Everyone who has ever rested in a children's camp knows perfectly well that on a rare day there were no contests, role-playing games or theatrical performances. Time passes, and the saying "old old" in this regard is no longer relevant. This can be said with confidence, because for several generations in a row children who grew up in the countries of the Soviet and post-Soviet space are happy to play games such as "Cossack robbers" and "war games", and upon arrival to the camp, they look forward to Day Neptune and, of course, April Fool's Day.
What is April Fool's Day?
April Fool's Day is a kind of antipode to Halloween, a fun and scary holiday of all kinds of scarecrows. Jokes, practical jokes, unusual contests, which evaluate not so much ingenuity and quickness as the ability to charmingly smile and laugh infectiously, are an obligatory program, but such obligation does not even bother the guys at all. April Fools' Day is an entertaining game, not only stretched out for the whole day, but also surprisingly drawn counselors and educators into the process.
The benefits of laughter
One of the heroes of the wonderful, but a little frightening James Crews tale "Tim Thaler or Sold Laughter" once said that of the various explosions, he recognizes only an explosion of healthy children's laughter. Given that at school and at home, children only hear that “do not twist” and “be more attentive,” April Fool’s Day for children, especially in the midst of summer holidays, has become a real gift. This is a great opportunity to distract and relax.
What is the usual April Fool's Day camp?
Of course, given that modern children are unlikely to be interested in contests held once for their dads and mothers, each time they come up with something different. That's why it’s April Fool’s Day. In the camp (the script is usually developed individually by a team of counselors) it is allowed to improvise, which the grateful participants perceive with a bang.
As a rule, guys are divided into two teams, each of which prepares its own logo. Recently, given the universal computerization of the younger generation, emoticons have become incredibly popular, which become original symbols of this fun and funny holiday. The award for victory in a particular competition is quite original, it’s not disgusting chocolate-biscuit bars and sweets, but painted hemp. Not on their faces, of course, although some in the excitement manage to put war paint on both themselves and their comrades. They put marks on the emblem-emoticon. Whose emoticon is more caulked, he won.
Among the contests I would like to mention those that carry an element of group psychotherapy. All of us once were teenagers and we remember how many tears the ugly noses, teeth, ears or eyes brought us. And how many unpleasant minutes I had to go through in connection with the “ridiculous” name ... But the contests “Whose nose is better” and “Horns and hooves” help teenagers get rid of complexes and understand that there are no ugly people, and if you relate to your real and imaginary external flaws with a fair amount of healthy humor, life becomes much more beautiful.
In a word, April Fool's Day in the camp gives children not only the long-awaited opportunity to have fun, but also to look at themselves from the side and see their comrades in a different light.