A Modest Princess

Each year, Princess camp gets better… and bigger! The 5th year was by far the largest group we had which came with a new set of challenges so I was very grateful for all the previous experiences and for the awesome Young Women and Adults who helped make it possible! We’ve kept a similar schedule each year now, modifying the crafts and the specific activities are different each year as there are different women leading them.

Pre-camp organization involves a LOT of emails, both to parents and to anyone helping. First we gather ideas for the crafts and activities then from those we generate a list of supplies which gets sent to all those attending and they are asked to donate supplies. The hope is that many of the things people already have and they don’t have to go and buy them. I do not keep track of who is donating what, it always seems to work out and if we end up missing or being short of something we just adapt – there’s the first great leadership lesson for the Young Women. The learning opportunities for the Young Women continues to be my favorite part of Princess Camp, they are truly given the responsibility and ownership of the activities they are in charge of.

Day 1: Fun Day

Pre Photos: When each girl arrived, her photograph was taken – these will be used in the final slideshow.

Compliment Posters: As each girl arrives they are given a piece of card stock on which they write their name. These are then placed on the wall for all to write compliments to each other throughout camp.  Decorating the posters with stamps and/or stickers is also encouraged.

Devotional & Song Practice:  After an opening prayer a Young Women leads a less than 5 minute devotional on any topic of her choice, speaking about how we are all daughters of God and thus Princesses is encouraged. The Young Women then lead the girls in song practice for our final show.

Ice Breakers:  Not everyone at camp knows each other, another one of my favorite aspects – everyone gets to make new friends and we start this off by playing a variety of get-to-know you games.

In the afternoon, the girls were divided into four groups corresponding to their assignment for the play. Thus they rotated through the following activities:

 

1. Crochet Baby Hats: This was our service project, we used knitting looms to make baby hats to donate to hospitals. Each girl did not make her own hat, rather they all worked together to complete them. 
2. Quote Plaques: We painted blocks of wood which we later on applied a vinyl quote to “You are Princesses destined to become queens. Your once upon a time is now. Dieter F Uchdorf” with a princess, a tiara and a temple. 
3. Slime: As this is a super popular activity we had to include it at camp, the girls each took a piece of slime home in an easter egg.
4. Play Practice/ Set Design: A previous Princess Camp Young Women Helper, who has since served a mission and is now attending BYU turned a princess theme story about families into a play for us.

Water Games: What’s more fun than water games in the hot summer! Actually as we are in Houston, Texas – this is the only activity we did outdoors. We did water balloon toss, and other games with sponges and buckets.

 

Day 2: Spa Day

Devotional & Song Practice: see day 1.

The Spa is done in groups who rotate through the following activities:

1. Facial: This year we opted for a face mask, which was donated and the girls lay on their towels with the mask on and cucumbers over their eyes.
2. Manicures: The Young Women painted the younger girls nails, one person brought a nail dryer – it was genius, we could have used a few more of those!
3. Hairstyles: The Young Women do fancy hairstyles on the little girls with help from Adults who are hair stylists.
4. Pedicure: The girls soak their feet in their buckets with water and Epsom salts.

We also had beading which was mostly done by the girls after they’d had their hair done. We just had a table full of beads and string and they could make whatever they wanted.

 

Because we needed the different groups to practice for the play, the afternoon they rotated through the following activities:

1. Crochet Baby Hats: cont. from Day 1 
2. Flower Crowns: Each year we make a crown or tiara to be presented to the girls at their graduation, this year we made flower crowns. The girls designed their crown then the older girls hot glued the flowers to floral wire and attached curling ribbon. 
3. Fairy Jars: The girls each brought a jar which they covered in tissue paper & glliter then on the inside they put a silhouette of a fairy and finally a battery tea light turns it into a lantern. 
4. Play Practice/ Set Design: cont. from Day 1 They made stain glass windows using contact paper and tissue paper – lots of fun tearing all the pieces and they looked great!

Day 3: Princess Day

On the 3rd Day, instead of everyone bring their own lunch we have a fancy lunch, including set-up, decorating, enjoying it and then doing all the clean-up. Each girl is assigned ingredients based on the menu prepared by the Young Women, the food is then prepared by the girls at camp. There is LOTS to do, the younger girls rotate through all the areas so they get a chance to help with everything.

1. Decorating: We have some supplies left from previous years, people lend us white Christmas lights which we hung all around and the girls got very creative using all the decorating supplies available. They also created place name cards for each person eating lunch.
2. Table & Fancy Food set-up: This group set up the tables and chairs, then covered them with table clothes and set the table with real dishes, silverware and glasses. They also set up the food table.
3. Fancy Food Preparation: Using all the ingredients brought, the girls make all the food. This year they made pizza from scratch, fairy fizz punch, ariel clam cookies, fruit kabob wands, Cinderella’s pumpkins (oranges and celery) as well as veggie trays and apples with dip.
4. Quote Plaques: The girls finished their quote plaques from Day 1, adding the vinyl lettering.

Etiquette: Prior to eating lunch the girls had a little etiquette lesson, complete with practicing walking with books on their head as well as reminders on how to eat and be polite during a meal.

Cinderella Cleaning: We turn cleaning-up into a game as we do all the dishes, take down all the tables and chairs and try to vacuum the glitter that by now is everywhere…

Dress Rehearsal for Show: For the first time, all the parts of the play are put together and we practice for the final show.

We then have a couple of hours to go home, and then to all be back again for the final performance! After the performance of the play the girls are awarded certificates for completing Princess Day Camp, the Young Women helpers are given small thank-you gifts and we enjoy a slideshow full of pictures taken by Young Women photographers throughout camp.

We can’t wait to do it all over again next year!

 

Photo Credit: Young Women Photographers