InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip -May 2021

Rip Robertson is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker. He brings to the job years of experience in Parks and Rec, as well as Public Works. Rip is a former Military Intelligence Analyst for the U.S. Army and is active with the Army Reserve.

Are you ready to splash into summer? Tucker is making a splash with improvements at the pools, as well as to our popular summer camp. So I thought I’d take the opportunity this month to write a little bit about both.

To start, I know a lot of parents might be asking, “What would a typical day look like at the Tucker Recreation Center Summer Camp?” Glad you asked. 

Camp Day

7 a.m.: We start the day with a “hello, hi, good morning, and high fives” from the enthusiastic staff team. Then we sing our all-time favorite camp song “I’m Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic.” Such fun! On Wednesdays, the staff dress in their favorite wacky outfits and campers get to do it, too! 

8:30 a.m.: One of our favorite things is having breakfast together with campers in the dining hall. Breakfast and lunch are made possible by our great partner Wayward Homes.

8:45 a.m.: Right after breakfast, it’s time for Morning Assembly! This is where we get the day started with a dance party, counselor challenges, riddles and the question of the day. One question could be, “How do you make someone feel welcome here at camp?” Our counselors are trying to make sure campers really feel like they “belong here” and are building forever friends.

9:00 a.m.: Next, our groups meet to go over the day’s schedule and our daily expectations. It’s also the time we welcome any new campers and we set our daily activity goals!

10 a.m.: We have a ton of activities and get to rotate to different ones all day long. (This summer, campers will attend classes with others from their unit cohort – there will be no mixing of units in classes.) This is when we get to create fun and exciting games, crafts, experiments and classes. There will even be a Fortnite Kid Fit class, in addition to all the games being played in the new Rec Center gym. Some days campers will get to swim and, on non-swimming days, there will be water games on the front lawn.

11:30 a.m.: After such a busy morning, we have lunch and it is our first time to rest (whew!) and enjoy some really great food! All meals are balanced with the major food groups and, as we are a nut-free camp, they will be free of tree nuts. Lunch is another time campers get to make new friends. 

12:30 p.m.: On days where it’s a pool day, we’ll jump on the bus and take a short ride to Cofer Pool, where campers will get to try the exciting new rope swing. (Not to be outdone, Rosenfeld Pool is getting a new waterslide, so get your season passes today!) Don’t worry if your child is not a confident swimmer. Each camper is required to take a swim test to enter the deep end. If your child is under 48” tall and they do not pass the swim test, they will be placed in a life jacket and can enjoy the shallow end of the pool with their friends and a camp counselor.

12:30-2:30 p.m.: On non-swim days, afternoons are full of fun camp activities. Some days you’ll find campers at Henderson Park, engaged in a scavenger hunt. Others, we’ll get to learn in one of the STEM rooms, while other times we do art classes.

3:30 p.m.: After an exhausting day of fun, we come back together to wrap up the day with the closing ceremony. We get to answer questions like “Who is one new friend you made today?” and “Tell us one thing about that friend.” 

4 p.m.: After so much fun, we start to say goodbye as parents come for pick-up. Safety is a priority at the City of Tucker Summer Camp, so we require all parents and guardians to present their ID at every pick-up throughout the week and that all adults picking up are on the authorized pick-up list.

Warning: Before you pull out of the parking lot, your child may be fast asleep in the back of the car, dreaming about Frozen Treat Friday at camp.

One last note: We will open our pools on Saturday May 29 for the Memorial Day weekend. We will continue with our safety protocols this summer similar to last year. We have made a few adjustments to our swim sessions to expand times and to allow longer stays. We have also adjusted our capacity slightly, but will still limit the number of swimmers in the pool at any time to allow for safe spacing. We have added a couple of new features that we are sure will be a huge hit for the kids and the kid in all of us. Visit tuckerga.gov/parks for all the details and news for the upcoming summer fun.