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Discovery Day Camp lets kids be kids
Campers run through hoops during the triathalon at Discovery Day Camp in Franklin Park. | Courtesy of Franklin Park Park District
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Updated: August 27, 2012 10:35AM
FRANKLIN PARK — With summer in full swing, summertime camps are also making a wave. Discovery Day Camp in Franklin Park is a camp where children ages 4-14 can spend their summer days playing with friends, going to the pool, and engaging in different activities.
The camp is held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“A lot of kids don’t know how to play any more due to the cyber world,” said Counselor Mike Yarnell. “And we try to bring that back to them.”
According to the counselors, the kids who attend the day camp come from suburbs all over, especially Franklin Park, Chicago, River Grove, Norridge and Schiller Park. This year, the camp has a record setting 183 kids.
A typical day for the campers consists of activities and field trips.
“We usually walk to the pool with the kids everyday,” Yarnell said. “Other than that, we play outside with the kids. We have adventure day, flag football, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, and we also had our own Olympics.” According to Yarnell, field trips consist of going to the Franklin Park ice arena and the Field Museum.
“I feel like I’m a kid when I’m with them,” said Counselor Jenna Cronin. “They learn so many different things. They were cheering ‘team work’ today without anyone telling them.”
Usually the boys and girls are split up to do different activities. During one particular scavenger hunt, it was boys versus girls.
“The girls had to find all of the Disney Princesses around the park and pick them up,” Cronin said. The boys had to look for tarantulas. The scavenger hunt consisted of them trying to figure out how many things they could find around the park.
“I was in charge of 7-year-old boys finding tarantulas, and spiders,” said counselor Angela Jos. “The kids really liked it. It got them really excited. Kids say the darnedest things!”
Most campers return year after year. Most of them are enrolled when they are 4 and stay until they are 14. Then, they usually apply to work as a counselor.
All of the campers love their time at Discovery Day Camp.
Rose Cochairo, 7, said she’s made a lot of new friends has gone on many adventures.
“At camp, we just let them be kids,” Yarnell said. “A lot of kids don’t have that today.”
