Program Overview:
Enjoy full days with your Adventure Riding Camp family - riding either Western or English. Adopt your own horse to pray for, groom, tack, feed, and ride in daily professional lessons. The program includes equine theory, driving, vaulting, developing your seat and control at different gates, basic jumping, and planning your own horse show. Plus, enjoy team-building initiatives, campfire cooking, cable water sports, hymn sings, leadership challenges, and daily water activities. Participating in only week two of a session requires special permission from the Riding Director.
English and Western horsemanship will be taught by experienced instructors; meeting the needs of each camper. They will help you further develop your seat and control at faster gaits. Campers will also have the chance to learn and experience Pas de Deux and Quadrille patterns, arena games, trail riding, ground pole exercises, some driving, and the opportunity to design their very own horse show and trail derby challenge.
Read our guide on how participating in the Adventure Riding Camp can fulfill NLC opportunities and earn Congressional Award hours.
Other Activities:
Christian Science Focus
Our goal is to apply Christian Science to each activity with joy! All programs include daily Bible Lesson study, “mets” before activities, Sunday School, Wednesday testimony meetings, hymn sings, and talks by the resident Christian Science Practitioner.
Enjoy five activity periods each day, taught by expert counselors. When you’re not at your specialty camp, you’ll be scheduled to rotate through a variety of fun camp activities with your cabin (see list below). Across a two-week session, you will have the opportunity to experience some other nearby adventures, such as a canoe trip, an extended hike, a pack trip on horseback, and a possible overnight camp-out.
Here are some of the activities that you'll get to enjoy:
Swimming
Swim daily at free swim and/or classes in our Aquatic Center with its Junior Olympic Lap Pool and Diving Pool. Red Cross Lifeguards and swimming instructors are eager to help you learn or improve your strokes and earn certificates. Other fun water activities at our Aquatic Center include diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, pool volleyball, and a swim meet.
Arts & Crafts
Learn to make creative nature art, tool leather work, weave thread bracelets and make jewelry, create with clay, paint pens, tie dye, make paper stationery, bead work, wood work, puppets, upcycling creations, and much more.
Cable Ski
Learn to kneeboard, wakeboard, and waterski on our 6-tower cable ski system on our very own onsite lake. Learn to navigate turns and try our optional ramp jump as you enjoy ½-mile laps. The cable ski system can accommodate six riders at once, so your whole cabin can be active at once. Cheer on your friends as they make their way around the lake, taking on new challenges. Will you be the one to set the new record for most cable ski laps? (Requirement: pass a basic swim and board navigation assessment. This activity is typically appropriate for rising 4th graders and up. During Family Camp, we often accommodate younger campers.)
Archery
"Aim for perfection," for archery awards or just for fun with the support of our trained archery instructors.
Canoeing, Kayaking, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding:
Guide your canoe around our own lake or down a local river with confidence after you learn each paddle stroke. Learn the basics of sit-on-top kayaking at Kayak Cove, and then play a round of kayak polo. Test your balance as you paddleboard: learn basic strokes and graduate up to obstacle courses.
Log Rolling
Demonstrate grace and balance as you learn to stand, walk, and run atop a synthetic rolling log. Our instructors will teach you the basic skills, and you can advance to log rolling contests. The log is weighted to accommodate the beginner or more advanced camper. This activity takes place in our Junior Olympic lap pool or in Kayak Cove.
Nature & Fishing
Enjoy CedarS nature program while exploring our new trails and learning conservation practices. Hike over hills and streams to explore our CedarS cave. Go birding in the forest; catch crayfish and frogs in the creek; or go fishing for bass, sunfish and catfish in our stocked lakes.
Sports
Come experience the CedarS Sports Center, with its open-air garage doors and jumbo high-velocity fans. Improve your fundamental skills in soccer, basketball, and volleyball with the help of experienced players and coaches who are committed to helping you excel. Additional sports to enjoy include aerial arts (2nd session only), disc golf, ultimate frisbee, ga-ga, ping pong, foosball, and modified capture the flag.
High & Low Ropes Courses, Zip Line, and Climbing Wall
Whether working as a team to solve a low-ropes course challenge, experiencing the high elevation challenges on our high ropes course, or zipping over the lake, campers will have the opportunity to experience challenge-by-choice while they are pushed out of their comfort zone and into their growth zone!
Fire Building and Camp Crafts
Learn fire safety and fire building skills, as you work to start your own one-match campfire. Work on your lashing, knot-tying, shelter-building, outdoor cooking, and compass skills.
Trampoline
Bounce safely and joyfully on our trampolines, which have 360 degree net enclosures.
Water Sliding
Twist and turn your way down CedarS very own waterslide, which is one of the longest in the state of Missouri. Enjoy a refreshing splash at the bottom, then hike back up the winding ramp and do it again!
Trips
Enjoy a half day or full day outdoor adventure trip (float, fish, rock climb, or pack). Your cabin may also choose to sleep out under the stars at the end of the day.
Evening Activities
Enjoy bonding with your cabin during evening activities such as s’mores over a campfire, sunset visits to the grazing horses, talent shows and skits, game nights, dance parties, extra rounds on the cable ski and waterslide, hymn sings, and testimony meetings.
Meals:
We offer a variety of kid-friendly foods such as pizza, chicken nuggets, tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and spaghetti. Breakfasts have a main entree, plus selections of cereals, oatmeal, eggs, and fresh fruit. Lunches and dinners include a main and side entree, plus daily salad and PB&J options. Each meal comes with vegetarian and vegan options.
