Life at the Bay

Going to camp is more than just an adventure away from home. Camp is an investment in your child's character, personal growth, skill sets, and future. In our time of rapid development of artificial intelligence and a booming digital world, it has become of utmost importance to teach and implement 21st-century skills in our children. The outcome of putting 21st-century skills into practice results in key competencies that are preparation for workforce training programs, careers, and socializing, just to name a few. With the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, our next generation is will be well equipped for the new age of flying cars. When children come to Sugar Bay, we want them to leave with a greater sense of personal efficiency, a broader outlook on life, and skills to succeed in the world. Here are some of the 21st-century skills we practice at Sugar Bay. Critical thinking  Creativity  Communication  Social ...

Do you want an African drum beat master at your next party? Well our campers should be on your speed dial! Drumming has become a phenomenon at the Bay where we see our campers create extraordinary rhythm and beats with the djembe drum. The djembe drum is said to have been invented in the 12th century by the Mandinke tribe in what is now Mali, West Africa. The djembe has a great cultural heritage in Africa and still has a weighty presence in African rituals. The body of the drum is made from a single piece of tree trunk and topped with goatskin, providing the djembe with a piercing high-pitched tone. The Mandinke people believed that the Lenge trees held great spiritual importance while also lending its trunk to make the drum. It is said that the drum consists of three spirits: the spirit of the tree from which it was made, the spirit of the animal which covers the head and the spirit of the drum-maker. The term djembe originates from the Bam...

Our body art class, one of our arts and crafts activities at Sugar Bay, has become a hit with our campers creating some original and innovative designs. From different textures, styles and colours; the art of henna has definitely become a sensation amongst our campers. Henna is a fun and exciting way for bonding and relaxing with your kids. Here are some tips on how to get started : 1. Wash the area you plan to tattoo.     Removing oils and grime from the concentrated area will ensure the henna stains correctly. 2. Practice on paper first.      Because henna will last between one and two weeks, it's best to develop a technique before                      applying the paste on someone's skin. 3. Don't get lost in the grand scale of things.     Start small, too big a project might uninspire you. Fun facts about Henna :  Henna (called   mehndi   in Hin...

Camp counselors have the most important role and are undoubtedly one of the most valuable assets to any summer camp. Their crazy, caring, fun and loving personalities are what campers keep coming back to camp for. However, their overly exciting and jam-packed schedules often leaving them smelling a little funky every now and then. Here are 5 things camp counselors smell like: 1. Sunscreen Due to campers being out and about in the exposure of the sun all day long, sun protection is a priority at summer camps. This means that counselors are responsible for applying and ensuring that all their campers are covered in sunblock. Sunblock isn’t particularly the best smelling type of lotion. It’s also rather sticky and is spread easily from one person to the next through body contact, which is why, through all the hugging and fun games, counselors end up smelling like a bottle of sunscreen. 2. Bug Spray You can’t expect to be in harmony with the bugs when you are invading their natural habitat...

Creating papier mache’ vases is something we plan at Sugar Bay for rainy day Arts and Crafts classes. Our campers love this craft because it is so simple to create, and the only difficulty you will be faced with, is waiting for the paper strips to dry before adding another layer and decorating. How to create a Papier Mache’ Vase: You will need: 1 Balloon White-drying glue poured into a bowl 1 Toilet paper tube Newspaper White tissue paper Paintbrush Acrylic paint in a variety of colours Embellishments (Beads, sequins, ribbon, etc.) Instructions: Blow up the balloon. Blow up your balloon and securely knot it at the end. Be careful not to over inflate the balloon. Tear the newspaper and tissue into strips and squares. Instead of cutting up the newspaper and tissue paper, it is better to tear it so that it may easily cover the curves of the balloon and will stick easily. Stick on the newspaper and tissue paper pieces. Using the white-drying glue, stick the torn...

The Easter bunny is getting the eggs out his basket and Sugar Bay is also rewarding you with a R2900 discount off all our upcoming April holiday camps. Are you ready to start you’re your school vacation in splendour and have an epic end to the summer? We certainly are! Dungeons and dragons week – 1-8 April Come in your armor as we prepare to participate in the ultimate medieval battle for Dungeons and Dragons week at Sugar Bay. We’re going to have fire-breathing fun all week long. You’d better get your game on, you wouldn’t want to end up in the dungeon. Highlights: Journey to the dragons cave (themed camp out) Character building classes (campers will get to design their own characters using different art materials) Each day is themed and has its own events (example; Day of treasure - We will host a treasure hunt around the whole of camp) Campers will complete challenges in order to earn keys throughout the week which they will use at the end of the week in order to escape the dun...

Sugar Bay Resort, a holiday camp for kids and teens on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal is popular for all their water activities offered at camp.    Situated on the coastal village of Zinkwazi Beach, warm climate and warm sea temperatures occur throughout the year, making water sport possible throughout every season. The summer camp also has private access to the Zinkwazi lagoon and beach, which is an added benefit.    Here are 5 of the most popular water activities offered at Sugar Bay: 1. Surfing   A number of campers have learned how to surf at Sugar Bay. The camp has trained instructors in every water sport, who are passionate about the ocean and the sport they teach. Often, kids come to camp terrified of water and leave camp qualified as a level 1 surfer. Surfing is taught at different levels in the lagoon, and campers receive certificates for completing each level of training successfully before they get to surf in the ocean. There is no ...

  We love recycling at Sugar Bay, and if there’s one thing we keep collecting over the years, its empty baby food glass jars. These cute, little glass jars gave us the perfect opportunity to turn them into recycled gel candles.   Here’s how we recycle these jars to create Gel candles: You will need: Candle Gel Baby Food Glass Jar Zinc wicks 2 Pencils Glue Thermometer Essential oil for fragrance Liquid color dye Embeds (Anything non-flammable, such as glitter, sand, sea shells, pebbles, etc. Method: Place a little bit of glue in the center of the bottom of the glass jar. Stick the wick in it and let the glue set. Cut the gel into small pieces so it melts faster and more evenly. Melt it in a stainless steel pot over a medium heat at 100 Degrees Celsius. Remember to keep the temperature constant, since overheated gel loses its clarity. The gel should melt and become smooth, like syrup. Add color dye to the melted gel, little by little, until you get...

There’s nothing more our campers love at Sugar Bay than creating crafts during Arts and Crafts classes. Especially, when we decide to get lit and create wax glitter candles.   Light up the room and add sparkle to any occasion with these wax glitter candles: You will need: Candle-making wax Wax crayon in desired colour Large candle wicks Fragrance oil Spatula Baking Mold in desired shape Heat-resistant container Double boiler Thermometer 2 Pencils Method: Step 1: Measure the wax - Measure out how much wax you would need to fill your container by filling up the container. Always use two measures. That’s how much of wax you will need to melt. Step 2: Grate your wax crayon - After selecting the colour which you would like the candle to be, begin grating the crayon and add to the wax measure. Step 3: Melt the wax - Pour the wax into your double boiler and allow to melt for 10 to 15 minutes, whilst stirring frequently. Step 4: Add fragrance oils...

Children are spending an increasing amount of time indoors due to all the technology that can be easily accessed inside their homes. The internet, television, mobile phones, gaming consoles and tablets have replaced traditional outdoor games, such as hopscotch, hide and go seek, tag and field sports. Outdoor play offers social, mental and physical benefits for children. Outdoor play is an essential part of summer camps, where technology isn’t allowed and children can overcome their “nature deficit disorder”. Here are five reasons why you should send your kids to summer camp for them to indulge in outdoor play:    1. Combat Obesity Due to technology turning our kids into couch potatoes, lack of exercise is the main reason why kids are becoming obese. Children should be active for at least an hour a day, which means they should be running, climbing and jumping in the outdoors. Summer camp programs have kids active in the outdoors all day long whilst still having ...

The reality is; not all kids are born water babies, swimming lessons don’t come cheap, not all of us can afford to maintain pools in our homes or a gym membership whereby you get access to a pool, and, most of us as parents are mortified about letting our children get in touch with water.    We really do have every right to be concerned about water safety, since all children care about is the amount of fun they’re having. Their own safety is not even a thought that crosses their mind, which makes it our responsibility as parents to ensure that they’re safe.    Most children come to Sugar Bay Resort, a holiday camp for kids and teens without the knowledge of what a beach is and leave having adapted expert skills in at least one type of water sport.   The camp, which is located on the dolphin coast of KwaZulu-Natal, has private access to the local lagoon and beach. The locations warm climate makes water temperatures great for swimming and variou...

  A simple task that gets your creative juices flowing definitely has to be chalk drawing. Our campers love this activity at Sugar Bay. It’s such a quick and easy way to keep them occupied should any of our programs run a little off-schedule, and, in the process, allows us to discover some remarkable talents.    Here’s some ideas on how to prepare for and run this class: The Art of Chalk Drawing   You will need: · Previously prepared artwork (Sourced from the internet and printed out) · Clean floor surface that isn’t too rough or too smooth · Chalk (in every colour) · Tape Measure Instructions: Step 1: Selecting an image You will need to provide your campers with a wide variety of previously prepared artwork that is inspirational and easy to duplicate. You can divide the artwork into three categories of difficulty: beginners, intermediate and expert, to accommodate the different age groups.   Step 2: Analyzing the image Once your...