Evening Programs

Swing your partner round and round! Your school can enjoy the excitement of a traditional square dance led by a professional caller. We provide the dance hall, you provide the enthusiasm! (We can suggest a caller but ask you to set up the caller arrangements. Schedule them early!)

An active choice for an evening program, New Games are designed to promote 100% participation in which the educational focus is on the value of play rather than competition. Students enjoy the opportunity to “play hard, play fair, and nobody gets hurt!” A fun evening for all!

Get ready to brave the darkness. JOY staff takes participants on a nocturnal experience! Explore the world of creatures such as bats, owls, raccoons, and other creatures of the night! During this activity students use their senses to explore the natural world around them. They will learn to appreciate rather than fear the night! This program can be done even if it is not dark.

This group challenge involves a great deal of cooperation, planning and team effort. Small groups are presented with a goal, guidelines, and materials to build a heavy object mover. Each team must build, advertise and demonstrate their heavy object mover. The discussion that follows enables students to share creativity, identify leaders, and analyze the decision-making and planning processes.

Less than 50 students is ideal, maximum of 60.) In this exciting, structured experience, the participants live and cope in a “foreign” culture and then discuss and analyze the experience. There are two cultures in the simulation, the Alpha’s and the Beta’s. Once the participants learn the rules, customs, and values of “their” culture they visit the other culture. The post-simulation discussion focuses on the reasons behind the behavior they observed and generally aids in understanding differences among people. This discussion is generalized to attitudes towards other groups in the real world.

Campfire is a time for sharing songs, skits, and stories. Together teachers and students can come prepared with a presentation, or they can spontaneously create a skit to be performed at the campfire. If you need a little help getting into the spirit, the JOY staff will show you how it is done! We dare you to try and keep up! Campfires are a rewarding experience and can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors.

Bring the Pioneer Days to life by visiting Joy’s 1804 log cabin. Learn about the lifestyle and culture of the pioneer people through hands-on activities such as chores, crafts, games and stories.

Each student brings to the auction 3 personal items, an imagination, and their repertoire of jokes and trivia. The JOY staff challenge student teams with a variety of zany improvisational activities. You never know what will happen next! High-energy fun and EVERYONE WINS!!!!

This program is similar to Endeavors in that the students are in small groups and they are trying to build an object. The problem is that they may not have all the tools and materials to reach their goal. The program and discussion afterwards targets overcoming competition to reach cooperation, leadership skills, and solve problems as a group.

Learn about constellations, planets, the moon, and the mythology related to those far off glimmers of light that have mystified people for generations. This program requires a clear night. An alternative program would be provided in the event that weather doesn’t cooperate).

“The Beast!” is a group cooperation and communication activity which requires participants to be able to communicate effectively and work together as a team to accomplish a goal. The processing session after the activity emphasizes the various components of communication, roles within a team, and makes applications to daily life.

Students take on the role of an animal in the game of life. Participant will scavenge the playing area avoiding predators, looking for food, and other basic needs for survival. Adults, we will need your help to take on the roles of resources necessary for the student’s survival. Participants will gain a true appreciation for nature’s inter-relationships and human impact.

The excitement of learning and growing at Camp Joy all begins with our first connection with you.

We are excited to get the opportunity to meet you and show you camp! If it is easier, just give Tia a call at 513-478-9282.