Summer Camp Week 5: Slimefest 2020

A fine bunch of slimy Falcons

Hello adventurers,

It seems that some of you had doubted how sticky Slimefest would be, and I can only offer my sincerest of thanks to the parents who were willing to drive you all home after such a sloppy, stinky, sticky mess of a week. If we can make it through that, we can make it through anything.

Ayda and Ella enjoying the slime, as Ava looks on

It was a week that saw players competing in a half-dozen challenges that were designed to put them to the test, both mentally and physically, while also balancing their abilities to compete independently and as a team, all of which is in preparation for the final Survivor night, which, believe it or not, it just about a month away!

Coyotes working their way through the slackline

We started things off with the tire relay, where everyone learned two things: one, that tires are waaay heavier than one might think, and two, that this is not your ordinary slime. Players chased each other in an effort to slime their opponent, and in the end, there weren’t many who were able to avoid those oozing sponges. On the Coyotes team, Amadea was pure machine, while for the Ravens, Thomas eliminated five players, including his sister Avery.

Josie is still smiling after the mud pit

Next we moved on to the electric fence game, where despite the setbacks of some wasps (shoutout to Dawson, Hayden, Avery, and Savannah, the newest members of the Stingers ---an exclusive club), teams were able to coordinate a plan which saw them climbing over the fence without ever touching it, all while holding a leaking and dripping bag of slime. Some teams used pyramid formations, some used crowd surfing techniques, and others simply opted to fling players across and hope for the best.

Mr. Paton, chasing kids with slime during the pickle rally, and having more fun than anyone!

​After that, it was time for the slackline, where every single team quickly proved how agile they were, absolutely blowing away our expectations of performance, despite some newly greased hands. Where on the first day of the week the best team time was 2:10, by Friday afternoon the Foxes had managed to shift their team around in under 30 seconds, while the Falcons were able to do so in a mere 21!

Bill and Thomas unearthed their inner animal

But what I am sure was a highlight of the day for many was the mud pit, a Souris favorite brought back to life for another year. Lined with straw and filled with mud, players competed for a ‘flip’, wherein they had to dip the other teammate’s player into the mud. There was no way to stay clean here, and we saw some amazing spectacles of gymnastics and tactics. Dawson was an unstoppable force, while Ella was bending over backwards for a win.

When the mud pit was finished, players took their positions on the obstacle course, consisting of the slackline, over and unders, an army crawl, a tire tunnel, a ladder stack, monkey bars, and a finishing sprint. It took teamwork to get the slime from the beginning to the end, and while at times progress was slow, every single team was able to fill their bucket in the end, with the Ravens and Falcons pulling out ahead. In pickle-race action, Ella again proved herself to be indomitable, narrowly edging over Reagan in the final round of action, while Abby seized a decisive win in Falcon play.

For some teams, this was all that we had time for, while for others they unlocked the bridge building game, trading in marbles, pennies, and seaglass for nails, boards, and ropes in an effort to build the farthest reaching bridge through the trees of the woodlot. Multiple different tactics were used, but in the end it was the Ravens who reigned loftiest, while the Foxes uncrowned the Falcons to seize second place in this part of the competition.

In a harrowing climb to the finish, it was Caleb who scored big for the Foxes

​It was not easy calculating the scores this week, as each game, challenge, and activity had to be cross referenced and tallied up back at the shop, and several times it came down to the photo record to determine which team was best able to pull things off. This, coupled with bonus points for stings, scrapes, and lost pickles, made for a very close race indeed, with the Ravens seizing the lead, and being the first to break the 300 ceiling, closing the week, and the midway point of the season, with an impressive score of 312. Coyotes continued their battle for second, pulling ahead, while the Falcons had a strong showing coming off a weaker fourth week, but still they lingered in the rankings, closing in a not-so-distant third place, leaving the Foxes with shrinking hopes of unseating them.

Looking ahead to the competition component of Week 6, everything will come down to player’s abilities to work together for the greater good, and it will be a week where skill, technique, and patience will be a virtue, where we put not only the fire-making abilities, but their culinary talents to the test.
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Some hints for the upcoming week:

• Know your way around a carrot peeler
• Practice your tinders and kindlings
• A small spark can lead to a big flame

Well, I think that’s about it for now; we can’t wait to see you for what is sure to be one of the most memorable weeks of the summer; our much anticipated Campfire Cookout! Remember that this week we go from 5-8PM, instead of our regular afternoon sessions.

See you at the beach!

Yours in adventure,

​Nathan and Jesse