Nearing the wood-shop, the sound of saws cutting through wood can be heard. Inside, campers are making wooden works-of-art. This year, the projects are doll-houses, kitchen decorations, and ring-holders, all created from wood! They nail the wooden pieces together and then stain, paint, and shine them. Campers wear special eye-gear and hand-gear to protect themselves from dust as they cut and sand the wood. Wood-working is hard work, but it’s rewarding and our campers are strong!

An ice cream truck just showed up to Camp Simcha! Wait on line to get your choice of an ice cream cone, soft ice cream, or slush. These sweet refreshing treats are a perfect way to celebrate Candyland Day. Just the way summer should be.

Our Simcha actresses have been practicing for last night’s Broadway event since the beginning of the summer. The actresses got their costumes on and their makeup done. After dinner, the seats in the Simcha Theatre begin to fill up. The lights slowly dimmed and the curtains parted. All it took was a sprinkle of pixie dust and before we knew it we are off to Simcha Land with Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Wendy, Michael, and John. Congratulations to the entire Peter Pan cast on a brilliant performance! After the play, Peter Pan (aka Shirah) noted that playing Peter Pan “was amazing—the practicing, the singing, fighting captain Hook, and I actually got to fly!”

Meet Peri, one of our Camp Simcha Special campers.

Don’t break the ice! It’s a winter wonderland here in Camp Simcha. Snow flurry machines are shooting (soapy) snow everywhere! The dining room has become a skating rink, and the windows are frosty from the snow. Everyone is bundled up in sweatshirts, hats, scarves, and gloves, and there are even some penguin visitors walking around camp!

The Simcha Spot hut makes the perfect atmosphere for candle-making. The tables and chairs drip with warm colorful wax. Chunks of wax sit in a container, and campers can form them into any shape, like a flower, butterfly, heart, or duck. They can add any scent and color and put a wick in the middle and they have their candle. Some campers choose to put the small candles on a string and wear it as a necklace. For campers who want bigger candles, they can take a mold in a variety of shapes, like cylinders, stars, and rectangles. They dip the mold into any color wax they like, and even a few colors to create a multi-layered look. As an extra design, they can use the carving tool to carve out a strip of the wax while its still warm. They twist the piece and then push it back onto the candle. They can also make other decorations on the mold. The candle is then glazed to make it smooth and shiny, and then it dries. The candles are remarkable, creative, and beautiful. Some campers who just want to have fun are sticking their hands into the molten wax and making wax molds of their fists!

Meet Ahavah, one of our Camp Simcha Special campers.

Beyond the fields and the courts of Camp Simcha, a huge bonfire is smoking, and the sound of camp songs echoes in the air. The fire warms us from the cool breeze. Anyone who is up for a second dinner can have hot dogs and corn-on-the-cob. For those who just want a mid-night snack, there are the snacks like popcorn and potato chips. Of course, like at any great bonfire, we are roasting smores and marshmallows. Everything – hot dogs, corn, smores, marshmallows – is stuck on long wooden sticks put into the fire, or is wrapped in silver foil thrown into the fire. Thanks to Mindy, Rivka, and Mickey for making sure everything goes smoothly with the cooking and the fire. Around the campfire sit dozens of campers and staff members, eating, singing songs and enjoying the atmosphere!

Another great concert at CSS! Camp Simcha roared with excitement as soon as the curtains opened, revealing Lipa Shmeltzer and his band. Lipa sang all our favorite songs and we joined along. The room vibrated with song and dance and the lights flashed different colors. Lipa taught us some new songs and dances, too. He also sang slow songs, which we waved our arms to, sitting on the floor altogether. Everyone really enjoyed!

Card day at Camp Simcha featured a casino-turned dining room. Medical staff members became our dealers, and watch out, there’s some serious gambling going on in the Simcha Casino. At one table campers are playing Black Jack; at others, Poker, Roulette, Perpetual Commotion, and other card games. Slap machines give an added twist to the entertainment. Who needs Vegas?! Plus, pick your choice of Strawberry Daiquiris, Cosmos, Pina Coladas, and Margaritas, all freshly made at the bar. Note: please do not drink and drive.