Creating a Theme for Camp
Creating a theme for your camp will give your activities and decorations direction. It will also create a fun and energy–filled environment that the kids will be excited about.

When planning your camp, get creative! Form a committee of creative people to help you brainstorm ways to go all–out with the theme for camp. The theme should be woven into every aspect of the camp, including decorations, sports, crafts, menus, dorms, and chapel services. Games and activities can also be creatively molded to fit your theme by giving conventional camp games a twist to fit the theme or by making up your own theme–centered games and relays.

Theme Ideas
At NazJam 2002, a camp hosted by Children’s Ministries in July 2002, the theme was outer space. The chapel was decorated with black lights, a puppet stage disguised as a spaceship, two–foot–tall alien characters representing each of the teams the campers were assigned to, and a giant space mural. A disco ball hanging from the ceiling cast eerie beams of light to complete the chapel set.

To further reinforce the theme, the camp menu was posted before each meal and listed common foods renamed with space terms, such as Fruitoid Plasma (jell–o) and Meteorites (rice krispie treats). The kids had no idea what was actually for dinner until they got there.

All the traditional locations were also assigned space names. For example, the dining hall was the “Refueling Station,” the chapel was the “Launch Pad,” the nurse’s station was “Sick Bay,” and the pool was the “Aquadeck.” In addition, all games and activities were given space–related names.

Here are some theme ideas to get you thinking about what you want to do with your camp this year.

Space theme	Zoo theme	Sports theme
Western theme	Underwater theme	50’s/60’s theme
Prehistoric/Dinosaur theme	Jungle theme	Archaeology theme
Superhero theme	Beach party theme	Crocodile hunter/Safari theme

What's In a Cabin Name?

You name it, and it has probably been used as a cabin name somewhere in a children's camp. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Here are some principles which can help you create your own cabin names.

1. Should the cabin names correlate with the theme? Many camp directors think so. The advantage is that the correlation gives the entire camp unity. If the names are drawn from biblical characters or events, the children will more likely be interested in learning about them. Other camp directors choose names because they are fun or intrinsically attractive to children. Your selection will depend upon what you are trying to accomplish with the cabin names.
2. Names are powerful. Children tend to live up to the names they are given. If you name a cabin 'Incredible Hulk' or 'She-Ra,' expect the campers to act out the roles of the characters after whom they have been named. That same principle applies for Bible characters.
3. Names must be personal. Select cabin names that the campers can identify with and make their own. Watch out for 'star' names that make every other cabin wish it was their cabin name. It is often wise to field test your names. Ask several children the age of your campers what cabin they think they would like to be in and then read the names. If everyone, or almost everyone, picks the same name, then you have potential for conflict.
4. Names should not be offensive. Children often have their own private language. It is intended to be something that adults cannot understand easily. Make sure the names you are choosing don't hold a different meaning for the children.

Here are some names camp directors have indicated they have used, or are planning to use:

Western theme: Bar-X, Eagles, Broken Arrow, Texans, Lazy-K, Circle-O, Double-R, Flying-W.
Baseball Theme: Reds, Cubs, Orioles, Tigers, Yankees, Dodgers, Cardinals, Astros.
--Bill Hanes

"Growing God's Way": Use names of plants, seeds, or flowers such as Daisies, Roses, Tulips, Petunias (for girls' camps).
--Debbie Brewer

Biblical Tribes: Davidites, Ruthites, Samuelites, etc.

Burger names: Whoppers, Big Macs, Bacon & Cheese, etc.

Indian Tribe: Shoshones, Crow, Blackfoot, Shawnee, Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux, Cheyenne.

For a copy of Growing God's Way - Camp Leader's Guide click here

For a copy of Growing God's Way - Student Guide click here