Alex, Marian, Kiki, Cătălin, Florim M., Florin B. and Cristina fell endlessly enthusiastic when it’s time to go to Văratec Camp.

They waited impatiently for the time to hit the road. Alex was so excited that he packed his bags a week before and found them a special place in his room. Each morning, he asked our colleagues about when they will arrive at his beloved place, Văratec.

Once at Văratec, each day offered our youth new places to explore and new activities that improved their abilities in fun and relaxing ways. Like every year, they visited their favorite places: Neamț Fortress, the Văratec and Agapia Monasteries and the ”Ion Creangă” Memorial House in Humulești. Little by little, they started to feel like real explorers and began to search for the biggest secret of Văratec: Mihai Eminescu’s hut, which they managed to discover after two days of searching.
They continued to collect memories so they went for walks in the closest forests, such as the Silver Forest. They also visited Bicaz Gorge and relaxed a little more on the shores of the Red Lake.
Back at the camp and still energized, they played funny games which required interactions, focus and coordination.

Their friends from the Impact team organized a number of games where each one’s goal was to gather as many points and win the big prize at the end.
The first game involved mixing different pairs of shoes and correctly placing them on the feet of turned chairs, to practiced their dexterity.

They tested their focus and coordination by playing another game: everyone received a glass of water to hold in their hands while passing with it through a hoop without spilling its contents. The winner was the team that managed to keep the largest amount of water in their glasses.
The funniest game was ”Nail in the bottle”. Every participant had a string tied around their waist with a nail attached at its end, which had to be inserted into the bottle on the ground. This way, they practiced precision and balance.

The water bowl game ended with soaked clothes for everyone. Both teams were seated on two rows of seats and each had the mission to pass their water-filled bowl from the first teammate to the next, all the way to the end of the row.

We were pleasantly surprised to observe the speed of reaction and competitive spirit they all put into the musical chairs game. There were more people than chairs, and yet each one tried their best to get a seat when the music stopped.

Carrying water with a spoon was a real challenge. The team that collected the largest amount of water in the glass was the winner.

For the next game, each participant wore a helmet created before by their team, while another team mate popped balloons by throwing them at the sharp tip of the helmet. This is how they tested their tolerance for loud sounds and practiced the accuracy of their throws.And, of course, they played their beloved cornhole game, at which Florin is an expert. This game involves throwing sand bags into a round hole cut into a wooden game board. As relaxing as it is, as much strategy it requires.

The camp ended with many pleasant memories but with one question on everyone’s lips: ”When will we come back to Văratec?”

Thank you for helping us host another season of camps and activities that help out young adults thrive in our group homes.
We need your help to continue to provide our young adults from institutions a family with fond memories and a loving environment where to further develop their skills and personalities.

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