard paint (Joann $6.99)
– Any decorations you want to add (ribbon, bow, etc.)

The first step is to paint the tray, or you could use an old picture frame, with the chalkboard paint. You can tape off the area if you want or paint the whole thing. Let your campers be creative! I used black paint, but they sell all different colors or you could look up a recipe on how to make your own chalkboard paint!

You will want to make sure that the paint dries completely before adding decorations or trying to write on it. It took two coats for mine and I let it dry over night. I added a bow at the top but there are endless possibilities. You could also use stickers or paint your name on it.

Supplies for Magnet Board:
– Cookie sheet (old or new)
– Fabric
– Mod Podge

For this project you can use an old cookie sheet or you can buy a new one. You’ll want to make sure you don’t cut the fabric too small. You can either wrap the fabric around the whole cookie sheet or you can just put the fabric in the inside of it. I chose to glue it to the inside of it. If you want the cookie sheet edges to be a different color then go ahead and paint or spray paint the whole cookie sheet before you glue the fabric to it.

Once you have measured and know how you want it to look glue the fabric to the cookie sheet. I didn’t use adhesive spray because I had Mod Podge already. I used a foam brush and painted the Mod Podge on the inside of the cookie sheet. Again, there are tons of options for decorating this message board. You can add some cork board to the bottom of it so you can use push pins or you could use chalkboard paint to be able to write on it. Since cookie sheets are magnetic you can even use your camp bubble magnets!

Both of these are great options for a place to write notes to your family or reminders to yourself!  You can also add holes in the top and hang it on your camper’s bedroom door! Send us a picture of your camper’s message boards! We love to see your projects.

See you soon!

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Crafts with Teeny, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Crafts with Teeny: Easter Decorations

Can you believe it’s almost time for Easter? This winter has flown by here at camp. We’ve all been enjoying the warmer weather recently. The summer will be here before you know it! We hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are!

When thinking about this month’s craft blog I knew I wanted to do something involving Easter since it’s only two weeks away. I have decided to do two different crafts to give you and your campers some ideas for Easter decorations. These crafts are both really fun and interactive. You might get a little messy, but that’s part of the fun! There is also a bonus at the end of the blog: a food idea!

Craft #1: Embroidery String Easter Egg

Supplies:
– Embroidery String
– Water or regular balloons
– Fabric Stiffener
– Plate or bowl
– Scissors

The first step is to blow up as many balloons as you want to use. The balloons need to be in the shape of an egg. You can make them as little or as big as you want. Little known fact about me: I cannot blow up balloons. So Matt blew up six balloons for me. You will want to cut the embroidery string into long pieces, around two or three feet in length. You can use different pieces on one balloon. You will want to pour the fabric stiffener onto a plate or bowl. I found it was easiest to use my fingers and put the fabric stiffener onto the string a few inches at a time and then wrap it around the balloon.

Wrap the string around the balloon in all different directions. Make sure the string around the balloon has plenty of fabric stiffener on it. Your hands will get really messy, but it comes off with water and soap or you can wait until it dries and peel it off. You can use one color or multiple colors. My first few I used different colored string, but I didn’t have enough fabric stiffener on it so it did not work well. Once you feel that the balloon is covered enough you can hang them up to dry. They take about an hour to dry completely.

Once the string is hard and the fabric stiffener has completely dried you can pop the balloon. You can pull the balloon pieces out through the wholes in the string. If the string collapses and does not hold the shape it means there is not enough fabric stiffener on it. My first two eggs collapsed and I had to start over. Once you’re all done and the balloons are popped they should look like colorful Easter eggs! You can put them in a basket or you could even hang them!

Craft #2: Easter Eggs Dyed with Kool-Aid

Supplies:
– Kool-Aid Packets (I used cherry, lemon-lime, orange, mixed berry, and a mixture of lemonade and peach mango)
– Hard Boiled Eggs
– Bowls with 2/3 cup of water

You will want to start with hard boiled eggs. I did some research and found that you can put eggs in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and they will turn into hard boiled eggs! I put them in a muffin tin to keep them from rolling around. They will come out with little brown spots but after you soak them in water for 10 minutes they are back to white! Fill small cups or bowls with 2/3 cup of water and the complete packet of kool-aid. You can put the hard boiled egg in the dye for as long as you want. The longer it sits, the darker, more saturated they will be. My bowls weren’t deep enough so I spooned the kool-aid on top of the egg and turned it. It worked out well and completely covered the eggs.

The lemonade is not dark enough so I put half of the peach mango packet with it. The purple makes the egg a dark grayish color. You can experiment with the colors. I also decided to put a sticker on one egg and see if it would turn out well and it did! Be creative with this and let your kids get involved. Be careful because the kool-aid will stain your hands, especially the blue. You will not need any vinegar because the kool-aid is acidic so the color stays well on the eggs.

Bonus: Easter Cupcakes

Supplies:
– Cupcake mix
– Cupcake tins
– Cupcake liners
– Icing (or coconut – pictured below)
– M&M eggs

Make the cupcakes as directed on the back of the box. You can use any flavor you want. I went with the traditional yellow cake mix. When they are cooled you can either decorate the top with green icing or you can use colored green coconut with food coloring. I originally wanted to use coconut (in the picture), but changed my mind because I’m not a fan of the taste. I used regular green icing and tried to make it look like grass. The last step is to put the “eggs” on top to make it look like Easter eggs sitting in grass. You could also use Peeps or another candy as the eggs.

Let us know if you make the crafts or cupcakes! We would love to see pictures while your crafting or baking or pictures of the finished product! Send us other ways that you are decorating for Easter around your house or making Easter desserts. We hope you and your families have a great Easter!

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Crafts with Teeny, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Crafts with Teeny: Chevron Frame

Happy day after Valentine’s day! So I have a confession: I am slightly obsessed with the chevron pattern. As I was trying to think about what craft I wanted to do next, I decided to combine my love for photos, camp and chevron and I came up with a chevron picture frame. Parents, it would be great for you to partner with your campers and do this craft with them! You can even use the time while you’re painting together to talk about camp and ask them what activities they’re excited about this coming summer. This craft is inexpensive, relatively clean, and full of possibilities!

Supplies:

• Wooden frame – $5
• Craft paint – $3.50
• Paint brush – $1
• Optional: ruler or card stock triangle – $1.50
• Optional: Krylon acrylic crystal clear spray – $3.99
• Picture of camp friends – priceless!

There aren’t rules to this project. I decided to go with the chevron pattern on mine, but you could do anything you want. Leave it up to your camper to decide what pattern they want to paint – or let them splatter paint it!

I cut out a triangle from card stock paper for the chevron pattern. I decided I did not want to use painters tape for the chevron pattern and have to deal with cutting each piece of tape. Instead, I traced the top of the triangle and moved it down the frame. I also used the ruler to make sure it was even in between each one. I know it won’t be perfect, but I want it to be fun and whimsical and besides, we’re not perfect around here!

Then I carefully started to paint in between the lines. The foam paint brushes make it easier since they have a straight edge. This is the tedious part but if you’re doing another pattern it might not take as long.

When you’re done painting, let it dry and then you can spray it with a clear finish to protect it and make it glossy. I decided that I like the rustic look since it’s a wooden frame and I opted out of spraying it with a clear finish. The last step is to put a picture of your camp friends in the frame!

For around $10 you can create a custom picture frame! I’d love to see what patterns you or your campers choose to paint. You can send pictures to rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com or you can post it to our Facebook pages!

Make sure to check out my next craft on March 15^th!

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Crafts with Teeny, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply