Activities
“The activities at camp make it so fun to come back every year. I could spend hours doing everything at the ropes course and never get bored. On the athletic field, I could play baseball, kickball, soccer, football, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee.”
Shwayder offers a variety of activities from sports to arts, to exploring Judaism and the great outdoors. Campers spend time with their cabinmates and also get to choose from their favorite activities. In addition, team building, leadership, and camp-wide programming is integrated into every day.
Wilderness
We take full advantage of our beautiful mountains. Every unit goes out on a one-night campout. We carry all of our supplies in backpacks, spend the night in tents, cook our food over the campfire, tell stories and experience the thrill and beauty of the outdoors.
Horseback Riding
We have a stable of 20 horses for the summer and every camper has opportunities to ride. Our program offers both arena lessons and trail rides so that campers of all riding levels can gain knowledge and experience.
All of our rides are Western-style trail rides. We offer basic instruction to new riders on mounting, dismounting, and controlling their horse. Our wranglers will make sure every camper has safe, fun rides!
Creative Expression
Campers can explore their creativity through music, dancing, and arts and crafts.
Athletics
At Shwayder Camp, sports play a vital part in our communal activities. These include, but are not limited to: gaga, kickball, football, basketball, archery, volleyball, frisbee, bubble soccer, yoga, and hiking.
Ropes Course and Rock Climbing Wall
Nestled in between the trees on the side of Mt. Blue Sky, is a 40-foot tall High Ropes Challenge Course.
Cabins come to the course together to learn skills in the areas of teamwork, communication, and trust. Our course is led by a certified specialist. Our indoor climbing wall offers bouldering and climbing on autobelays.
The basic principle is “Challenge by Choice” – everyone is urged to take part, but nobody is pushed to climb higher than they feel comfortable.
Embassy Day
Embassy Day is a Shwayder tradition that every camper looks forward to. Similar to color wars, campers are divided into two different color teams.
The object of the game is to follow clues in order to put a puzzle together and find the team flag. Often it comes down to the wire and the first team to raise their flag up on our flagpole is the winner. Blue or Green – who will declare victory this year?
Shabbat
Shabbat is special at Shwayder, full of rich and important traditions. On Friday evenings, we begin with a service led by our campers in our outdoor Beit T'Fillah overlooking the majestic forests and creeks adjacent to Camp. It’s a chance for all of us to embrace the beauty and spirit of Judaism, build community, and reflect on and celebrate our time together. This is many campers’ favorite part of the week. After a special dinner, we sing and dance together, marking this special time in the week with joy!
Saturdays are very laid-back and give campers the opportunity to choose the activities they want to participate in. Our camp-wide Havdallah service concludes the week in a beautiful, communal manner.
