The Goodtimes Project/Camp Goodtimes
COCA Best Activity Category 2023
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Whip Cream
In today’s world, we don’t often have opportunities to participate in a food fight—much less one sanctioned by the camp director! But what makes a better end to an all-camp outdoor carnival than tossing food at each other? Especially if that food is soft and lightweight (so as not to hurt anyone), cheap enough to “waste,” dissolvable with water, and tastes good enough to lick off your own arm. Camp Goodtimes invited all interested campers and staff to opt-in to a large-scale whip cream fight on the Thursday of camp as the cherry on top of the carnival experience. Campers and staff who chose to participate donned their best whip cream outfits consisting of clothes that could be thrown away (parents/guardians were asked ahead of camp to pack disposable outfits or borrow from our stash), garbage bags to “protect” hair or torsos, foam ear plugs for nostrils and ear cavities, swim goggles to protect eyes, and our lead nurse, camp name Scuba Bunny, even worn a rabbit costume head! An area was cordoned off with plastic chairs and caution tape to create the arena, and a smaller adjacent space was created as a low-impact zone for participants unsteady on their feet and/or needing a softer touch. Nurses were stationed around the perimeter with saline eye wash. Whip cream spray cans were distributed to staff. We had a safety talk which included a demonstration featuring two unsuspecting firefighters who participated in the fight and then we hit the music and let the whip cream fly! Participants could get handful of whip cream from designated staff (either in the fight or around the perimeter) and then choose who to chase down and fling it at…or, if the temptation proved to be too great, they could pop some in their mouth before targeting a sibling, counselor, or friend. After $250’s worth of whip cream (12 cases/144 bottles; $25/cabin) were exhausted, the food fight was over, but the fun wasn’t. Our friendly neighborhood Vashon Island firefighters brought a fire engine (pumper) and hosed us off so that the majority of whip cream was off bodies and dissolved into the grass. In our post-camp camper survey, ALL submissions rated the whip cream fight as “Loved/appreciated it” (versus the “It was OK” or “Not a fan” options). We definitely whipped up some fun!
why you should vote for me
1. Having a whip cream fight is playful and not your typical camp activity. It’s unexpected and somewhat subversive which makes the draw that much more appealing!
2. One food item never brought so much joy (though smiley fries are a close second). Tell a camper they get to toss, smear, or dollop whip cream on other people, including staff, and watch their eyes light up.
3. It became a community event and created connections with the local fire department—who is our primary source of emergency medical care, as camp is on an island. Even the newly appointed fire chief made it out to see his team in action.