Activities | Aquatics | Lake

At Banner, every day is a whole new mix of games, swimming, sports, and the arts. We foster a non-competitive environment. The focus is on individual skills and individual achievement.

Small groups of campers, led by their counselors, get involved in challenges and activities designed to help them develop social skills, athletic ability and positive self-esteem.

Each activity area is outfitted with top-tier equipment, sized to fit varying age groups. In addition, counselors specially trained in dance, theatre, sports, and other skills work one-on-one with campers to help them develop their talents.

Even the playgrounds at Banner have been designed by child-development experts to promote new skills and nurture the imagination.

At the end of the day, campers go home feeling confident, capable, and excited to return. Many parents call the effect "transformative."

Specialty Areas...

All areas have specialty counselors who are trained to develop camper's skills. Banner makes a huge commitment to staffing each of our specialty areas to ensure safety and fun in each activity. Our overall staff ratio is 3 to 4 campers per staff member.


Sports

Archery Baseball and Softball
Basketball Cheerleading
Dune Buggies Floor Hockey
Football Ga Ga
Games Golf
Gymnastics High-Flying Trapeze
Martial Arts Pillo Polo
Pom Pon Rock Climbing Walls
Sand Soccer Sand Volleyball
Soccer Tennis
Whiffleball  

Water Fun


Aqua Climbing Wall Aqua Jump
Canoeing Diving
Fishing Kayaking
Lake Activities Paddle Boats
Pool Slides Row Boating
Swimming  

The Arts


Artists in Residence Arts & Crafts
Creative Movement Creative Play
Dancing Drama
Nature Singing
Imaginative Play Bannerville
Ship Playground Train Playground
Sandbox Storytelling
Swings  

Special Events...

To keep things exciting, every Friday is a special event with its own exciting theme.

From Wild West Day complete with costumes, pony rides and a petting zoo, to full-scale Olympic events, everyone gets involved and has a terrific time.

Plus, every Friday includes a delicious camp-wide cookout in our shady picnic grove.

Some of our special events are as follows:

Wild West Day Carnival
Balloon Lift-Off Picture Day
Banner Olympics Beach Day
Space Day  

Artists in Residence...

By bringing in special guests, artists, athletes and coaches, campers experience all the extras Banner has to offer. Participating with the various Artists in Residence provide campers with exposure to professional athletes, musicians, storytellers and more. Groups are scheduled to visit with world famous jugglers, hip hop dancers and local musicians.

Aquatics Programs


Swimming Every Day Lake Activities
Aqua Jump Paddle Boats
Aqua Climbing Wall Canoeing & Kayaking
Fishing Row Boating

Swimming

Of course, swimming is at the very center of a Banner summer.

That's why our four heated pools have been built to accommodate swimmers of every age and skill level.

Ranging in depths, and heated up to a comfortable ninety degrees, campers have pool time scheduled at least once every day -- and often twice a day when the weather heats up.

With no more than two or three campers per swim instructor, each child receives a great deal of one-on-one instruction and care.

Banner's swim program has campers successfully learning new swim skills based on the American Red Cross "Learn to Swim" program. Qualified counselors and swim staff teach small group instruction. By breaking each level into smaller sections, campers feel greater success at a faster pace. Campers move at their own rate and receive a Banner swim pin or patch upon completion of a level. Postcards mailed home inform parents of the progress in the pool. Way to go Minnow, Tadpole, Frog, Sunfish, Bass, Trout, Coho, Sting Ray, Great White and Orca!

Lake Program

At Goose Lake...the amazing Rave Aqua Climbing Wall and Slide, paddleboats and an awesome giant Launcher attached to the Aqua Tramp make for an exciting experience for campers to enjoy and participate in. Along with all the new additions, kayaks, canoes, swimming, boogie boards and the Aqua-Jump Water Trampoline make it an action packed adventure.

Campers catch plenty of bass, bluegill and sunfish. Junior groups visit the lake for an annual fishing adventure. Senior and Tween groups enjoy fishing, swimming and boating.




Goose Lake staffs over twelve qualified specialty counselors and certified lifeguards. Each staff member actively participates in the program. Their responsibilities include checking each life-preserver, assisting with the fishing poles, canoeing with campers, supervising the Aqua Climbing Wall and Aqua-Jump and making each camper"s experience fantastic, fun and safe!







Goal of the Week...

Campers learn valuable life-skills throughout the summer at Banner. The Goal of the Week program allows campers to feel successful and develop self-esteem. Respect, Teamwork, Friendship, Perseverance, Individuality, Self-Confidence, Responsibility and Gratitude are some of the summer"s Goals of the Week. Each morning at Bannerama, the goals are explained to the campers-what the specific goal means, how it looks in their camp group and qualities that show that specific attribute. Counselors reinforce the goals throughout the week and have a celebration ceremony. The program allows campers to grow and expand their learning.

Parent comments about the program are, "One night at dinner, she used the word 'perseverance', we couldn"t believe it. Our child understood the concept." Another parent wrote, "The program emphasizing 'being nice to each other' works so well." Goals of the Week are values campers use to develop life-long skills at home, school and camp.