Cardboard Camp

I heard about Cardboard Camp through that mysterious parental grapevine.  I don't know who told me, or in what context it came up, but one random day while minding my own business, it drifted back through my mind.  So I looked it up, curious about what such a camp might be like.  And the videos on the website immediately convinced me that this was a camp made for my youngest child.  At this camp, Theo joined other kids, mostly boys, aged 8-15, over at Fort Snelling State Park.  They were organized into houses of like-minded souls. They did research before coming to camp about the different houses- what their main strategies were, what their banner look liked, their typical armor...Theo was drawn to the House of Tiburon.  As part of this house, they worked with their leader to design and build both personal cardboard armor as well as a giant siege arrapartus that took the form of a shark.  A giant cardboard shark on wheels.  They then created strategies and practiced their seige tactics.  They also practiced their skills in endless battles cardboard weaponized Capture the Flag- running around the paths at the state park in full battle armor, surely scaring picnicking families with their lustful battle cries.

One morning when I dropped Theo and a carful of pals off at the entrance, a small group of girls, apparently at a Little House on the Prairie type summer camp came walking by, dressed in bonnets and long flowered dresses, carrying baskets of wildflowers they had picked.  I thought it a lovely juxtaposition to the carload of cardboard warriors that were heading off to battle.

On the last day, parents were invited to watch the grand final battle.  There was a parade of houses with explanations of their special weapons and tactics, then the drums began beating, several houses took up positions inside the gigantic cardboard (3 story!) castle, while others awaited the signal to attack.  It was something to behold.  Theo will return to fight next summer.