Camp Timbers @ Home

Introducing Camp Timbers @ Home

At YMCA Camp Timbers, we strive to provide remarkable experiences, meaningful connections, and personal growth to our campers. For many of us, camp is a place that helps us find happiness, hope, and the best versions of ourselves. With the uncertainty and stress our community is facing we thought we could all benefit from adding more camp magic at home.

I hope you’ll find the following challenges, contests, activities, and resources to be useful for your family. Our staff team will continue to update this information in upcoming weeks. If you have any suggestions for ways we can be helpful or resources you’d like to see, please feel free to contact me at BAMiller@SaginawYMCA.org or 989-345-2630.

With encouragement from camp,

Brian Miller, Camp Director

Essay Contest

We hope that every camper leaves camp with an amazing new memory, friend, and/or skill. We always love hearing the impact camp has on campers, which is why we’ve created our essay competition. We invite past campers to share some of their camp experiences by writing a brief essay using one of following prompts:

What is the most impactful experience you’ve had at camp?
What is your favorite memory of being at camp?
Where is your favorite place at camp and why?
I love Camp Timbers because…
How has Camp Timbers helped you become the person you are today?

Participating in the essay contest will give you a chance to be featured in an upcoming YMCA Camp Timbers’ newsletter and an entry into a raffle for a $100 gift card to camp. Write a response in 1,000 words or less and email it to Timbers@SaginawYMCA.org by May 31st.

Art Contest

We love to embrace everyone’s talents, passions, and hobbies. That’s why we’re inviting everyone to participate in a camp-themed art contest.

Paint, draw, sketch or use any other art-related method you wish to showcase any of the following:

Your favorite place at camp
Your favorite memory of camp
Your most-impactful moment at camp

Submit your completed artwork by e-mail or mail by May 31st to be entered in a raffle for a $100 gift card to camp. Send a photo of your artwork to Timbers@SaginawYMCA.org and it will be featured in an upcoming YMCA Camp Timbers’ newsletter. Mail your artwork to YMCA of Saginaw, ATTN; Camp Timbers, 1915 Fordney Street, Saginaw, MI, 48601 and it will be showcased in our camp lodge for the 2020 season.

What's Camp Doing?

At this time, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Summer 2020 camps and programs. Additional details regarding this cancellation are available at our Summer 2020 Cancellation FAQ.

We are in regular communication with other camp leaders and health care professionals to monitor the situation. We’re also closely monitoring recommendations of the CDC, American Camp Association, Y-USA, and local health department. As it is safe and responsible to do so, we hope to create new opportunities later this summer for families to enjoy time at camp.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the implications for camp in more detail, please contact our camp director, Brian, at BAMiller@SaginawYMCA.org.

Resources for Parents

The following list includes resources that may be helpful for parents – either for talking with your kids about what’s happening or taking care of yourself:

Even More Ideas for Experiences, Connections, and Growth at Home!

Links and Apps

Family Conversation Starters – Spark the conversation at a family meal using these conversation starters borrowed from our camp dining hall.

100 Activities To Do At Home During School Closures – An extensive list of fun, creative ideas to entertain the time at home

60 of the Best Learning Games for Kids (Sorted by Age) – Family games nights are a great way to connect and create memories and laughs together. This list includes some ideas that also relate to learning.

Daily Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems – A daily session with a famous artist, likely to inspire your own artist at home.

Find a Hike with AllTrails – Our camp director loves finding new hikes using the AllTrails app, find a hike near you for fresh air and adventure

Discover Nature with Seek by iNaturalist – An app to learn about the nature all around you and identify what you find

Quick Suggestions

Make a batch of slime
Create a city out of Legos
Build towers out of uncooked spaghetti noodles and marshmallows
Create an indoor scavenger hunt for your family
Play a board game with your family
Write letters to family out of town
Make craft projects out of pine cones, leaves, or other nature-based materials
Read a new book together
Write a short story together
Complete a challenging puzzle
Learn a new card game
Create an indoor maze out of tape on the floor

For Youth Development

For Healthy Living

For Social Responsibility