Avoiding the Summer Slide with PJ Our Way at Camp
Staying connected with books and reading can be a challenge during the summer months. This summer PJ Our Way partnered with 67 overnight and day camps to combat the “summer slide” and introduce campers to the Jewish values and meaningful messages found in PJ Our Way books.
Staying connected with books and reading can be a challenge during the summer months. This summer PJ Our Way partnered with 67 overnight and day camps to combat the “summer slide” and introduce campers to the Jewish values and meaningful messages found in PJ Our Way books. Campers ages 9-11 across the U.S. and Canada received a Jewish chapter book or coloring book as a gift and participated in great activities inspired by what they read.
PJ Our Way partner camps utilized creative ways to distribute the books to their campers including a pajama party, a “book shuk,” having counselors dress in costumes to deliver the books after a meal-time skit, and surprising campers with books on their pillows after an evening program.
Then, camps hosted a program for campers to connect with their books. URJ Eisner Camp had Passover in July to connect with Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg. Ramah Day Camp in Philadelphia had campers rotate through stations connecting with themes from their books including making dogs out of recycled orange juice jugs to connect with When Life Gives You OJ, coloring a hamsa mural to connect with Shalom Coloring, and cartooning to connect with Who is Stan Lee. Campers at Beber Camp created their very own Kindness Club inspired by The Kindness Club: Chloe on the Bright Side and painted beautiful rocks with thoughtful and positive messages to lay around camp, inspiring friendship and a sacred community.
Showing campers that books can be fun in a way that felt authentic to the camp environment was a great way to encourage reading without making it feel like school. Campers were encouraged to continue their connection with PJ Our Way by joining the program upon their return home from camp.
MensaScout7
Thank you for encouraging reading (and imagining) in a video-driven world. I am so proud that the foundation is trying in every way you can to connect children to the culture and the stories of Judaism.