Getting Gnarly!

Here at Camp, we always try to incorporate programming that touches on aspects of our Mission in fun and creative ways. At the center of our Mission is Positive Self Image & Self Esteem, and one classic Tawonga program that promotes this core value is the famed “gnarly” block, where campers cover themselves in mud and dirt, becoming as gnarly as possible. This is something campers look forward to each and every season– it is one of those quirky, exciting and uniquely Tawongan activities, providing campers with a special opportunity to express themselves in a completely new way.

The idea is that the campers, if they choose to, can get as dirty as possible! You name it, they’ve used it – from dirt and mud to paint, glitter, sand, lake water and everything in between. Campers run around Camp, finding new piles of dirt to roll in, all the while chanting, yelling and growling, “gnarly! gnarly! gnarly!” Getting gnarly encourages campers to step out of their comfort zones by having an experience completely outside the realm of normal life at home. Where else can you cover yourself head to toe in mud and paint and have it be OK? In doing so, kids not only bond with each other as they go through the experience, but get the opportunity to feel comfortable in their own skin, not bound by normal standards of cleanliness and decorum.

Of course, built in at the end of each gnarly block, is nice long hot shower.

Check out some photos of today, including a few bunks getting gnarly, in the gallery below. Enjoy!