Star Guard Academy: Digital LARP camp for kids starts August 17!

 A friend of mine sent this over, and it looks awesome!  

It's a LARP Camp that is played online (digitally) and has counselors acting as NPC's and moderators.

In case you don't know what a larp is, 
it stands for live action role-playing game.  The players (or campers!) physically portray their characters and pursue goals within a fictional setting represented while interacting with each other in character. It's kind of like a moderated form of make-believe with rules, or Dungeons and Dragons without rolling dice. 
​
The Players unlock plot, interact with camp counselors who act as different characters in the narrative, and work together to defend the galaxy.

We just enrolled my son in this camp.  Tickets are on sale through tomorrow if you are interested in enrolling your child.

Along the way I found out about the Other Worlds Theatre company, and I have to say, I have no idea why I didn't know about them before.  They seem 100% up my alley, and fairly close to my house.  

Otherworld Theatre Company was founded in June 2012 with the mission to bring a theatrical experience to the science fiction and fantasy genre. Their work celebrates the depth of human imagination by engaging our spectators with high quality storytelling. 

They have a number of shows and events that seem fantastic, in addition to the summer camp.  They have LARPs for adults (which are usually played in person, and with COVID, it's possible that those will be played online as well)- as well as (during non-COVID times) plays, events, colloquys, and all other sorts of mashups of theatre and science fiction.  It sounds like great fun, and I definitely want to keep these guys on my radar!

Their first full length production (which is available on Youtube for free until August 14) is a show called Of Dice and Men.  It's a play about gamers and Dungeons and Dragons, and during the show the game comes to life.  

Here's the synopsis (please note that it is suggested 14+ because of strong language throughout. Viewer discretion is advised.)

SYNOPSIS:
Few dungeon masters can make the game come to life better than John Francis. Dwarves, Mages and Barbarians jump right off of their character sheets whenever he sits down at the gaming table of frisky suburbanite parents, Linda and Brandon. John Francis’ best friends, sailor-mouthed John Alex and thoughtful jock Jason, bring roguish swagger and knightly nobility to the game. And the object of John Francis’ affection, the feisty Tara, provides all the Half Elven Double Princess backstory they could ever need. 

But when Jason enlists to go to Iraq and with the relationship with Tara going nowhere, it may be time for John Francis to hang up his twenty sided dice and take a job on the other side of the country. However, John Francis is about to discover that leaving will prove tougher than the Tomb of Horrors. A blisteringly funny and heartwarming comedy about gamers, for a general theatre audience.

Here's the video (which may or may not disappear after August 14)

You can find out more about Other World Theatre Company on their website https://www.otherworldtheatre.org/ and on their Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmsppAgXfNCZm8ZjRaz0uQ

MILESTONE: The Boy Goes To Sleepaway camp

Well, he's off for 14 days of non-stop adventure at Jewish sleepaway camp.  He's going to Camp Ramah in upstate Wisconsin, about 6 and a half hours north of here. We just dropped him off at the bus in Skokie, and the adventure has begun (for all of us!)

When I was a kid I went to a Jewish sleepaway camp as well, Camp Avoda, and had a great time.  I think I went right around his age-- and the first time my brother and I went for a month, and then after that I went for 2 months for a couple of more years before I wanted to go to basketball camp with my friends, and so didn't go to the Jewish camp anymore.  (Wow, just looked at the prices for Camp Avoda, and they are about1.3 times what we are paying for Ramah.  And I blanched when I saw OUR prices.  Don't let anyone fool you--Camp is expensive!)

Avoda is an all boys camp, and Ramah is mixed gender camp.  Wonder if that plays into the pricing?  Or just midwest vs. east coast kind of thing?


Here's the promo for Camp Ramah.

At Camp Avoda, kids pray in an outdoor chapel.  

This camp is far more religious than we are, and I think praying before and after every meal, eating kosher, discussing holiness, celebrating Shabbat, and learning about Judaism will be good for him.  I know it was for me.  It's where I learned a lot of the Jewish prayers (you sing them before and after every meal) and also got a sense of Jewish identity.  And really, it's where I started grappling with some philosophical issues as well about meaning and purpose.  And it was the first time I had hung out with a bunch of kids just like me.

While I am all about diversity and knowing about other cultures and ideas, I also think that knowing who you are and where you come from are important.  And bonding with kids just like you (especially when you are in a decided minority in your school) is also important.  When I grew up, I think I was one of only a handful of Jewish kids in my school- and even in high school- out of a class of 500, I doubt more than 10 of us were Jewish.  My son's elementary school has numbers that might be a little higher, but not much.

As I recall, I learned a lot more than just the prayers in sleepaway camp, including the joys of volleyball (newcome, the first year, where you got to catch the ball instead of hit it); tetherball, tennis, and what leeches were (we were on a freshwater lake in MA, and if you went swimming too far, you'd end up covered in leeches!)  And gimp bracelets, color war, and handmade wallets, and bug juice, and the joy of catching a frog for the first time (I was a sheltered city kid!) I also went to one of my first plays on a field trip there, and I think I acted in a play as well.  It's a time for growing up - a "Growth experience"  and I am so looking forward to finding out how it went for him!

My son (2nd from left) and his two friends and the bus director.
Getting ready to go on a giant camp adventure!

We packed and packed and packed and labeled every piece of clothing he owns (and several that he doesn't) and bought batteries for the flashlight and batteries for the other thing and batteries for the batteries.  His stuff fit into two large duffel bags. I also packed an old ipod (music players are allowed, but not ones with screens or connectivity) and some audio books and some regular books.  He will not be hurting for things to do this summer!

The bigger question is:  what are my wife and I going to do with our free time?  (Other than fret about the boy?) This is sort of an empty nest preview, and I'm not sure what we are going to do.  Go on dates?  Sleep in?  Have sex all day?  (Let's not go crazy!)

My guess is not much will change, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or just sad.

 It's a little concerning-- I no longer have a ready-made excuse about why I was less than productive today!

What about you?  What happened when your kids went to camp?  Funny war stories encouraged in the comments below.

Spring Break Camps Chicago

This post is modified from a post I wrote for our school blog. (Yes, I write blogs for other people and occasionally repurpose them!)

Chicago's Spring Break starts tonight!

Well, officially it starts on Monday, but this weekend is all part of it too!

The break goes for one week.  March 26-30 and school will resume on Monday April 2.  (And the day before is Easter, and the days before that it's Passover.  Everything is coming together beautifully.  (And of course, if you live somewhere else, your break might be different, like next week for the Easter Holiday.  Don't worry, we've got you covered!

We are traveling for part of spring break (seeing family!), and then coming home to be with family for Passover.  #familyfamilyfamily  What plans do you have for your spring break?

If you are not going away, you might try one of these spring break camps that are offered by local arts and science organizations.  I’ve selected a few below, but there’s a whole list available below.  Some of these require preregistration, and some are for the whole week, but many will go day at a time, and many of them still have capacity.  Also, because some of Chicagoland has break April 2-6, most of these organizations have Spring Break camp for two weeks.  Check in with them before signing up!

Chicago Botanic Garden 
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe
Camp for grades K-5 run March 26-30. 9:30am – 3pm. Children will engage in exciting indoor and outdoor activities while exploring the Garden, with experienced teachers who use inquiry-based, hands-on activities. Camp is 63.00 Member | $79.00 Non Member per day. (847) 835-8361. Learn more…

Chicago KICS United FC
Chicago Indoor Sports, 3900 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago$175.00 before March 26, $195.00 after. Camp is held outdoors at the Dunbar Park Sports Park Complex (if good weather), or indoors (if bad weather). Players enjoy the sport of soccer and learn individual techniques, skill and tactics through creative and motivating activities that will increase a player’s passion for the game. Camp is held March 26-30 and April 2-6 from 9am – 12pm. For ages 5-14 years.
Learn more…

Inside Out Art Studio
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., ChicagoSpring Break Art Camp for ages 5 and up runs March 26 – 30 from 9 AM to 2:00 PM. $45/day; 3 days $120; $35/ day for 4 or more. Imagine making fun art all day. Never more than 12 students per teacher means individual attention from professional teaching/artists. Learn Art history and terminology while practicing important skills. $40/day ~ 3 days $110 ~ $35/ day for 4 or more (773) 697-5012. Learn more..

The Kids’ Table: Build It, Eat It, Love It 
2337 W. North Ave., Chicago
2864 N. Lincoln Ave, ChicagoKids can tap into their inner chef this spring break. In this special “build-your-own” week, kids get to make their own signature creations from our base recipe. We’ve got big plans outside the kitchen too, including field day games in the park (weather permitting), kitchen science experiments, building projects, crafty creations and dance parties. March 26-30 & April 2-6. 9am-3pm $90/day. Lakeview locations for ages 4-10 and Wicker Park location for ages 5-11. (773) 235-COOK (2665). Learn more… Learn more…

Lookingglass Theatre – Spring Break Camp: Treasure Island
821 N Michigan Ave, Chicago
Lookingglass brings the fun of Summergglass Camp to a week-long Spring Break Camp! Mornings are spent learning physical theatre skills, which may include juggling, tumbling, and stage combat. During the afternoons, campers adapt their own versions of past Lookingglass production, Treasure Island. For grades K-4. March 26-30. $325. (773) 477-9257. Learn more…

This is just a selection, check out many more possible camps below:

http://www.chicagokids.com/Blog/Detail/90/2018-chicago-area-spring-break-camps

HamCamp!

Any reader of this blog knows that my family and I are huge fans of Hamilton.  We've each seen it twice (although not all together)  And I've been saying since it started that I couldn't wait for the high school version of this to come out, because to me it seems like a perfect musical for kids to perform in.

 Last week, we got to test the theory when my son attended Hamilton Camp as part of the Dream Big Performing Arts Camps in our Edgewater/Andersonville neighborhood.

As you can imagine, it was an immensely popular camp (we got in off of the wait list)  The class had two sections-- one for kids 6-8 and one for kids 8-12.  I lobbied to get him the older camp, and it was fine.  He was probably the youngest performer there.   There were about 15 kids in the camp, about 75% girls, and most were 11 or 12.

He had a great time at the camp, although each day he came home very very tired, and occasionally very cranky. He got to play Lafayette/ Jefferson, as well as playing in the ensemble.  (Well, he shared the roles/lyrics of Lafayette and Jefferson with other kids) They also did a lot of outdoor playing at the local playground, ate lunch, and drew Hamilton posters.

At the end of the week there was a 25 minute performance of what they'd done during the week.  The program was pretty ambitious-- they did 9 songs, covering most of the action of the show, with judicious cuts and some bowdlerized lyrics.

Three kids played King George

I've taught at multiple camps like this. The challenging part for a teacher/performer is that there is NEVER enough time to put everything together, and there are so many kids at so many different levels, and you've promised a show at the end, and you have to deliver.  The good part is that the parents are for the most part really forgiving (as they should be)  And that the kids mostly come through.

"Virginia my home sweet home let me give you a kiss."

I enjoyed watching him in the performance, although he seemed super nervous the night before and just before the show.  The performances of the kids were mostly varied.  They all had a great time, even when they forgot their lines, messed up their lines, rushed their lines, mumbled their lines,  missed their choreography, the music didn't start on time, or they were off key.  It did remind me that what seems so effortless from Broadway actors (singing and rapping) is in fact very difficult.  And that even when you are rapping, it's important to be on key!

It also reminded me of the BRILLIANCE of Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose words shine even when performed inexpertly.  And the absolute brilliance of a kid when he or she gets something right for even a few seconds, and the performance transcends itself.  That happened 3 or 4 times during this performance and it was wonderful!

Here's a sample of some of the show:  

If you are interested, they are having other camps this summer Aug 14-18, as well as a Wicked camp, a Lion King camp, and a Wizard of Oz camp, not to mention a bunch of other camps that are not musical-based.

Find out more

DATE NIGHT IDEA: Xanadu at the American Theater Company

American Theater Company's production of "Xanadu."
Image by Michael Brosilow. 

Now through July 17, the American Theater Company will be presenting the classic camp musical Xanadu. 

 It's the first production of its Legacy season, presented as a tribute to ATC's late Artistic Director PJ Paparelli, who was a huge fan of this camp classic, which is based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film, also called Xanadu. 

The production has music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne (of E.L.O.) and John Farrar (of British group The Shadows, and producer of Olivia Newton-John's work) and the book is by playwright Douglas Carter Beane.

Xanadu takes place in Venice, California in 1980. Struggling artist Sonny Malone seeks to create his own version of the American dream by renovating an abandoned warehouse into a venue for world-class entertainment – a roller disco!  He manages to succeed with the help (and hindrance) of some Greek deities. A hilarious and modern update of the 1980’s camp classic, Xanadu celebrates the artist’s muse, even when it comes from the most unlikely of places.

We saw this when it was on Broadway and it was a very fun (and funny) musical.  If you are a fan of the 1980's, of camp, and of roller-skating, then this will be a sure fire winner for you.

Here's the promo video for your perusing pleasure:

The Sirens in American Theater Company's production of "Xanadu."
Image by Michael Brosilow.

Single tickets for Xanadu range from $48-$58. Student tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID in-person at the Box Office. More information and tickets are available by visiting the ATC Box Office at 1909 W. Byron Street, by calling 773-409-4125 or visiting www.atcweb.org. 

Xanadu Performance Schedule

Regular Run: June 7–July 17: Tuesday–Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

GreenApple Campus Camp-- Cool Contraptions

I thought we were all set for camp this summer, but then I heard from a friend of ours about a camp (GreenApple® Campus) that seemed too good to not try. When I read the descriptions of the classes to my son, he just about cried with joy.

As devoted readers will remember, my son is very excited by the Maker Movement.  We've been to a number of Maker Faires, and a couple of years ago, he was all about building mousetraps and Rube Goldberg machines after we saw the Life Sized Mousetrap  at Maker Faire NY.

VIDEO OF THE LIFESIZE MOUSETRAP:

THE FIRST INTERATION OF AA'S MEDIUM SIZED MOUSETRAP.

These machines continue to fascinate.  So it's no surprise that my  son will be attending the GreenApple® Campus class COOL CONTRAPTIONS.  This invention based program is all about building contraptions, vehicles and machines that move. Gears, beams, pulleys, wheels, axles, pieces that snap and flex.  All of the kind of gizmos that will inspire the aspiring Rube Goldberg. (And will hopefully inspire him to use up the buckets and boxes of springs, cardboard tubes, rubber bands, and various detritus that he refuses to throw out!)

GreenApple® Campus is an educational not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. Their mission is to inspire the innovators of the future through creative, challenging STEM or STEAM programs for kids. All of the classes, programs, and workshops feature some combination of science, technology, engineering, math, architecture, design, and invention.  Classes are offered in robotics, programming and app development, tinkering and making.  (And there are also some Lego robotics and Minecraft modeling classes!)

They also have an entrepreneurship startup program called Startup to Achieve for kids grades 6-9 that brings you the basics of being an entrepreneur (and very cool, one of those sessions is Just For Girls, so that gender stereotypes about girls and science won't be fulfilled.)

In the Chicagoland area, GreenApple® Campus has 4 locations, plus the StartUp to Achieve program is in a couple of different places.  Go to their schedule page to find out where their classes are offered and which classes are offered when.  They've got a lot of classes available, and I'm sure one of them will be right for your tech-hungry child.

DISCLOSURE:  We are being provided free tuition at GreenApple® Campus in order to try the camp out.  As always my opinions and my son's unfettered desire to build cool contraptions are our own.  I take my critical reputation seriously, and so should you.

Camp Options: Too Many Interests, Not Enough Time.

Summer is fast approaching.  Even the snow is starting to melt.  And that means that camp season is in full swing.  Just about every organization on the face of the planet is trying to entice you and your child into their camp.  There are so many to choose from!  And some are already sold out!  What are we going to do? How are we going to decide?  And how are we going to afford it?

WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE

Some artwork and gears from the camp
Robot City Workshop, where kids build robots.

In the past we've done a variety of things. Here's a run-down.

The first year he could, he went to camp at the same place he went to pre-K.  He had a good time, he knew most of the kids, they played sports, and he swam every day.

Then the next year he went to camp dad.  (It was a lot of fun, and we did fun stuff, and swam nearly everyday, but 14 hours a day of the bear is tough for an old guy like me!  And I'm probably much stricter than his camp councilors, because I'm paying close attention to my one charge, and I really care.)

The next year, he attended this pretty pricey Jewish camp in Rockland county.  He loved it (swam twice a day, adored his councilors, got to ride on a bus there and back and sing songs)-- in fact for a year afterwards he'd sing the Tap Tap Tappanzee song whenever we crossed a bridge, even if it wasn't the Tappanzee!  I loved that he loved it, but our bank account, less so.

Last year (the summer that we moved to Chicago) we did a city of Yonkers run day camp.  It had almost all the same activities as the shmancy Jewish camp, except it wasn't Jewish and you swam once a day.  Oh, and he only rode a bus once a week, when they went on a field trip.   He enjoyed that a fair amount.


WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS YEAR

This year we are doing D) All of the Above.  

We'll be travelling a little.  We'll have some dad camp time.  He'll spend a week going to a local robotics camp.  He'll spend a week going to his pick- a Scratch programming camp (Yes, his parents are geeks, and so is he!  "Say it Aloud- We're Smart and Proud!" )  He's eschewed the Mandarin camp, and (at least this year) we are going along with that.

But most importantly, we've found a "Backstop camp"  Steve and Kate's, a camp that started in the San Francisco bay area and has slowly picked up steam on a national level.  They've got them in Boston, New York, NJ, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, LA, and all over the Bay area..

 Unlike most camps, it's got a ticketing/voucher system. You buy a number of days, and then use them as you see fit.  Kind of like a yoga punch card, but for camp.  Yes, Drop in camp!

Steve & Kate's Music Studio
(photo courtesy of the camp)

The camp itself is student led-- meaning they have a lot of options/stations, and your kid gets to do what he is passionate about. It's not that there is no structure.  They have staffed studios where kids can make music videos, practice coding, bake bread, style jeans, or just hang out.  There's sports, games, reading, shows, and lots more. (They don't have swimming, but they do have a plastic water slide at each location!)  Three times a day, the kids huddle with their peers/counselor, and there are camp wide shows and specials, including a game show.  They advertise that for every block the campers can choose from at least 12 activities.

 I'm not sure how they manage the staffing and lunch issues, considering the drop in nature.  But they apparently have  got it figured out.  AA has a couple of friends who were at the camp last year and they LOVED it!

The great thing is that they are refundable/upgradable. Camp is $89 a day. If you buy 5 or more it's $79, If you buy 20 or more, it's $69. If I upgrade later, they retroactively make the whole package less, and I pay the difference. And if I don't use them all up, we get refunded at the end of the season. And they have camps all over the country, and your voucher is good AT ANY CAMP! We could travel to San Francisco, and he can go to the camp there!

What I love is their transparency and their business model. It's giving flexibility when I need it. If Camp Dad gets too tough, or I need a breather (or he needs a breather) we have it.  And as mentioned above he'll have a couple of good pals that are already there, and he'll make new pals as well I am sure.

Find out more about Steve & Kate's

So, I think we are mostly covered for the summer.  How about you?  What are your plans for your kids' summer?