MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- Summer is in full swing for children enrolled in Summer Camp through School Age Care aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif. as they enjoy splashing down at the Oasis Pool and Water Park on base as well as a series of classes and events through the Boys and Girls Club.
The camp allows children to engage in myriad activities such as crafts, music, pool time and even building special solar ovens in which to bake S’mores.
“We’ve just become part of the Boys and Girls Club under Camp Pendleton again,” said Rebecca Lessard, children and youth program leader for SAC. “We’ll be using their curriculum which includes cooking, gardening, sports and art.”
The children demonstrated one of their recent crafts, the “solar oven” which they excitedly took turns using to bake s’mores via solar radiation. The ovens were cake boxes donated to the program, which the children then covered with aluminum foil and construction paper so that they could direct the sun’s heat into the box, melting the chocolate and marshmallows onto graham crackers.
Tuesdays and Thursdays the children and staff spend the day at the James L. Day Conference Center engaging in activities such as crafts, puppet shows, yoga and music before enjoying an afternoon of swimming and pool related activities.
The children have to pass certain criteria to determine whether they are allowed to swim in the deeper water and jump off the diving board, or instead swim in the shallow end and enjoy the frog slide, explained Ms. Genesis Delgado, child and youth provider for SAC.
“There will also be a dance, on July 26th as part of Disney week,” Lessard said. “Then, in August, we’ll have an art show too where we may be able to auction off some of the art, with proceeds going back into the program.”
“It’s fun,” said Safari Harris, one of the children enrolled in the camp.
When asked what they like best, most of the children agreed that swimming at the pool was their favorite part of camp.
“I like knowing that my daughter Chloe is going to be doing lots of fun stuff and staying active,” said Michelle Bledsoe, fire inspector for Fire and Emergency Services on base.
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