Activity Choices

Instructional Activities

With over 30 instructional classes to choose from, campers can truly customize their Sandy Hill experience. Campers choose three instructional activities each week from the extensive list below. Classes meet daily for an hour and fifteen minutes, allowing campers to improve their skills under the guidance of talented and experienced instructors. Campers attending for multiple weeks have three different classes each week.

Classes are assigned based on the date of registration, so be sure to register as early as possible, as spaces are limited in some activities (especially waterskiing and horseback riding).

See the Typical Daily Schedule for details about the times that these activities are held and how they fit into each day of camp.

Archery: Learn safety and skills of shooting a bow and arrow
Art: Try your hand at drawing and painting using different media
Basketball: Practice fundamentals and play on two outdoor courts
Canoeing: Improve your skills and take short trips on the Elk River
Challenge Course: Teamwork, leadership and adventure on the high and low challenge course
Climbing: Climb, belay and repel on the high ropes course and climbing wall (not for one-week JV campers)
Crafts: Make some cool projects that aren't offered during free time crafts
Dance: Learn and perform a modern dance routine
Field Hockey*: Bring your sticks, shinguards, and mouthguards-no experience necessary
Fishing*: Bring your rod to catch a variety of freshwater fish from the Chesapeake Bay
Fitness Cross Training: If you need to get in shape or stay in shape for a sport while you are at camp, be sure to sign up for this class. Daily workouts will be varied and may include running, swimming, stairs, tae bo, kickboxing, strength training, flexibility, and more (not for one-week JV campers)
Guitar (Beg.): Learn basic chords and strumming on the acoustic guitar
Horseback Riding: English-style equitation lessons for beginning and intermediate riders - walk, trot, canter and basic jumps (additional $75 fee)
International Cooking: Cook, bake, and taste delicious dishes from different countries each day
International Team Games: Join some of our international staff in playing games that are wildly popular in their home countries, such as rugby, cricket, netball, "football"(a.k.a. soccer), and more
Lacrosse* (Coed): A coed version of the game with camp sticks and camp rules (not for one-week JV campers)
Magic: Learn and practice the basics of sleight of hand and close-up magic tricks
Mountain Biking*: Explore miles of wooded trails, learn bike safety and maintenance
Musical Theater: Fine tune your acting or singing, and perform scenes from Broadway
Outdoor Living Skills: Outdoor cooking, fire-building, orienteering, an overnight campout and more
Olympic Pool Sports: We'll try our hand at different Olympic pool sports in a fun setting. Join us for diving contests, races and relays, water polo, a bit of synchronized swimming, and a mini pool Olympics on the last day of class
Photography: Learn digital camera basics and practice composing photographs at scenic Sandy Hill
Recreational Swimming: Play group games and have time for free swim at the pool
Sailing: Learn to sail on Sunfish and American 14-6's
Soccer: Work on the fundamentals and play organized games on two full-size outdoor fields
Team Games: Play your favorite "All-American" games like kickball, flag football, capture the flag, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, and more
Tennis (Beg.)*: Learn how much fun tennis can be on six outdoor courts
Tennis (Int.)*: Work on strokes, strategy, and technique
Tumbling: Small classes to develop skills at your level
Volleyball: Practice and play on sand and grass courts (not for one-week JV campers)
Waterskiing: Beginning to advanced skiiers are welcome in this popular activity (additional $50 fee)

* Bring your own equipment if possible

Electives

Electives offer campers the chance to experience a variety of activities in addition to their three instructional activities chosen from above. Each afternoon, campers do a different one of the following electives. There are a lot of great choices, so choose the four you get to try each week wisely.

See the Typical Daily Schedule for details about the times that these activities are held and how they fit into each day of camp.

Baseball: It's going, going, gone...play a pickup baseball/softball game.
Basketball Fun: Have fun playing favorite basketball games like Knock-Out, PIG, Around the World, 21 and more.
Big Sailboat Ride: Take a ride on our 39-foot Oday sailboat. If the wind is good, you’ll hoist the sails and sail up the river, and campers may even get a turn steering. If there is no wind, you’ll motor to a quiet cove for a little swimming and relaxing.
Canoe Trip: We’ll get oriented to our boats and take a short paddle (about 20 minutes) to a nearby beach to wade and swim, and then paddle back to camp.
Cartooning: Learn and practice drawing and cartooning skills from some of our art staff. (Varsity and Two-week only)
Climbing: Belayers ready? Ready! Campers will scale Sandy Hill’s 50 foot rock climbing tower. But wait—you’re tethered to two of your friends! Can you work together to make it to the top?
Giant Swing: Plummet down a 30' foot drop and then swing out over a large ravine - what a rush!
Hair Wraps: Part craft - part fashion, learn the art of hair wraps and practice on your new camp friends (girls only)
High Ropes: Put on your harness and get ready for some adventures climbing poles and walking across high wires.
Horseback Trail Ride: After an orientation in the stable area, set out and explore some of Sandy Hill’s beautiful wooded trails by horseback.
Improvisation Workshop: Have fun and improve your acting skills with some improvisation games. If you aren’t sure what improvisational comedy is, think of the TV show “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” (Varsity and Two-week only)
Indoor Movie: Watch a new release or classic G or PG movie. Bring your pillow and relax and enjoy the air conditioning!
Nature Encounter: Explore scenic hiking trails in search of wildlife, trees, bay ecosystems, and geology
Speedboat/Swim: Put on your life vests! We’re headed out for a pontoon or speed boat ride to find a quiet cove for some swimming and sunbathing.
Wearable Art: Design your own jewelry, T-shirts, or accessories. Projects will vary by week.
Tubing: Hold on tight! It’s time for a wet and wild ride on our two-person tube, towed by a trained and experienced Sandy Hill motorboat driver.
Ultimate Frisbee: Combine the non-stop action of soccer, the passing skills of football, and the old-fashioned fun of throwing a frisbee and you have the makings for a great game of Ultimate! (not for JV)
Water War & Mini-Golf: Test your putting skills on the mini-golf course. Then it's soak or be soaked. Squirt guns, water buckets, and other surprises designed for competing teams to see who can stay the driest. This is one activity where losing might actually be better than winning!
Zipline: Do you like heights? Then you’ll LOVE the zipline! You’ll climb to a platform at the top of a 50 foot pole, and then zoom down a 400 foot cable—in the safety of a full-body harness of course!

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Electives are offered based on demand. Not all electives are offered during every week of camp. For certain electives that are in high demand, preference is given to campers who are not already in a class with similar content. For instance, campers who are NOT in a horseback riding class are given first preference for a horseback trail ride elective.