Throughout the summer, Day Camp Sunshine hosts a number of special events designed to not only be fun and engaging, but to foster teamwork, enthusiasm and confidence in personal expression and trying new things.
Here at DCS, we make an intentional effort to hire staff from different countries around the world. On International Day, we celebrate our different cultures by introducing campers to customs, traditions, and cuisines from all across the planet.
During the days preceding, campers will be encouraged to go home and explore their own familial and ethnic backgrounds. On International Day itself, campers will “travel the world,” traveling to different cabin rooms—each dedicated to a staff-represented country.
We are open on the 4th of July and will have an all camp parade. It’s a HUGE bonding experience as we get into the spirit together with a great big celebration complete with costumes, food, festive theme games, and camper created “floats” to parade around camp. It’s the perfect day to make awesome camp memories!
On most Wednesdays we will have a dress up day that is associated with the week’s theme. Please see the calendar for specific themes and the dress up day that goes along with it.
Kangaroo Court is a Day Camp Sunshine tradition during which campers can bring their friends and counselors to justice for “crimes” committed during the summer. At the end of the day, we hold court and reach a verdict on each case, with such sentences as being doused with water, getting covered in mud, giving piggyback rides, and doing whatever other wacky task is deemed appropriate after each case is heard.
Kangaroo Court is intended to be a fun event, where the “crimes” aren’t really crimes. Any serious issues with other campers and staff members should be addressed, as always, by talking to a counselor or manager.
Color War debuted at DCS in 2013 and it’s getting bigger and better every year! Campers are divided into one of four color teams: Blue, Red, Green or Yellow. This multi-day event features games, challenges and obstacles of all kinds as the teams compete for points to be crowned the ultimate DCS Color Wars Champion!
Throughout the summer, we will gather together with our camp families for a cookout. Parents that would like to attend can simply sign their child out at the pick up line, park, then come on over to the Lunch shed for dinner and fun! Parents who would not like to attend should pick their campers up at the normal pick up time. Please see the calendar for our Parent Picnic dates!
For one day during the summer, campers get to experience what it’s like to have different counselors, and counselors get to experience working with other campers. On counselor switch day, we mix up the staff roster completely: Summit counselors move to Base groups, managers become counselors, and so on.
All staff members are briefed by your camper’s regular counselor over the preceding days to ensure a smooth transition and age-appropriate lessons. Bonds forged during Counselor Switch Day tend to last long after counselors have switched back. Campers and staff alike love the opportunity to form new, positive relationships!
Camper Appreciation Day (or “Camper Request Day”) is an event campers eagerly await all summer. At Day Camp Sunshine, we show our campers special appreciation by allotting each of them one request from any counselor for one day only. As long as the request is reasonable and within the realm of possibility, counselors are willing to do whatever is asked of them, even if it means ending up muddy and gross!
Past requests have included jumping into the pool fully dressed, getting hit in the face with a ketchup and mustard pie, shaving heads, piggyback rides, singing songs, and serving campers meals. Your camper’s creativity (within reason, of course!) is the limit.
Our Location : 3575 Valley
Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Mailing Address : P.O. Box 204
Liberty Corner, NJ 07938
Mail us :
camp@deaconry.org
Call us :
908-991-3215
