Campers Beat the Heat with Camp Hope Fun

A young man in a red baseball cap stands in a sunny parking lot squirting a hose and smiling at the camera.

Although July brought some sticky days, the campers at Camp Hope kept their cool through a series of fun themes and activities throughout the month.

After starting the season with “Holiday Week” festivities, campers of all ages enjoyed “Four Seasons in One Week,” with activities that ranged from wintry ice sensory bins to autumn leaf rubbings. Then it was “Make a Splash” week, with water relay races, watercolor painting, and the annual Camp Hope Car Wash. “Let’s Take a Trip Around the World,” took campers to Australia, Africa, Brazil, Japan, and Hawaii. And this past week was “Disney Week,” which featured all the favorite characters, from Mickey to Moana, and culminated in the Camp Hope Talent Show. Throughout it all, the campers have enjoyed the pool and splash pad, playground, basketball courts, and sports and games on the athletic field and in the pavilion.

As Camp Hope staff prepares for the last two weeks of the 2024 summer season, which are just for campers ages 5 to 21, the themes will be Color Wars and Barnyard Palooza, with lots of fun themed activities planned.

Celebrating its 68th summer season, Camp Hope is a seven-week summer day camp for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities located in East Hanover. Operating since 1956, camp runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit ArcCampHope.com. To request a tour and for questions regarding the application process, contact Laurie Best, Senior Director of Children & Adult Day Services at (973) 535-1181 x1264 or [email protected].