YMCA Camp Coniston Program Areas

Overview

Camp Coniston offers a large variety of activities for campers, both on land and in the water! Our staff are selected based on their experience and provide each camper with the opportunity to have fun while learning new skills and working together.

While at camp, campers are scheduled for 8 activity areas during a two-week stay at Coniston, with 4 activity periods a day that are scheduled Mon-Wed-Fri and Tue-Thu-Sat. They are also provided with two free choice periods each day that provide the opportunity to take part in programs that are not on their schedule.

Selecting Activities

You will receive the Activity Sign-Up form by mid-March, along with other registration paperwork. Campers and parent should review activity choices together and return the form by May 1st.

Your camper will select 12 program areas that he or she would like, and will be placed in 8 based on program availability. While we do our best to schedule your child for his or her top activity choices, it is sometimes difficult to do so because of enrollment limitations. For this reason, we encourage campers to have an open mind to try new things and enjoy their experiences!

Skill Levels

Skill level information is listed for each activity. Activities, such as Archery and Dance are designated as Beginner (Beg.), Intermediate (Int.) or Advanced (Adv.) and we require this information for scheduling.

Some activities such as basketball and ropes are leveled by division age. Activities that do not have level requirements are listed as not applicable. 

Note: Occasionally we only have a few campers signed up for a given class, such as advanced gymnastics, therefore we will combine classes: i.e. Intermediate and Advanced gymnastics would meet together.

Program Notes

Every camper is required to take swimming in an appropriate level class. A swimming/boating test is given to each camper on check-in day to determine what swimming class he/she will be placed in.

All program supplies are included in the camp tuition, except for waterskiing and horseback riding which require an additional fee paid in full with registration.

Campers registered to stay for a month will change their activities for the following session during camp.

Occasionally out-of-camp trips may be required for your camper. Such trips include: hiking and camping trips, ice cream trips, ecology trips, sports meets and competitions with other camps/teams. The camp will provide all supervision and transportation.
Campers are expected to participate in each class unless excused by a camp nurse or doctor.

Rules for acceptance and participation in all programs are the same for everyone, without regard to gender, race, religion, color, handicap or national origin. All activities are open to both boys and girls.

Program areas may change from summer to summer for various reasons.

Water Sports

WATERSKIING, SNORKELING, CANOEING, KAYAKING, SAILING & Other BOATING:

All campers participating in water-based activities must pass a basic swimming test.

The swimming test requires campers to jump into deep water and swim 100 yards (continuous swimming) and tread water for 5 minutes. This evaluation is administered on the day campers arrive, weather permitting.  There are also opportunities for retesting when it is appropriate.

Program Areas

Program Area	Description
Acting	Focuses around theater games, pantomime, skits, etc. Open to all campers.
Archery	Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Arts & Crafts	Open to all campers.
Basketball	Separate activity periods for Junior, Middler, and Senior campers.
Campcraft	Main emphasis is on camping skills: Hiking, fire building, compass work, woodsmanship. Separate activity periods for Junior, Middler, and Senior campers.
Canoeing	Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. All campers must pass the Swimming Test in order to participate.
Dance	Consists of mostly modern dance moves with some exposure to other dance forms depending on interest. Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Drama for Production	Meets as a regularly scheduled class during the last period of the day. Sign up for this class if you want to be in the Drama Show at the end of the two-week session. Open to all campers.
Ecology	Study our camp habitat, identify species, and learn about the environment. Open to all campers.
Games for the Mind	Non-athletic activities such as board games, scavenger hunts, puzzles. Open to all campers.
Gymnastics	Floor exercise, beam and springboard/vault (trapezoid). Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Horseback Riding	Horseback Riding is an additional fee program - see the rates page and application form for details.   Horseback is taught in English Class Riding. Lessons include equine anatomy, grooming, and tack. Campers interested in CHA classifications and badges are given the opportunity. Coniston is a member of the Certified Horsemanship Association and our riding director is a certified instructor of the organization. Participants must have completed 4th Grade.
Kayaking	Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. All campers must pass the Swimming Test in order to participate.
Landsports	Each class period features a different sport or activity, such as street hockey, volleyball, kickball, lacrosse, Capture the Flag, etc. Separate activity periods for Junior, Middler, and Senior campers.
Photography	An introduction to black and white photography. Learn perspective, dark-room developing and printing. Open to Senior campers only.
Riflery	Learn safety and practice on targets with .22 caliber rifles. Open to campers ages 11 and up only. Younger campers target shoot with BB air rifles.
Ropes & Climbing	Group “trust” and “initiative” activities using our low ropes course.  Older/experienced campers challenge themselves on the high ropes course (Climbing and Rappelling Tower). Separate activity periods for Junior, Middler, and Senior campers.
Sailing	Learn to sail on one- or two-person Sunfish sailboats on the calm waters of Lake Coniston. Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. All campers must pass the Swimming Test in order to participate.
Skeet	Skeet/Clay Target shooting. Open to Senior campers only.
Snorkeling	Two skill levels are available, Beginner and Intermediate. All campers must pass the Swimming Test in order to participate.
Soccer	Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Swimming	Campers take swimming lessons in a class appropriate to their ability.
Tennis	Three skill levels are available, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Waterskiing	Waterskiing is an additional fee program - see the rates page and application form for details.   Camp Coniston’s water ski program follows the guidelines of the National Water-ski Association. Our lessons are progressive and all staff are certified lifeguards. Participants must have completed 4th Grade and pass the swimming/boating test to participate.    Due to demand, waterskiing is limited to one two-week session.
Woodshop	Learn woodworking skills in the camp’s wood shop. Open to Senior campers only.