Fives Choice Class Season Overview
PLEASE NOTE: The Choice Classes listed below are from the 2023 Season. 2024 Choice Classes will be published in early April, 2024.
Choice Classes meet Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for an hour. Full Day Fives select one class from Block A, B and C.
Session 1: June 26th- July 7th | ||
Block A: Chess Soccer Sew It Recycling and Sculpting | Block B: Coloring Outside the Lines Gaga and Other Games Little Red Creamery | Block C: Not a Box Basketball Everybody Dance Now Soccer Skills |
Session 2: July 10th- July 21st | ||
Block A: Gymnastics Plan a Planet Backyard Games | Block B: Gaga and Other Games Wildlife Heroes Little Red Creamery | Block C: Kickball Paint What? Tag Games |
Session 3: July 24th- August 4th | ||
Block A: Cloud Watchers Backyard Games Food Truck | Block B: Wildlife Heroes Gaga and Other Games Faces and Masks | Block C: Soccer Skills Let's Make a Mess LEGO Creations |
Session 1
Block A: 10:30-11:30
Chess (David Rigo) – An introduction to the game of chess, we will learn the pieces, piece movement, opening principles, and the concepts of check and checkmate, with the goal of being able to play a full game by the end of the session. Through a combination of demonstration board lessons, interactive mini games, and play we will develop the foundations of chess. We will also work on broader skills such as being a good sport, perseverance, and problem solving. No experience necessary!
Soccer (John Henry) – Did you get inspired watching the World Cup?! Well, in this class campers will practice a variety of engaging drills and games designed to improve soccer skills – from dribbling and passing to shooting and defending. This class is for players of all skill levels, as we will tailor our instruction to meet the needs of each soccer star. Along with the physical activity we will emphasize teamwork and being a good sport. Let’s GOOOO!
Sew It (Andrea Messaoud) – Have you ever sewn a bag? a giant pillow? Or maybe just a Stuffy to hug! The possibilities are endless! If you’ve ever wondered how to sew, then this is the choice class for you! Campers will learn how to sew Bookmarks, Bags, Pillows, or anything they can think of. They will choose their own yarn and draw out their own ideas before getting started on each project. At the end of the session we will hold a sewing exhibit of all works completed during the session. If you can think it, then you can Sew It!
Recycling and Sculpting (Josh Brand) – Let’s try to make new things out of old things. What can we do with old newspapers, flowers, plastic bags, and scraps of twigs? Many things! We can make serious sculptures, funny sculptures, or a sculptures that might not mean anything at all. Let’s gather up some things and see what can be made. Don’t throw that can away! Turn it into your new robot!
Session 1
Block B: 1:30-2:30
Coloring Outside the Lines (Dana Riebe) – In this open-ended class, campers will be encouraged to “break the rules” with their artwork. Using “The Beautiful Oops” and the works of various mixed media and recycled material artists as foundational material, campers will explore sides of their artistry that they may not have seen before.
Gaga and Other Games (John Henry Katinas) – Let’s play ball!! In this fun, physical ball games class, we will play Gaga, an LREI favorite, and a wide variety of other ball games. Campers will have a safe and fun environment to build team work and coordination skills, while having a great time!
Little Red Creamery (Andrea Messaoud) – In this class you will learn which ingredients and materials are necessary to make ice pops how to check and create an ice pop recipes, design your own pop and open up your own ice pop shop. Students will use different brands of ingredients, and fruit flavoring. Eventually making a unique creation of a limited edition Ice pop. At the end of the session we will open up an ice cream shop to all campers, where they can come and sample the flavors.
Session 1
Block C: 2:30-3:30
Soccer Skills (Denzel Johnson) – In Soccer Skills, campers will practice basic soccer techniques. Campers will learn how to take penalty shots, dribble around cones, score with a goalie and without, and more. Class we be centered around age appropriate soccer exercises and activities, as well as matches that focus on teamwork, skillbuilding, and fun!
Not a Box (Danielle) – In this class inspired by the book, Not A Box!, campers will experience the thrill of dramatic play – when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real! We will use designs as blueprints for creating 3-D versions of campers’ creations. Campers will use their imaginations and creativity to turn a cardboard box into something amazing they can actually play with and in!
Basketball (John Henry Katinas) – In this class we will learn the basics, improve on our skills, and have a lot fun on the basketball court! We’ll practice dribbling, passing, and shooting, as well as play full games and mini-games.
Everybody Dance Now (Mary Matheson) – As Whitney Houston says – “I wanna dance with somebody!” In this fun dance/movement class campers will explore all forms of dance. Each day, we will read a story that inspires us to move, listen to different types of music, and most importantly get down and boogie. Campers will leave with a dance to perform, new dance partners, and a great stories to tell. So, if you love fun, friends, and movement, this is the class for you!
Session 2
Block A: 10:30-11:30
Gymnastics (Danielle Staropoli) – In this fun and energetic class, campers will work towards basic tumbling skills such as handstands, cartwheels, bridges and rolls. We will tip-toe and hop on the balance beam, work on sticking our landing when jumping off the springboard, and practice swings and pull overs on the bar. Come join us!
Plan a Planet (Josh Brand) – Let’s invent a new world. A new planet! Maybe it’s a future version of our current earth, or maybe it’s a whole new place, floating in outer space. We will use sculpture, painting, drawing, and maybe even performance to create and explore our imaginary land. What kinds of creatures, plants, sounds, and things will appear in the worlds we invent? What could a new planet be?
Backyard Games (TBA) – We will explore different playgrounds right in our own “backyard” and experience all they have to offer. For each class we will bring a different fun activity – sidewalk chalk, water balloons, bubbles, and more! Climb, swing, and slide! Play hopscotch, tag and jump rope! Let’s all go to the playground!
Session 2
Block B: 1:30-2:30
Gaga and Other Games (John Henry Katinas) – Let’s play ball!! In this fun, physical ball games class, we will play Gaga, an LREI favorite, and a wide variety of other ball games. Campers will have a safe and fun environment to build team work and coordination skills, while having a great time!
Wildlife Heroes (Sara Janoff) – In Wildlife Heroes, children will learn real-life wildlife rescue techniques in a dramatic play setting. Using plush toys and other props, we will run a wildlife rehabilitation center throughout camp, answering calls of animals that need help and going on adventures to rescue them. We will help to nurse our hurt and sick animals back to health, then release them back into the wild! This class will build our skills of teamwork, our sense of responsibility, and let us explore ways to care for the wildlife we share our world with.
Little Red Creamery (Andrea Messaoud) – In this class you will learn which ingredients and materials are necessary to make ice pops how to check and create an ice pop recipes, design your own pop and open up your own ice pop shop. Students will use different brands of ingredients, and fruit flavoring. Eventually making a unique creation of a limited edition Ice pop. At the end of the session we will open up an ice cream shop to all campers, where they can come and sample the flavors.
Session 2
Block C: 2:30-3:30
Tag Games (TBA) – We will explore different playgrounds right in our own “backyard” and experience all they have to offer. For each class we will bring a different fun activity – sidewalk chalk, water balloons, bubbles, and more! Climb, swing, and slide! Play hopscotch, tag and jump rope! Let’s all go to the playground!
Kickball (Andrea Messaoud) – Get ready to kick! Campers will run, slide, and jump into kickball. Each day we will swap teams and work on our team communication and problem solving skills. At the end of our session we will have a Kickball Tournament where every camper will be acknowledged by their team members for all the hard work they put into our kickball season.
Paint What? (Josh Brand) – You can draw or paint a picture of almost anything that you can imagine. Think of something now. You can also paint your imagined something onto the surfaces of almost any object. Why not try out different shapes and spaces and surfaces for paintings? When does a painting become a sculpture? We will explore painting through various multi-dimensional forms, making super cool art along the way.
Session 3
Block A: 10:30-11:30
Cloud Watchers (Sara Janoff) – In this class, campers will spend time watching the clouds go by, learning about different kinds of clouds and what clouds do. Our study of clouds will range from scientific inquiry into rain, snow, and the water cycle, to clouds in stories and art! We will spend most of time outside in the fresh air observing the clouds. I wonder what special shapes and figures we can find in the clouds above us?
Backyard Games (TBA) – We will explore different playgrounds right in our own “backyard” and experience all they have to offer. For each class we will bring a different fun activity – sidewalk chalk, water balloons, bubbles, and more! Climb, swing, and slide! Play hopscotch, tag and jump rope! Let’s all go to the playground!
Food Truck (Bessie McDonough-Thayer) – There are so many trucks on the streets of NYC, but the tastiest ones are Food Trucks, and we are going to create our very own! Campers will create simple menus, design their cardboard food trucks, and then take them out on “the road” and serve their delicious treats to fellow campers and counselors.
Session 3
Block B: 1:30-2:30
Wildlife Heroes (Sara Janoff) – In Wildlife Heroes, children will learn real-life wildlife rescue techniques in a dramatic play setting. Using plush toys and other props, we will run a wildlife rehabilitation center throughout camp, answering calls of animals that need help and going on adventures to rescue them. We will help to nurse our hurt and sick animals back to health, then release them back into the wild! This class will build our skills of teamwork, our sense of responsibility, and let us explore ways to care for the wildlife we share our world with.
GaGa and Other Games (John Henry Katinas) – Let’s play ball!! In this fun, physical ball games class, we will play Gaga, an LREI favorite, and a wide variety of other ball games. Campers will have a safe and fun environment to build team work and coordination skills, while having a great time!
Faces and Masks (Josh Brand) – In this class we explore the art of making masks and self-portraits. Let’s learn how draw or paint our own faces, as well as seeing what happens when we use our big imaginations to create a mask that might look totally different. This will include painting, sculpture, observing, and possibly even performing.
Session 3
Block C: 2:30-3:30
Soccer Skills (Denzel Johnson) – In Soccer Skills, campers will practice basic soccer techniques. Campers will learn how to take penalty shots, dribble around cones, score with a goalie and without, and more. Class we be centered around age appropriate soccer exercises and activities, as well as matches that focus on teamwork, skillbuilding, and fun!
Let’s Make a Mess (Bessie McDonough-Thayer) – In this sensory/art class, we will celebrate the messy side of art. We will paint without brushes, make splatter paintings, explore the messy world of paper mache, and much more! Let’s make a mess!
LEGO Creations (Zoey Arongino) – In this open-play LEGOs class, campers can follow their imaginations and build anything from skyscrapers to farms to rocketships – the possibilities are endless! Campers can use their creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills to create their very own masterpieces.