Nabby News

Camp Nabby is a traditional eight week summer day camp designed by professional educators. But this is a blog not a camp, so here you'll find thoughts, reminders and nonsense for our campers, parents and friends.

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According to this article in today’s New York Times by Gretchen Reynolds, physical activity has a lot to do with the development of the brain in children.

Camp does kids a world of good—and their brains, too!

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According to this article in today's New York Times by Gretchen Reynolds, physical activity has a lot to do with the development of the brain in children.

Camp does kids a world of good--and their brains, too!

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We wanted to know why our senior campers (4-8th grade) love camp so much. So we asked 'Why Camp Nabby?' and this is what they said!

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10 Questions With New Junior Camp Program Director, Sam Stern

Nabby is proud to announce its newest Junior Camp Program Director, Sam Stern! Sam has been a head counselor with the Tufts group for the past 4 years and we are thrilled to have him join our leadership team. To keep up with tradition we gave Sam a Q&A to get to know him better.

1. I hear you are a big Yankees fan, do you like the addition of all the new players and what is your prediction for them this year?

I like the additions that they made.  They added speed, power, and some key arms on the mound.  If they can stay healthy, I think they can make a run.  I predict 92 wins and a playoff spot (if healthy).

2. What is your go-to karaoke song?

Hmmm…I love to sing.  Many a show tune are faves in my repertoire, or some of the classics by the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra.

3. Got any big plans for the Junior Camp this summer?

Junior Camp is great!  The program is a really solid one, but I do have a few ideas for how to grow some added interest among junior campers in red/white color war.

4. What are your hobbies?

As I said, I love to sing, and I fiddle around on the guitar and piano a bit.  Used to play golf a lot, but don’t have the free time anymore.

5. Are you married? Kids? pets?

I’ll be celebrating my 8th anniversary at the end of May to my lovely wife, Dana.  I have 2 boys, matthew who will be in Princeton or Stanford this year, and Ryan will be a cub.  We also have “semi-inherited” my mother-in-law’s crazy toy poodle.

6. What’s one thing you love about working at Camp Nabby?

ONE thing!?!  That’s hard…There are so many!  The people, being outside and active all summer, Gemma’s chili…I could go on and on.  If you are going to tie me down to just 1, then I guess I’ll have to go with the amazing people that make Nabby the awesome place that it is every summer.

7. Who is your favorite superhero? Why?

I was always drawn to Batman.  He was a regular guy.  He wasn’t from another planet, didn’t have some accident that gave him superpowers, he just worked really hard…and had the best collection of toys (who wouldn’t want a batarang to take down bad guys?), and don’t even get me started on how cool the Batmobile is

8. Did you have a favorite middle school teacher? If so, who?

My middle schools had great teachers, but I’d have to say that I always loved P.E. in middle school.  Mrs. Parsons, Mr. Greaney, and some guy named Bertino!  He was also a tough HS golf coach…try getting a golf ball to stop on a gym floor.  =)

9. Pirates or ninjas? Why?

Pirates…better catch phrases…Aaarrrrrrgh!

10. I understand the kids call you “The Riddler”, where did that nickname come from? Do you have a riddle for us?

Opening doors at the front gate we used to share riddles in the morning.  Debbie would often be puzzled by them and asked me to start sharing them as part of morning announcements.  It just kinda grew from there I guess. Hmm….one for now….You draw a line.  Without touching it, how do you make the line longer?

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10 Questions For Kyle Pierce

Congratulations to Kyle Pierce, assistant coach for the Panas basketball team and favorite head counselor at Nabby Day Camp, for winning the class A sectional title against Eastchester. Kyle has been at Nabby for a few years now, and we appreciate his enthusiasm and charismatic personality each summer. Kyle was nice enough to take some time off of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us: 

1. How many years have you been at Nabby and what groups have you been with?

I will be going on my 4th summer at Nabby. During my time as a head counselor, I have been with Duke and Tulane.

2. Why do you enjoy working at Nabby? What makes you come back year after year?

I really enjoy working with and teaching young people. This is the main reason why I entered education and applied to Nabby. That reason, along with working with an awesome staff each summer, keeps me coming back year after year.

3. Any similarities between being a head counselor at Nabby and a basketball coach for Panas?

Yes, a few. The boys on my team form friendships that will last a lifetime, similar to that of the kids in my summer groups. Both the team at Panas and the summer groups I’ve had at Nabby have been a pleasure to be around.

4. Due to your recent success, has your phone been ringing off the hook with new coaching offers?

I have been getting calls and texts non-stop from friends and past alumni.  Recently, Duke and Florida contacted me offering a coaching position. Of course, I had to turn this down because of my obligations to Walter Panas and Camp Nabby.

5. Which was the bigger thrill: winning Nabby’s Apache Relays for the white team or winning the basketball sectionals for Panas?

Both were exhilarating. I would have to say winning the Apache Relays for the white team since I have been at Nabby for 4 years and never won.

6. What is your occupation during the school year?

During the school year I am a physical education teacher and the athletic director at Walter Panas High School.

7. If you could have one superpower what would it be? Why?

Flying. Who wouldn’t want to fly?! I’d be the coolest!

8. Rumor has it you were quite the athlete, what sports did you play in high school? College?

In high school I played baseball, basketball, and football. I stuck to one sport and played football in college.

9. What’s your go to karaoke song?

In college, my friends and I headlined establishments to "The One" by the Backstreet Boys.

10. As Nabby’s new reigning basketball guru, do you have any favorites/predictions for this years March Madness?

March Madness is always tough to predict but I will be rooting for Villanova and Michigan. My cousin Dana goes to Villanova and my best friend Ross is a Michigan fanatic so I’d like to see their teams win. 

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10 Questions for Stef Frolo

Nabby loves seeing former camper/counselors excel in both their academic and athletic careers. Recently, Stefanie Frolo, a camper for many, many years and now counselor has signed a National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at SUNY Binghamton. We couldn't be more proud of her and her accomplishments and decided to check in and ask her a couple of questions:

How has being a local celebrity change your life?

Being a local celebrity has definitely changed my life for the better. Even though everywhere I go people ask for my autograph and for a picture with me, it's still been a fun change!

Favorite camp memory? Best summer at Nabby? Why?

My favorite camp memory is no doubt being the runner and winning the Apache Relay during my last summer in Jackson #redteam. The last year of Jackson was also my favorite summer at Nabby because I was in a group with all my best friends and loved my counselors!

What did you learn from being at Nabby that has helped you in your scholastic and athletic careers?

Nabby is such a sports oriented environment that I learned how to play so many different types of sports that I would not have learned anywhere else. My summers at Nabby have helped me learn how to work well in groups and learning to do what is best for the group instead of just yourself.

Why Binghamton? Why lacrosse?

I chose Binghamton because I think I want to study business in college and they are known for their great school of management that I got accepted into. I chose lacrosse because even though it is the last sport I started playing, it is definitely the one that I believe I have the most space to continue learning about the game and developing as a player.

If you could have one superpower what would it be? Why?

If I could have one superpower I no doubt would want to be able to fly. It would just be too convenient to be able to fly anywhere that I wanted!

What are you up to when you’re not playing lacrosse? Hobbies? Other sports?

When I'm not playing lacrosse I'm either playing soccer, basketball, or basically any other sport that someone will play with me. Besides playing sports I like to just hang out with my friends, eat as much food as I can, and of course keep a countdown until the first day of camp (141 days).

Any words of advice from Steve either about camp or sports or life? ( WE <3 STEVE )

Steve always tells me to do what makes me happy and that it will all work out. Thus far his advice has always been true.

What are you going to miss most about high school/Yorktown?

I'm definitely going to miss seeing all my friends everyday the most when I leave for college, but I know I still will be touch with them everyday whether by texting, face timing, Facebook, twitter, instagram, and other social media we can use.

What are you most looking forward to about college? (lets keep it PG)

I'm definitely really excited to meet new people and to be on a new team and play lacrosse at a higher level.

Please send us a pic of a #TBT and your #MCM

Obviously my tbt is from the belly flop contest this past summer where I got a perfect score and had to go into a flop off (probably one of the best moments of my life with all the kids chanting frolo flop). 

#tbt - Frolo Flop

#mcm - Luke Bryan, because I love country music (especially him).

Thanks, Stef. We wish you the best of luck and much success in college and in lacrosse!

Love, 

Your Camp Nabby Family

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Five Fun, Fast, Fresh, Fruity Snacks for Each Day of the Week

Monday: Start the week off easy but bright...Got fresh fruit? Grab some wooden spires and stack that fresh fruit one on top of each other for a fun, fruity kebab. Who said kebabs were only for dinner?

Tuesday: Do you like bananas and peanut butter? Take 5 minutes and whip up these delicious banana sushi rolls. So easy, so fun, so delicious.  Simply roll out a piece of whole wheat bread or use a whole wheat tortilla, spread with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and place the banana in the middle. Roll it up and either drizzle with some chocolate or honey for this twist on an Asian favorite. 

Wednesday: a 2-for-1 combo: lunch and a snack: make a fruit parfait! All you need is fruit (duh!), low-fat greek yogurt, and some granola. Layer these three ingredients in a cute cup or mason jar for a delicious snack/lunch treat. Remember, more fruit than granola and make sure the yogurt is the healthy kind (low-fat or Greek). 

Thursday: Make an apple and peanut butter sandwich! No, not that kind of sandwich, instead of bread simply slice the apple horizontally to use the apple as the bread and spread the peanut butter on the inside. If you really want to step it up a notch add a few chocolate chips to this savory treat. *Remember, only use a tablespoon of peanut butter or this snack will loose all of its nutritional value. 

  Friday: Sometimes, it’s all about the presentation. Whether it’s a strawberry snake, or a grape palm tree, or even a fruit rainbow, your kids will think these fruit animals are so cute that they will just eat them right up! Each week whip a new creature that will keep them on their toes. Kid tested, parent approved. 

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What's New At Camp Nabby?

It’s been almost 5 months since camp ended but that has not stopped us from improving and making our facilities better for next summer.

When you come for a visit this spring you might notice a few changes. Some big, some small. Here’s a rundown of latest additions to Nabby:  

Renovated kitchen in the dining room

Renovated side stairway to the dining room

New stairs and railings added to the row of girls’ bunks

New wooden picket fence around mini-soccer

New backstops on junior fields #2 and #3

Larger cookout deck

Renovated maintenance shed below the snack deck

New roof on the row of girls’ bunks and junior hockey/dodgeball facility

New fencing along the main entrance to camp

We still have plenty of work to do, but we’ve been able to squeeze in a ton of projects before losing time to the cold and snow.

We also have big plans for the spring. We can’t give away too much information, but we’ll give you a clue: aerial playground. Let that sink in for a few. We can’t wait.

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The Nabby Pumpkin Carving Challenge!

Halloween is the best! Besides our 38 days of summer, there's no better time to dress up, run around, laugh with friends and act silly. 

But this year why not include a little Nabby in your Halloween festivities? No, not Nabby candy corn (drool). We've come up with a simple DIY challenge that'll be sure to make our arts and crafts staff smile. Let's make some Nabby pumpkins! Here's everything you need to get started: 

Download this PDF and decide which Nabby logo you want to carve. 

Cut out the "negative space" around the logo you choose. 

Tape the cutout to your pumpkin and trace around what's left. 

Get carving!

When you're done share your masterpiece by tagging us on Facebook or by using the #campnabby hashtag on Instagram. 

Feel free to take some creative liberties in your design. After all there's no wrong way to carve a pumpkin! 

[Photo Credit: http://dalstongarden.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pumpkin-carving-005_2.jpg] 

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You can’t teach creativity; all you can do is let it blossom. Little children, before they start school, are naturally creative. Our greatest innovators, the ones we call geniuses, are those who somehow retain that childhood capacity, and build on it, right through adulthood.

There's a wonderful essay in Aeon Magazine, by Peter Gray, titled "The play deficit." We encourage all our Nabby parents to give it a read. We'd love to know your thoughts, too! 

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Meet The New Camp Nabby Website

Over the last couple of months we worked with developer and trustworthy digital native, Joel Kuehn, to build the latest addition to Camp Nabby—our shiny new website. 

We made this new website for 3 reasons: 

We needed a better way to provide information. This includes materials for prospective families, current families, staff members and all other interested parties (i.e. press, camp people, friends). 

We needed a website that works on different devices, and a bajillion different screen sizes (cough**Apple**cough) 

We needed to offer a more convenient way for parents to register their children, schedule their payments and monitor their balance. 

The design phase started prior to the 2013 season, and we worked throughout the summer to collect photos and edit copy. But it should be noted, as with any new digital product, that there will be a few unavoidable hiccups along the way—even Obama knows what's up: 

"Like every new law, every new product rollout, there are going to be some glitches in the sign-up process along the way that we will fix."

And he's right, we will fix anything that looks wonky or feels counterintuitive; this is an opportunity for the Nabby community to get involved. We need our parents and staff and friends to visit the site and click around. See how things work. Try to break something (don't get too creative here). And, if you notice something amiss please just give us a shout. 

We're happy with the final product and we hope you will be too. Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or maybe even by visiting our new contact page! 

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That's right! You can now view all the performances from our stunning "Rock Of Ages" musical on our Youtube channel. Maybe browse around a bit while you're there?!

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Yup, this is how we feel every September.

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The girls from Jackson follow up their first rendition of the Cup Song with this Camp Nabby remix! We love it. Obvs. 

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Cardboarder Challenge: Build a Minecraft Pickaxe!

A prop is an inanimate object in a film or play that is not part of a costume or set. It can also be a fun object to make for everyday life, too. Create your own prop inspired by Minecraft via this awesome Instructables tutorial.

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This one is dedicated to Alec Z!

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These happy campers used their first free weekend to run a 5K. Congrats and thanks for the pic! 

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This.