Seafari Girls

Our last week of camp always comes up fast! It has been a tradition over the last few years to end with the Seafari Girls Spa. Each year, the girls give it a name, this year it is “The Starry Night Spa”. We came up with the name from the colorful paper stars that hang in our classroom. The spa had to be stationed on the first floor since we have no water upstairs. We came together to decide on what services our spa would offer and came up with hair design, massage, facials, manicure, and pedicures. We also thought it was important to offer a healthy drink for hydration, so we thought of cucumber water and lemon water.Throughout the week, the girls made spa products to use in the spa and to take home.

Monday- The girls made soap in the morning and worked on planning for the spa. We spent the afternoon at Steps beach swimming and searching for critters. The fine sand and our secret hideaway up on the hill makes Steps beach one of our favorite place. Before we left, we took some of that amazing sand for our foot scrub. On our way back, we made a stop at Lily Pond for some time in the shade and a few parachute games.

Tuesday- We finished up our soap making for all of the girls who were not at camp Monday. Our new project for today is making beach sand foot scrub. For this, we used almond oil and beach sand. It’s really simple to make and a great exfoliate your feet. It was a super hot day so we left as early as we could to go to the town creeks. The bikers rode to the rotary where they caught the shuttle and got dropped off by the kayak beach and walked to the creeks. The tide was high and the was no one else there, nothing like a typical day in August. The girls had a great time exploring, swimming, and running and jumping in. Most of the campers took an adventure across the creeks to the Island of the Blue Dolphin (as we like to call it). The creeks have so much space for discovery. It was a perfect visit. A few of the girls left early and went to the labyrinth for some shade time, others we so content there that they stayed at the creeks.

Wednesday- We were busy this morning setting up the spa and finishing all of the signs for each service. The girls are excited to have their parents come this afternoon for some treatments. Our project for the day was making avocado moisturizer cream and the flavored waters. After some organization, we set off to the beach between the Galley and Jetties. It was our first visit there this summer mostly because we forgot about it. It was the perfect place to spend the morning and early afternoon. With Emma Keane and Maggie Liddle leading the creature hunting, a sand aquarium was built in no time. We found a giant grab right away, they named it Danger because of it’s big claws. Around lunch time we got a call about a Pilot whale in the harbor so we took another swim and went over to Brant Point to check it out. Luckily for the whale and sadly for us, it made it’s way out before we got there. At least we got some photos at the lighthouse, another place we haven’t been this summer. From there, it was time to get back and open our spa. The girls had about a half hour to practice on each other before their parents showed up.  We had a very successful first day and some very relaxed parents and younger sisters.

Thursday- Since it’s our last day of camp, we decided to give the girls an option on which beach to visit. We sent a group to Dionis and the other to Monomoy. We were limited with a beach that the bikers could get to easily, so Monomoy was a good choice. The tide was high and it was perfect for swimming.  We spent most of our time there before we had to get back and set up for the spa. The girls had a great time taking care of each others parents and showing them all of the fun products that we made this week for the spa. It’s always sad to see such a great summer of camp come to an end but it gives us something to look forward to for next summer!

I hope everyone had a great time with us this year. We work and play hard to try and give the Seafari Girls a summer of good friends and exciting activities in all of the amazing outdoor locations that Nantucket has to offer. Peace, Love, and Friendship!!!!

The Seafari Girls have some amazing talents and this week they were able to shine! Four days to organize, practice, and put on a performance is not a lot of time but the girls did such a great job. Although we put on the show for just the camp, every act was recorded and will be mixed together to make a video.

Monday- The girls paired up and got into small groups to decide their best talent and how they want to perform. After snack, we did a run through with music to see how the acts would go. We had a variety of talents ranging from gymnastics to skateboarding. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Dionis. It was a beautiful, calm day and we had the beach all to ourselves. Honor, our C.I.T., had an idea of digging a hole in the sand big enough to crawl through. We worked as a team to make it happen and succeeded with a tunnel that even the teachers could fit through.                   

Tuesday- We spent the morning rehearsing and getting ready for our show. It was so much fun to watch the girls. We were so impressed to watch Grace play her violin and see Casey, on her first day of camp, get up there and do a drawing. The rest of the day was spent at Water Tower beach for all of the girls who rode in the car and the bikers went to the Naushop pool. The bikers also took a ride through the state forest and to the Boy Scout land to check out the obstacle course.

Wednesday- This morning we had our first run through with the talent show. It took us a while to figure out the best lighting and sound spots for the girls but once we did, it was perfect. The girls took turns introducing and performing. There are some individual videos, the mastering of putting them all together won’t be ready until next week. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon at Sesachacha Pond. They had quite an adventure catching crabs and fish.

Thursday- We had our final performance this morning and were blown away with Jacqui Jordan playing her guitar and singing. Ella, Louisa, Annecy, and Abbey singing and dancing to “Wide Awake”. All of the girls did such a great job and really enjoyed themselves. I look forward to finishing and seeing the final product of the show. Our afternoon was spent at Mermaid Spa Beach. It is Claire, our lifeguard, and Honor’s  last day a camp. They have been such a great team members and we hope they return next summer.

The girls did an amazing job making their own cafe this week. They had to make a name, creating a menu, cook food, and serve their parents. They choose the name “Fresh Breeze Cafe” because the tables were set up on the back deck at the school. This is the first year that it wasn’t at my house and it went even better because there was more parking and more space to spread out.

Monday- We spent the morning making a menu which consisted of drinks, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Some of the highlights were: herbal ices teas, cucumber lime mint juice, corn avocado and tomato salad, pesto fresh mozz sandwich, and mega mint brownies. Each camper made her own menu to use at the cafe. After our hard work, we went to Pocomo beach and it was beautiful out there! The water was perfectly calm and clear and it was warm and sunny. Some of the girls went down to the creeks to go jump off of the marsh and hunting for critters. On the way back to school, we made a stop in Sconset to walk over the bridge and go to the swings by the beach.

Tuesday was a big cooking and preparations day. The girls came to my house in small groups to cook, clean, chop, and bake to get everything ready for the cafe. We used the beach at my house (Hinckley Lane) so the girls could rotate in and out easily. In the afternoon, we could tell there was a big rainstorm coming. We gave them a choice to stay at my place or go back to school and most wanted to stay at my house. We played games, had a dance party, and watched the movie that we made last year. I have plenty of open space and two floors so everyone could spread out. It was the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon.

Wednesday is our opening day for the cafe. The girls were divided into two groups, the cooks and the servers. After some practice hosting and serving, the servers were able to spend their morning at the beach. The kitchen crew stayed back to finish the preparations and organize the kitchen. At 11:30 the servers came back and our first guests arrived at 12:00. Everything ran smoothly! We had the right amount of food and everyone took their job very seriously. The end result were some very happy and proud parents. After we cleaned up, the girls all went back to Monomoy for a well-deserved swim.

Thursday wraps up this amazing week with our second seating for lunch. The jobs today were switched so that everyone had a turn running the kitchen and serving their parents. I sent the servers to the beach in the morning again so the kitchen staff could focus on their jobs. We had another successful service and the girls loved eating all of the leftovers. It was like a party to them just being together and having so much wonderful food to eat. This year, for the first time, there were some tips given to the girls. We explained to them that tips get pooled and everyone shares the money. Instead of keeping it, the girls decided to donate it to others that need it more. We took a vote and they choose the hospital as the recipient of their earning. These girls never cease to amaze me with their kind hearts!

This week, we put together an Eco Carnival using recycled materials. The Seafari Girls made the games, tickets, pop corn containers, set it up, practiced, and hosted two different camps to come and participate. Everyone was assigned a job and had to stay at their station during our open hours. The girls took their jobs very seriously and the result was a very organized and super fun event. It was a lot of work since everything was handmade but it was a great way to spend our time and energy this week.

Monday- In the morning we brainstormed about the games and thought about what we could make and what would be fun to play. We decided on bowling, ring toss, bean bag toss, magnetic fishing pond, penny drop, hula hooping, face painting,  and  a recycled art station. The girls drew from a hat to decide which station they would work for the first round. After our meeting, we broke up into groups and worked on signs and making the games. We spent the middle part of our day at Steps beach. It was a beautiful, hot day and the girls enjoyed swimming and playing games. For some shade time, we stopped at the State Forest. The girls built fairy houses and played more games together. I’m amazed this summer at how well this group can get an organized game going without the help of a teacher.

Tuesday- We worked on our games in the morning and had a practice round in running the carnival. We split the girls into two groups and gave them the chance to try all of the games to make sure that they all work. We then switched the groups so everyone had a chance to practice their jobs. Our beach time was spent at the town creeks. The tide was coming in which made it fun to float up the creeks. We stayed for lunch but then heard some thunder and decided to leave just in case we had a storm. The creeks are a short walk and we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in there during a storm. We split the camp in half and sent two groups to the bamboo forest and two to the garden at the Atheneum. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing games. Claire, our lifeguard, spent about an hour with the girls at the Atheneum and taught us how to play Ninja.

Wednesday- In the morning, we had to get ready for the Strong Wings groups coming to our carnival at 10:00. It was such a smooth opening. All of the children who came got their tickets and went around playing games. Seafari Girls gave out stickers when the child won or got points at a game. Once they accumulated  3 stickers, they could trade them in for pop corn or a homemade snow cone. Katie and Ally Weedon brought in the snow cone maker which works awesome, thanks Weedons! We had pink lemon aide and passion fruit for the flavors. Once the Strong wings campers were gone, we had a watermelon eating contest and the girls could each try a snow cone and pop corn. Our beach destination was Dionis Beach. There was a strong north wind making it kind of chilly and large waves. The girls had fun playing in the waves, building in the sand, and boogie board sledding down the hill. Our last stop of the day was at the labyrinth on Old South Road. It was the perfect place to take a break from the wind and relax on the perfect, soft grass. We played parachute and the girls explored the labyrinth.

Thursday- Our second and final opening of the carnival for the Murray Camp. Again, the girls did an amazing job of keeping organized and calm during an even larger group. Everyone had a really great time and gave the girls many compliments about how well they did running the carnival. This afternoon, there were a possibility of thunder storm so we got the girls to Mermaid Spa beach soon after the carnival. It was an overcast day but the water was warm and calm. The girls had a great time playing on the sand bar and digging large holes in the sand. When we got back, we gave the girls the chance to have the carnival to themselves. We broke them up into two groups and had them take turns running and participating in the carnival. All of the games were a hit and we ended the day having pop corn and snow cones. What a great week! The girls hope to do this theme again next summer.

Last winter in Costa Rica, I met a family with an eight year old daughter named Alina. Alina had a couple rolls of duct tape with her and was working on some interesting projects. Since I was making plans for camp while I was there, I decided it would be fun to include duct tape creations this year.  Alina gave me some lessons on how to make a flower, wallet, and a bow tie, this helped me confirm my plans for this summer. You can find duct tape in the most fun colors and patterns at the craft store. During our week, we found that the Duck brand tape works really well and its easy to rip.

Monday- After watching an instructional video with the girls, we dove right into an awesome project making small bags. The girls had colorful animal prints and many neon colors to choose from and made original, beautiful bags. After our project, we went to Pocomo Point to take a swim. We had lunch at the east side of the point and saw the Maria Mitchell camp with a touch tank on the beach. They were nice enough to invite the Seafari Girls to join in on their exploration. The tide was high today, making it a perfect place for a swim. After lunch, we all walked down to the creeks. The creeks are found by walking all the way down the west side beach of Pocomo. It’s a pretty good walk but well worth the effort. The water in the creeks was so warm and the perfect depth for exploring. I like to help the girls find the deep spots and a place to jump in off of the marsh. We took the long way through Sconset on the way back and stopped at the square to take a walk. There was a little girl with a lemonade stand so we all got a drink and listened to a live musician singing and playing guitar.

Tuesday- Our project this morning was making reversible bracelets or an independent project such as decorating flip-flops or a box from home. At 11:00 we all arrived at Monomoy Harbor to meet Claire, our lifeguard, and go stand up paddle boarding. We had two boards and the girls in groups of three to go out on them. It was a perfect calm day and a high tide, making Monomoy a fun place to be for a swim as well. The girls on the board went out with a teacher and got instruction on how to hold the paddle. They also got to switch positions and take turns paddling. They all loved jumping in and floating in their life jackets. It was so hot this afternoon that everyone wanted to go back to the school and finish their projects. I decided it was a good day for Popsicles.

Wednesday- We had some new colors and prints of duct tape sent over from the craft store today and now that the girls have had some practice, they are able to make their own creations. The directed project was making a rose on a pen and they came out beautiful! Our beach time today was spent at Water Tower beach. There was a little north wind making for some fun little waves to play in. The water has gotten so warm, the stinging jellyfish are back. It didn’t take long before the girls were noticing a tingle and an irritation on their skin. Before lunch, we had to apply some anti itch cream to sooth the stings. The bad part is if the jellyfish are here now, they will probably be present for the rest of the summer. The sting is more annoying than any thing and it unfortunately something you have to deal with if you want to swim in the ocean. After lunch, the girls were feeling better and got back in the water. It was less of an issue after lunch. Our last stop of the day was at the Oldest House. We enjoyed walking through their kitchen garden to taste and smell the wonderful plants.

Thursday-  Our last duct tape project this week is making wallets. The girls took their time and did an amazing job. The weather was a little cooler today and it gave us some options other than going to the beach. The girls were able to choose their outdoor adventure with their group. The bikers set off for the elementary school where they took a shuttle into town and walked to the church tower on Center St. The other groups did a combination of a playground and a trip to the tower as well. The view from the top is incredible. Children are free and adults are only $5.00 so this is a highly recommended activity to do with your guests, if you haven’t already. Only one of the groups made it to the beach today for a swim but it was a quick one. The strong north wind makes it almost cold on the beach. We all met back at school at the end of the day and wrapped up a fun week of duct tape creations.

Dog and Cat Treat Week was a huge success! The Seafari Girls have broken our $400.00 record, and raised over $500.00 for the Safe Harbor Animal Shelter!! The key to successful fundraising is team work, dedication, communication, and the generous people of Nantucket. I was so proud of how the girls approached people in town and described what we were doing and why. They could easily describe what we made and the ingredients that were used.

Monday- We made signs and paper envelops for the dog treats and made the first batch of dog bones. Since they had to bake for an hour, we planned to go to the beach and start the fund raising Tuesday. We enjoyed the late morning and early afternoon at Water Tower beach. There, we had fun making a human pyramid  and walking on a balance beam in the sand. After, we went to the Oldest House  for some time in the shade.

Tuesday- We went out on our first fund raising adventure. We set up our tables on the harbor in between the two docks by the Grand Union. Some of the girls were mobile and moving around Main St. It was such a successful day, we ran out of all of our treats! From there, we went to steps beach for some more great swim time. Check out the train the girls made in the water! At the end of the day, some of the girls helped to make cat treats which were stinky! We used sardines, wheat germ, and dry milk. Our classroom sure did stink!Wednesday-  In the morning, we packaged the cat treat and decorated more envelopes for the dog treats. The girls spread all over town in three small groups. Their favorite thing to do was to go into shops and run into people they know. We did great to today but not as well as the day before. We still have some treat left for the next day. Our afternoon beach time was spent at Dionis. We had a great time swimming and playing games on the beach like Bucket Blast. Our last stop was at the Bamboo Forest where some of the girls put on a show.

Thursday- Since we didn’t have a lot of dog and cat treats left, we just sent the girls who were really wanting to go into town. It didn’t take long to sell out! At 11:45 we needed to be at the animal shelter to give them all of the funds that we collected. You can imagine how happy and thankful the all volunteer staff is about the donation! We were surprised that our donation was going to be matched by someone, making our total donation over $1000.00!!!!! The girls were so excited and proud of all of their hard work and were able to meet some cats and a dog. They spent the rest of the afternoon at Mermaid Spa Beach. The tide was low and perfect depth for giving boogie board rides! What a week!!

The Seafari Girls made some of the most beautiful jewelry in this short 3 days Fourth of July holiday week. The summer weather has finally taken full effect and is giving us some excellent beach days. In between beading and designing, we hit the beach and we swam hard!

Monday’s activities were focused on beading necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. The girls had several glass, plastic, and wooden beads to chooses from and were allowed to create their own styles. We used real clasps and showed the girls how to make jewelry that they can take on and off. Monday’s beach adventure took us to Steps beach where we had lunch, swam, and worked on turning Lulu into a sand mermaid. Many of the girls had fun jumping off a boogie board while two teachers held the ends steady. Around 1:30, we left there and took a walk into Lily Pond Park to get some much need shade. We brought our giant parachute and played games such as, cat and mouse, calling colors, and make a mushroom. From there, we went back to the New School and wrapped up our day.

Tuesday, we spent some time in the morning teaching the girls how to make a design for a necklace using a pattern of beads. We brought out some new beads to use in their creations and really saw a difference in how their jewelry looked. It was a super hot day so we didn’t waste any time getting to Dionis beach. We took the trail to the right of the changing/bathrooms to a more quiet side of the beach. The water was so warm and the tide was high so we had fun swimming close to the shore. A couple of the girls lost some of their new jewelry so we used our goggles and masks to look for it. It felt like a treasure hunt, unfortunately we didn’t find it! After lunch, we took a couple of boogie board and went sledding down the sand hill that leads to the beach. We discovered this during our last winter’s program and it is so much fun! On our way back, we stopped into the bamboo forest and played a few games. Some of the girls worked on fairy houses. It was a nice  and mellow end of the day and a great way to start the Fourth of July celebration!

We knew everyone would be tired Thursday from their family celebrations and staying up late watching the fireworks the day before, so we planned some new jewelry projects as a quiet morning activity. After that, we planned an exciting water war  to wake everyone up. The  jewelry projects consisted on making a peace sign pendant out of a wooden recycled ring that was maybe part of a curtain set (my husband came across it a work). I cut out plastic strips, the girls colored them in, then we glued the into the ring to make a peace sign. The other project was making a glass pendant with a clear glass glob. The girls drew a tiny picture on a piece of paper that fit the back side of the glass. We glued it on then added a metal hook. They came out great!

We all got into our bathing suits and went out to the back yard for the water battle. Everyone had a water blaster  and we played until we all got super wet. Once we dried  up all of the water in our refill buckets, we took out a giant bin of water balloons for a water balloon toss. All of the girls had a partner and saw how far they could pass the balloon from with out it breaking. Once the balloons were gone, we dried off, got into our groups and went to the beach. Our destination, the downtown creeks. The tide was high and the water was warm. We had so much fun floating down the creek, jumping in as a group, and making a hermit crab village. This is where we spent the rest of the day and rounded off a great week!

It feels so great to be back with the amazing energy and personalities of the Seafari Girls. New this summer are a couple of staff members; Ashley Minahan, a group leader and Claire Moisan, our lifeguard. Although Melanie is a certified lifeguard, we decided to hire another so that the girls didn’t loose the attention of  their teacher while swimming. So far, it’s working out great! Clarie meets us at the beach each day for two hours.

The first week of camp was full of fun and treasure hunting adventures. Each day we set off to a new location for the hunt.The camper were broken into small groups of 6 so that they had a better chance of finding the clues. In the mornings and with the bit of rain that we had Monday, the Seafari Girls spent time enjoying our classrooms and working on 3-D treasure maps and decorating treasure boxes.

Monday, our treasure hunt was at Squam Swamp and the theme was insects. The girls had clues which led them to different types of  giant, plastic insects found along the trail. The treasure box was hidden beneath the climbing tree at the end of the trail. From there, we went to Pocomo Point and took our swim test. It started to rain soon after so we went back to the New School and worked in small groups creating treasure hunts within the school. The girls had a great time making and hiding clues for each other.

Tuesday was a biking/shuttle day. The bikers rode down the Old South bike path to Parker Lane where they parked their bikes and took the shuttle into town. We went downtown for an all around town hunt which started at the Library. The clues were hidden at different location on Main St, leading them to the treasure box hidden in the garden in front of the Haul Over. After our hunt, we went to Mermaid Spa beach (the rocks in from of the Johnson & Johnson house) where we had fun swimming and making a Mermaid Spa and seaweed spa products.

Wednesday’s treasure hunt was at Jetties Beach and brought campers all over both sides of the beach and finally to the treasure box which was buried in the sand! The girls swam on the east side of the beach because there was a strong west wind. We had a great time pulling the girls on boggie boards out on the sand bar and playing at the playground.  We went back to the school around 2:00 to finish our 3-D treasure maps.

Thursday was another biking day for six of the campers. The girls had a great time riding off road in the State Forest and the Boy Scout property. In small groups, the girls went to the labyrinth on Old South for the treasure hunt. Each group used a compass on the i phone to find the clues. The box was found at the center of labyrinth.  It was the hottest day of the week so we had a refreshing afternoon swim/beach time at Monomoy Beach.

It was a really exciting and happy week. The Seafari Girls make our jobs easy because they are so easy going and enjoy each others company.

Come and have fun in an after school adventure group just for girls! Melanie Hajjar picks up the girls from school and takes them someplace new each week. After some time outdoors, they head to her in-home play space for an exciting art or science project.  A goal of the program is to have girls from all of Nantucket’s different schools.  Pick a minimum of 4 classes (weeks) for $100. Please call me at 508-221-0608 or email me at melaniehajjar@gmail.com for any questions.

Fall After School Program 2011
Ages 6-9

Spots in our Wednesday group are still available!

September 21 Clay Works- The girls will discover some natural clay sources on the island and see how this amazing material actually comes from the earth. After we will have some time to use some in a creation. Projects will harden over the week and can be sent home the following week.

September 28- Rainbow Colors- Discover the connection between colors and light while making some colorful projects.

October 5 Sewing- Learn to sew by hand and stitch up your own stuffed animal.

Wednesday October 12th Heat Experiments See heat rise in an under water volcano and watch your plastic designs shrink from the heat of an oven with Shrinky Dinks!

October 119 Festive Fall- Explore nature in the peak of the fall season and have fun making a seasonal art project.

October 26- Spooky Treats- Halloween is almost here and it’s time to make some creepy treat that look scary and taste great. After we make treats, we party and rock out to tunes like “The Monster
Mash”.

Wednesday November 2 Health Kick- We all love our sweets, but it’s important to find balance and
keep your body healthy. The girls will do the obstacle course at the Boy Scout Camp.

November 9 Lotions and Potions- Get your hands messy with an afternoon of mixing up and making lip balm and body lotion.

November 16 Fall Baking- The girls will mix, measure, and pour -making and baking some delicious fall treats.

November 22 No Program Thanksgiving

November 30- Jewelry Designs- Use and make your own beautiful beads to create a unique design for a necklace, bracelets, or an anklet.

December 7- Wreath Making- Create a beautiful wreath using natural materials to display at your house this holiday season.

December 14- Gift Making- Make gifts for family and loved ones this year! I will bring in the materials and the girls can add the details to create unique, special gifts complete with giftwrap.

*activities may change due to weather but will always be something fun!

What an exciting and relaxing last week of camp! The Seafari Girls had a great time creating an working in their own spa. We named it the Dragonfly Starlight Spa and decorated it with 3-D hanging paper stars and hand painted dragonflies. Our spa made you feel transformed to a magical world where spa treatments are free and given by beautiful fairies. Upon entering, guests are offered our own cucumber water, and then can visit as many stations as they like. There were facials, massage, hair design, pedicures, and manicures. The Dragonfly Starlight Spa leaves you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and happy. It was the perfect cure for any visit to Stop & Shop in August!

The week was spent decorating our spa and making soap in the mornings, followed by a trip to the beach, then returning to the school to practice our spa treatments on each other. It was so much fun! Thanks to everyone that had time to make it to our spa. Your treatment from your daughter is a “thank you” for signing them up to be a Seafari Girl this summer.

There was just one part of the week that wasn’t exactly relaxing…. there was a invasion of boys with water balloons while we were at Melanie’s house. The boys were with Mark Carapezza (Magic Mark) and they were on a mission to prank on the Seafari Girls. I planned  this with Mark as a fun end of the summer surprise. I had coolers filled with water balloons for the girls stashed around my yard so they could throw some back. It was an all out wild adventure which ended with shaving cream pies! It was fun and exciting! The boys left within 15-20 minutes, after we soaked them with the hose.  After, all of the girls went down to the beach for a quick swim before we returned to the school and we got back into spa mode. This summer’s camp absolutely ended with a bang! My mom was around to get some pictures of the water battle, so I will post them as soon as I have them. For now, enjoy our spa pictures!