DAY CAMP IN AUCKLAND

In early July, we held a day camp for Hungarian children in Auckland.The idea was born during a conversation in June, when we were thinking about how to enrich the community programs during the school holidays. Originally, I had planned an excursion, but due to the weather, it didn’t seem ideal this time. That’s when the inspiration came: what if we held a day camp instead? Back in Hungary, I’ve been organizing camps for years with my dance club, where we spend the summer with nearly a hundred children, dancing, playing, and having fun. This year, for the first time in a long while, I found myself missing that buzz — so the idea naturally followed: why not create something similar for the children of the Hungarian community here in Auckland?

After a quick survey, it became clear that several families would be staying in the city during the break, so I dove straight into organizing. From finding a venue to collecting game ideas, craft activities, and all kinds of engaging tasks, I worked every minute to put together a fun and meaningful program. One of the main challenges was the wide range of age groups, so I aimed to create activities that would stimulate, entertain, and bring the group together at the same time.

On the day of the camp, the children arrived full of energy and curiosity. The goal of the day was clear: for everyone to have fun, find something enjoyable to do, make new friends, and of course, hear and practice some Hungarian. In the morning, we kicked off with musical chairs and the game "Fire-Water-Airplane" — the kids' competitive spirits showed right away. We also did some arts and crafts: coloring, drawing, and creative activities. The girls especially loved the classic box braid. I used to make hundreds of these as a child, so it was pure joy to see the kids discover the tricks of this colorful technique. Viki, for example, got so into it that she made four braids during the day!

Of course, we didn’t forget about the snacks either. The children had endless appetites, so the treats disappeared quickly. In the afternoon, we moved on to maze and word search games, with chocolate as the reward for correct answers. Even those children who are only just starting to learn Hungarian did really well. The star of the afternoon was the classic fortune teller game — the children made them non-stop using colorful paper and filling them with their own ideas. We ended up with nearly twenty of them, all filled with funny or skill-based challenges.

The highlight of the day was our "Talent Show": Ella, for example, listed all her classmates in alphabetical order, while Ábel had great success with his unique talent — eating! We wrapped up the day with dancing, shared laughter, a game of hangman, and free play. Before we knew it, the parents had already arrived — the day went by so quickly!I truly hope the children enjoyed themselves as much as I did, and for those who couldn’t join us this time: don’t worry — we’re already planning the next camp for the upcoming school holidays!

Fanni Csényi

KCSP scholarship holder

Children from all three age groups of AUskola — the junior, middle, and senior classes — came to the first day camp in Auckland to spend the whole day with us.Fanni had prepared a full-day schedule, so there was always an activity on hand — whether it was a craft or something more active, like musical chairs. Personally, I’m a big believer in improvisation. Based on my teaching experience, I’ve found that while it’s good to have a framework to fall back on, kids often find joy in the most unexpected things — so I made up games on the spot for them.

With one little boy, for example, we found two slightly flexible hardcover books that made perfect makeshift ping pong paddles — we made it to 42 hits! Then, of course, there was the inevitable building of the sky-high LEGO tower and a round of hide and seek. Later, we even tried to keep a balloon in the air out in the yard, though the wind quickly blew it away.

One of my personal favorites was the word game Scrabble, where we spelled out Hungarian words together — a great way to practice correct spelling in our mother tongue. We broke up the games now and then with a snack — sometimes kiwi (not kiwi!), other times chocolate — so the kids stayed energetic all day, and we managed to keep their attention right through to the end.

Áron Darvasi

KCSP scholarship holder