Week 1:
The first week of ACA youth camp 2024 kicked off to a very fun and eventful start! The youth group (grades k-1) got to learn and explore many new things this week as it was a majority of the campers’ first time at camp. They got to learn how to do Chinese yoyo, play ping pong, and even learned about the Chinese zodiac signs with the crafts we made! As camp goes on the kids are having lots of fun and can’t wait to explore more things related to their culture. Junior 1 (grades 2-3) had an enthusiastic group of campers who enjoyed participating in numerous crafts including learning different origamis such as ninja stars and paper stars. While participating in many similar events as the other groups, pickleball and traditional Chinese dancing were deemed to be the favorite amongst our campers. Junior 2 (grades 4-5) quickly developed new friendships with one another while engaging in a variety of activities. These campers enjoyed learning new skills such as crafting bracelets, traditional cultural drawings, and learning how to make 馄饨 (Wontons). The kids thoroughly enjoyed using a variety of colors and techniques to best paint their lanterns, which will be displayed around camp. The senior group (grades 6-8) kids practiced their 毽子 (jianzi) and badminton skills as well as their Chinese calligraphy writing. We have also started filming our yearly senior skit, which allows the kids to practice their Chinese pronunciation and language skills! This week all groups participated in a cooking class, field days, safety classes and health classes. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the next few weeks of camp and all the exciting events planned!
2024年美华青少年夏令营的第一周非常有趣和充实！因为Youth组 (K-1年级) 大多数营员第一次参加，学习和探索了许多新事物。他们学习了如何玩悠悠球、打乒乓球，还通过制作的工艺品了解了十二生肖！随着夏令营的进行，孩子们玩得很开心，迫不及待地想了解更多与中国的文化相关的事物。Junior 1组 (2-3 年级) 非常活跃，他们喜欢参与各种手工活动，包括学习不同的折纸，如忍者星星和纸星星。虽然与其他组的小朋友一样参加了许多类似的活动，但他们最喜欢皮克球 (pickleball) 和中国传统舞蹈。Junior 2组 (4-5年级）在参加各种活动的同时很快彼此建立了新的友谊。他们喜欢学习新技能，例如制作手镯、传统文化图画以及学习如何包馄饨。孩子们非常喜欢用各种颜色和技巧来最好地绘制灯笼，这些灯笼将在夏令营的最后一周展示。Senior组 (6-8年级) 玩儿了踢毽子、打羽毛球、以及联系了中国书法。他们还开始拍摄一年一度的高年级短剧，这让他们练习了中文口语能力！本周，所有夏令营小朋友都参加了烹饪课程、野外活动日、安全课程和健康课程。大家都热切期待接下来几周的夏令营活动！
written by Kylie Chon and translated by Isabella Zhang
