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A Day at Dream Street
Great Expectations
A Day in the life of Dream Street....
Each day of camp at Dream Street, MS is packed full of fun and excitement from the moment we wake-up until we go to bed. From swimming and athletics to arts n’ crafts and horse back riding, there’s never a dull moment!
Wake-Up
Every day of camp starts off bright and early when we wake up and meet for stretching. We dance to the music for a fun morning workout as we get our bodies moving and ready for the fabulous day ahead!
A delicious breakfast in the dining hall is followed by a lively song session consisting of singing, dancing, clapping, and playing musical instruments. Dream Street is fortunate to have a certified music therapist as part of our staff who has developed a great musical program to engage all of us in various ways and using various senses and movements.
Daily Activities
After breakfast we head off to daily activities. Our day is divided into multiple activity periods, with campers grouped by age into small groups and rotating through a daily schedule designed to give every camper an opportunity to participate in every activity.
Activities include:
 Arts and Crafts - Campers participate in a variety of creative art projects ranging from making a picture frame to designing a t-shirt, and from creating jewelry to decorating a flower pot. Each summer is a different group of projects and physical and occupational therapists on staff help ensure each camper is able to participate in creating his/her own project.
 Horse-back riding - Campers have the option to either saddle up and take a horseback ride or take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the camp. This is always one of the favorites and a great opportunity for our campers to challenge themselves to an activity they may have never done before.
 Music - Our music specialists take campers on an unforgettable journey showing the true potential of music therapy. A wide variety of instruments are available for campers to play and there are plenty of songs for all to sing. Have you ever played a djembe? What about the steel pan? You will at Camp Dream Street!
 Fishing and Canoeing - Campers can pick up a fishing pole, sit back, relax, try to catch a big fish and enjoy the outdoors. Or they can go out on the lake for some boating in a canoe or a paddleboat on Lake Gary. Our beautiful new expanded lake is fully staffed with certified life guards and each boat launched is also staffed.
 Athletics - Campers get to demonstrate and build their athletic abilities in basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics and more! We are fortunate to have a staff of physical and occupational therapists to assist in adapting sports activities so everyone can participate.
- Outdoor Adventure – Campers get the opportunity to explore the outdoors and enjoy the serene tranquility of the Mississippi countryside. In previous years, campers have made kites, built tents, gone on nature hikes, learned to tie knots, and much more!
- Science – During science activities, campers are able to be wacky mad scientists. Campers have made rockets, play-doh, crazy gooks, gak, slime and ooblek, and created eruptions as well as watermelon explosions.
 Swimming - Swimming is one of the most popular Dream Street activities. After spending time in the hot Mississippi sun, there is no better way to cool off than with a nice dip in the pool. Campers are free to lounge on floats, play water games, and even jump off the diving board!
For some campers, Camp Dream Street is not just the only time in the year when they get the opportunity to swim, but it also may be their first experience in a pool. Not surprisingly, once first time swimmers get in the water, we have a hard time getting them out!
Dream Street ensures an ample supply of lifeguards and medical professionals to monitor safety as well as to provide aquatic instruction to ensure campers get the most out of their pool experiences.
Majors
In addition to daily activities, campers are given the chance to choose their own “major” based on their own specific interests. The majors meet for longer periods and focus on specific skills to complete a project. The majors are conducted in small groups with leaders that bring expertise to their subjects.
Majors include:
- Cheerleading
- Dance
- Pottery
- Creative Writing
- Radio
- Yearbook
- Investigative Journalism
- Nature/Outdoor Adventure
- Athletics
- And much more...
Special Activities
Dream Street is full of surprises. Every summer, we have special surprise activities or guests. Past special activities include a magic show, a fire truck presentation, a visit from NASA, a circus, a building project with Home Depot, visits from snakes, monkeys, lemurs, a petting zoo, a monster truck, and a hot air balloon exhibition.
Lunch, Camper Performances, and Rest hour
After a fun-filled morning, campers and counselors re-fuel with a nutritious lunch. After lunch, campers have the opportunity to perform for their friends on stage. We’ve enjoyed performances by our talented campers who can tell jokes, sing, or play the piano!
Following these special performances, campers and counselors return to their cabins for “rest-hour” to relax our minds and bodies before diving into the afternoon schedule with more activities
Dinner and Song Session
Every evening begins with a hearty dinner and another spirited song session.
Evening Program
Every night after dinner, we have a special evening program that is based on the theme for the week. These creative programs allow campers and counselors to use their imagination and get whisked away to another world!
The 2003 session's theme was “Dream Street School of Wizardry!” During the evening programs, campers learned valuable wizards’ skills such as casting spells, making potions, taming dragons and other grueling tasks.
Come to Utica to see where we will go or what we will do next time!
Bedtime
Campers are ready for a good night’s sleep by the end of the day. After an exciting evening program, they return to their cabins for showers and rest.
Every day at Dream Street, MS is jam packed with fun, friends, challenges, good food, sports, achievement, wonder and excitement!
Great Expectations
The Great Expectations (GE) program began in the summer of 1999 to provide an opportunity for high school age students, many of whom attended Dream Street as campers, to participate in an exciting and unique program more appropriately geared toward their age and maturity. The GE program supplements the Dream Street campers’ experiences by providing role models for our younger campers and allows the participants the independence to enjoy programming tailored to their age-level.
Participants in the GE program help create some of their own programming as well as lead some of the programming and activities for the Dream Street campers. The GE staff helps organize and plan the schedule, and assists the participants when and where needed, but the participants are granted much more independence and autonomy.
Activities in the GE program are geared to helping prepare the participants for high school, college, work, and the general challenges faced by teenagers. Special activities for GE participants include driving lessons in an adaptive vehicle, climbing the ropes tower, and a self-prepared meal.
Each summer also includes a reunion of prior GE participants and staff members. It’s a great opportunity for previous GE members to catch up and share stories about their lives.
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