Camp INNcredible Highlights Spring Programs

As the weather warmed up here in the Washington, D.C. area, The Children’s Inn held its annual spring Camp INNcredible week, featuring a wide variety of themed events and activities for the families staying at The Inn to enjoy. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The Inn was able to hold safe and entertaining activities throughout the second week of April to get everyone excited for spring.

“The goal of Camp INNcredible is to provide families with programs that are different than our usual in-house programs,” Family Program Operations Manager Emily Johnson said. “They tend to be more in-depth, theme-based, and provide families more opportunities to go on trips or engage with people from outside The Inn.”

An example of the latter was Superhero Day, which kicked off Camp INNcredible with a series of superhero-themed stations set up on the playground. Families at The Inn had the opportunity to get a caricature drawn, play superhero games, and interact with the Mandalorian and Bo-Katan Kryze, characters from The Mandalorian who came to The Inn to pose for pictuers and interact with the families.

_{Superhero Day brought characters from The Mandalorian to The Inn}

Along with the volunteers who portrayed those two characters, several volunteers were on site to help set up and run the Camp programs. Johnson emphasized that volunteers for such events, including the summer Camp INNcredible week, are always welcome.

“We always have Camp Counselors who are typically high school or college kids and help us plan and implement the camp,” she said. “Since we offer more programs than usual, having volunteers for support is amazing.”

Events at The Inn during Camp week included an International Trivia Night and painting programs with board member Prachee Devadas and Dave Freeberg, a volunteer. The week also featured an off-site trip, a rarity during the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as staff members accompanied families to Great Falls on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The group explored the banks of the C&O Canal and walked to the scenic overlook of the falls. They also stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch.

_{The families enjoyed the views at Great Falls}

The spring camp week is the first of two Camp INNcredible sessions that The Inn will hold this year. Summer camp will take place in August, and promises to be even more engaging and interactive.

“Summer Camp INNcredible will be much more in-depth,” Johnson said. “It will be the entire month of August. Each week has its own theme, and each day is filled with activities related to that theme. Each week also has an off-campus trip that is related to the theme.”

In the meantime, Johnson and the programming team have a fun calendar of activities lined up between the spring and summer Camp weeks, including the launch of The Inn’s Walking Club and regular art classes. And they will continue putting together a robust calendar for August’s Camp INNcredibles with help from volunteers like you.

To learn more about how you could volunteer, please go here.