Activities

Easily one of the hottest activities at Chinqueka, the Warrior Wall is for the campers that like challenges. Race your fellow camper (or counselor) to the top of the Warrior Wall and jump back down to the ground. Alternatively, experience the thrilling Zip Line – it’s not for the faint of heart! As with all the activities at Chinqueka, safety is always the first concern – but having FUN is a very close second!

Come learn to sculpt clay into amazing pieces of art. Or spin the potters wheel and make a beautiful vase or ceramic bowl. Decorate your creation with fun colorful paints and bring home a nice present for your parents. Instruction in sculpture is taught during the morning periods and campers have the opportunity to finish their projects or try new designs during the elective periods in the afternoon.

Shared with our brother camp, Camp Awosting, the waterskiing program is offered weekdays on beautiful Bantam Lake, just 7 miles away. Campers receive instruction in all skill levels of waterskiing, including beginning skiing, trick skiing, slalom or barefoot. In addition, campers can try their skills at kneeboarding and wakeboarding.

Chinqueka is a great place to learn new skills and try in individual activity, and archery is a great place to start! Girls practice using bows and arrows in a safe and fun environment. From setting your foot position to releasing the arrow, archery is taught in a fun and engaging way.

The Go-Kart track is the place to test your driving skills! All campers have the opportunity to try and beat the camp speed record around the famous hairpin turn. In addition, basic engine care and maintenance are taught in morning instruction sessions. As with all our programs, safety and fun are always our number one concerns.

Easily one of the most popular places at camp. Often referred to as “the blob”, campers can bounce on the water trampoline or launch into the air. As with any waterfront activity, safety is always a priority, so life vests are required for all campers.

Ready for a new challenge? Our campers can visit Camp Awosting to scale their 50-foot-tall High Ropes Course, where they can climb through the obstacles, speed down the Zip Lines or jump from the Quick Flight! No need to be afraid of heights, as all girls are secured by safety harnesses and wear helmets.

Learn the latest way to Tie-Dye your socks (bring an extra pair, just in case!) Or, make a lanyard key-chain to send home to your family. The Arts & Crafts program develops the creative side of our campers. Campers are encouraged to experiment with different type of crafts not taught in a normal school art program. The results are seen around camp – from the cover of the newspaper to the backdrop in the camp drama production.

Our soccer program keeps girls focused on the basics of shooting, dribbling and strategies used in soccer. Campers also test their new skills in afternoon elective soccer games.

Our girls love our new spin bikes! With a certified instructor, the girls love using our world-class stationary bikes as they learn new techniques while having a blast.

The gymnastics program offers campers an opportunity to fine-tune their skills on the uneven bars, mat, mini-tramp, and beam. This is an excellent activity to fine-tune motor skills, improve balance, and build muscle. Girls love showing off their new skills in gymnastics shows each session.

Take your gymnastics and tumbling skills and apply them at Cheerleading! Girls learn pyramids, dances & fun camp cheers. We even use some of them for our Watersports Day Pep Rally!

In an idyllic setting on the waters of Mt. Tom, our campers learn different Yoga techniques. Girls learn meditation tricks, try new poses, and learn healthy lifestyle tips, all while being surrounded by the clear water of the lake, and alongside your closest friends.

Campers receive swim instruction from American Red Cross certified counselors throughout their time at camp. The goal of the waterfront staff is to teach campers to swim better and understand water safety, while still having fun. This philosophy is at the heart of all of our instruction programs, from Level 1 to Lifeguard Training. Of course, girls always have the opportunity to enjoy free swim in the lake!

At Outdoor Cooking, campers learn basic cooking skills while enjoying the outdoors. They learn to build a fire, prepare ingredients, and cook meals over the flames, all while bonding with fellow campers and creating delicious meals.

Get ready to spice up your summer with our brand new Culinary Arts program! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive into the world of cooking and baking, where campers will learn the basics of cooking popular dishes and baking their favorite treats. Our Culinary Arts program is here to whisk you away on a flavorful journey. Campers are encouraged to mix and match ingredients in ways they’ve never imagined, creating dishes that are as unique as they are. And who knows? Your culinary masterpieces might just be the talk of the camp, from the picnic tables to the grand finale of our camp banquet.

Water Tag is a great way for campers to practice teamwork in a fun and friendly way while also staying cool in the summer sun! Campers learn to work with their team to reach a goal, as they soak their opponents. Competing against our counselors has become a very popular game!

Trek through Chinqueka’s level grounds if you are a beginner – or make your own course in the more advanced biking sessions. Biking trips through the trails of Mt. Tom State Park is a blast with your friends! Come bike the forests of the Litchfield hills!

Learn the basics of Field Hockey – dribble, flick, push and scoop. Could you possibly be the player who Hat Tricks this summer?

Bump. Set. Spike! Campers learn about game rules and develop new skills on our sand volleyball court. A fun game for girls of any age!

Girls learn dribbling, passing & shooting on our indoor court. Do you have what it takes to make the NCAA Women’s Final Four or WNBA?

Enjoying Mt. Tom on a Stand Up Paddleboard is a great way to spend your afternoon! Girls love to take them out and work on their balance, paddle around with their friends, and even do some yoga!

Explore all the beauty Mt. Tom has to offer.  Head out with a buddy kayaking or test out your rowing skills for the afternoon!

With dozens of boats available to our girls, they love the opportunity to take a leisurely journey around the lake on a hot summer day! Campers receive instruction in American Red Cross certified programs during morning activities and love to use the many boating facilities for afternoon journeys on the lake. Day and overnight canoe trips are also offered throughout the summer.

Set sail with us! While sailing isn’t offered daily at Chinqueka, we provide occasional opportunities for campers to head over to our brother camp, Awosting, to enjoy it as an elective activity. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced sailor, you’ll love the chance to learn, explore, and navigate the waters alongside friends.

Whether it be karate, taekwondo, or brazilian jiu jitsu, instruction is offered for those campers with interest. Our skilled instructors help motivate and encourage our girls in a positive and engaging way.

Open Auditions! Actresses are wanted for this summer’s performance. Campers aid in all aspects of the performance – from lighting and costume design, to scenery and direction. Weekly productions like a cabin skit night, lip sync contests, or a musical ensemble are highlighted where girls can get up on stage or help behind the scenes. Whether it is a one woman play, or a musical with our brother camp – Camp Awosting – every production is sure to please even the toughest critics.

Learn the latest dance craze or practice your ballet in our Dance Studio. Campers receive instructional training in creative modern, jazz, and ballet. Practice pays off at the Dance Shows that are held during the summer. Perform your own routine, or one with the girls in your cabin.

Combine dance and swimming skills to learn and practice graceful, choreographed routines in Camp Chinqueka’s lake. Our senior campers also have the chance to learn our Candlelight routine, one of Chinqueka’s oldest traditions.

Warm up your vocal chords and break out your rhythm for the camp’s Music program. Campers assist with the music in the Drama and Dance productions. Additionally, campers explore different music styles, group singing, and instruments that are available at camp, such as piano and guitar.

En garde! Fencing instruction and tournaments are held in foil, epee’ and sabre. Campers without any prior knowledge of fencing can become quite skilled in the sport with just a few lessons. Many of our campers have since joined a fencing club since returning home.

Girls love designing and creating their own jewelry, from bead making to colorful friendship bracelets to leather crafting, we have it all!

Experience team building activities and challenge courses in our amazing low ropes program.  Girls learn the importance of teamwork to overcome each part of the challenge course.

The fiercest competition of the summer is Watersports Day, without a doubt. Awosting vs. Chinqueka!!! Whether it is in the long distance swim, rock hunts, blobbing competitions, or the traditional War Canoe race, fun is guaranteed. All participants are treated to a Watersports Buffet and a Social between the camps.

Our camp newspaper, the Tom-Tom, is a product of many hours of hard work in our journalism studio. Campers learn from trained journalists about writing style, editing newspaper content, and what it takes to put together a weekly publication. Every camper then writes a letter home on the back of their newspaper each week – so you can share in the activities and events that happened in camp the previous week.

Capture the special moments at camp while taking your photography skills to the next level! Campers learn the fundamentals of photography while completing assignments that challenge their creativity.

Move over Serena Williams, you’ve got some competition here! Our tennis coaches lead our girls with age-appropriate instruction combined with fun and engaging activities. Whether a camper is just developing her tennis skills or an ace performer, our coaches emphasize developing skills and enjoying the game.

Want to sleep under the stars? Overnight trips take campers out to set up camp at local sites and allow the girls to get back to nature.  Enjoy an evening under the stars, roasting marshmallows and telling stories.  For info on co-ed extended camping trips offered to the senior campers, please see our Special Events.

Stay energized at camp with circuit drills, strength challenges, and pilates stretches. Use your newfound skills in our weekly Team Games, where endurance is the key to winning points for your summer team!

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Fun! From sticky slime to explosive experiments, campers get hands-on experiences in various tasks and projects that encourage creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Girls compete in traditional and fun swimming events during our Swim Meets at our Waterfront. What’s your best stroke – Freestyle, Backstroke, Breastroke or Butterfly? We even have events specifically designed for non-swimmers and younger campers, to encourage being comfortable having fun in the water.

We encourage healthy competition at Chinqueka and throughout the summer our three teams compete for points in our track and field events from sprints to 3 legged races. Everyone is sure to have a blast!

Learn to ride a horse at our local riding stable. Campers may choose instruction or trail rides, usually 2 to 3 times per week. Riding takes place during the morning instruction periods and is available for an additional fee. Although you may bring your own riding gear, please, leave your horse at home!

Any campers that stay for multiple sessions (4 weeks, 6 weeks, or 8 weeks) can enjoy a fun day out at Lake Compounce or Brownstone Adventure Sports Park.

Each summer, the campers gather with the Camp Awosting boys to celebrate Independence Day with an old-fashioned Barbecue. We eat, play games on Awosting’s sports field, and when the sun sets we turn on the music and party!

Possibly the most exciting parts of our day happens after dinner… evening activities! We give it our all during friendly competitions like Capture the Flag, Gold Rush, or Counselor Hunt. We use all of our creativity during Talent Shows or Cabin Lip Sync Contests. We thrive during our weekly campfires, full of games and songs and occasionally a hilarious theme. And we love the surprising, new activities that we get to try out each summer.

Our favorite camp classic! We all gather around the campfire in the amphitheater to dress up in funny costumes, sing traditional camp songs, play games, and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

We take pride in the Chinqueka traditions that have been happening for decades. From our Candlelight ceremony and camp teams, to our opening campfires and finishing the summer with our awards night… we love passing on our traditions year after year.

The girls from Chinqueka get frequent chances to visit with the boys of our brother camp, Camp Awosting. We get together for “socials” (dances) once a week. D.J.’s are brought in throughout the summer, and on occasion, campers get to assist counselors in choosing the music for the evening. The boys and girls also have friendly competitions in various activities on an elective basis.

Each year, the senior campers from both Awosting and Chinqueka, our sister camp, take a 4-day overnight camping trip to Cape Cod, MA or Lake George, NY. At Cape Cod, campers go whale watching, enjoy the ocean with a day at the beach with their camp friends, and learn a little about Cape Cod and its history. At Lake George, campers set up camp in the mountains, get extreme with whitewater rafting, and enjoy some of the many local attractions for summer fun. Senior trips are only for select sessions and are an additional fee.

Our seniors get the opportunity to visit Boulder Ridge Day Camp with our brother camp to enjoy an evening of swimming, games, and sweet treats under the moonlight!