Where Characters Come to Life

Thursday, July 30th, 2026

COSTUME BARN circa 7:22pm—Campers dart among the many racks of the Costume Barn in preparation for tonight’s Costume Dance Party. The scene is chaotic, children desperately trying to find suitable items for their respective looks. Some have chosen to dress quite formal, while the majority have zeroed in on the absurd. I’m here today to ask campers what costume they are wearing and why.

“I’m an amalgamation of clowns,” says Damien, 11. “The skeleton hands add a little bit of scary to the silly. I just looked through the costumes and picked randomly.”

“I feel majestic,” says Otzlee, 10. “I let Quincy pick out my outfit because his outfit is tough.”

“I had a vision,” says Quincy.

“I’m wearing a banana suit because it’s too hot to wear my three-piece corporate power suit,” says Huxley, 11.  “I feel like a meme from the early 2000s—peanut butter jelly time! Bananas as a food are mid, but as a costume it’s peak.”

“I’m a sloth because this is the only costume that fit right,” says Giggles, 11. “Everything else was too big or too small. This one fit me perfect like Goldilocks. I’m gonna dance in sloth slow-motion.”

“I’m dressed as a newlywed groom because I got married yesterday,” says Thea, 11. “It was mystical. I was on stage with the bride and there was a dude reading from the dictionary. In the audience there were like 17 people playing ‘Here Comes the Bride’ on kazoos.”

“I just wanted to wear something totally random,” says Mo, 8. “I told Talia to facepaint me whatever she wanted so she made me a fish and a moustache and a sun.”

“I’m going as a Victorian princess because me and all my friends are doing it,” says Sarah, 12. “It reminds me of Shakespear. I feel glamorous, as glamorous as a princess.”

“I’m a Victorian woman who just got married,” says Purple, 12. “We’re going to Paris for the honeymoon. This outfit is very uncomfortable but that’s why it’s gorgeous. Beauty is pain. I tried to bend over to tie my shoe and I almost fainted.”

“Today is only medium crazy,” says Costume Goblin Hex calmly. “It was medium crazy all week, so it took some of the pressure off tonight. I saw a lot of teen staff dressing up as adult staff, but no one dressed up as me, so that made me pretty angry.”

The conch blows, quickening the movements of children with urgency.

“Okay everybody, the conch just blew,” announces Hex to the whole Costume Barn. “You’ve got like three minutes to get outta here.”

“My advice is things don’t need to match,” they continue. “And don’t waste your time trying to find your exact size. The best costumes are when people repurpose things. Like her, for example. That is supposed to be a collar, but she’s using it like a skirt.”

Concludes Hex, “The Costume Barn is where hangers go to die, and where characters come to life.”

On my way through the woods back to the Puppet Grove, I encounter two familiar woodland characters, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.

“I’m dressed as a wolf because my friend is Red Riding Hood, and I thought the wolf is more fierce than the grandma,” says Nia, 13. “I’m gonna be the fiercest grandma of all time. I’m gonna have 82 grandkids and they’re all gonna be raised by wolves!”

“I’m Little Red Riding Hood because I really like the story, and I love the musical Into the Woods,” says Elaya, 14. “My favorite song is ‘I Know Things Now’. She sings it right after being devoured, but then she gets saved. I relate to her because I’m a very trusting and curious person. If someone told me to get flowers from the woods I probably would. It’s not that Red Riding Hood isn’t smart—she is. It takes someone with a brave and kind heart to listen to a stranger.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

A Peaceful Protest

Wednesday, July 29th, 2026

PUPPET GROVE circa 4:26pm—A gentle breeze is causing our communal pile of ripped up butcher paper to misbehave. Half a dozen campers and a couple of staff have joined me in the Puppet Grove to apply paper maché in the quick-dry afternoon. We sit at a large, sturdy craft table, built approximately 20 years ago by the late, great Hog Farmer and Camp Puppeteer Tinker Lamb. I had the privilege of working with him on his final puppet show circa 2012. All these years later I have found myself back in the puppet game.

The children wrestle with yarn-bound wads of paper, attempting to make the stiff brown paper lie flat on the shapes with the help of a diluted glue mixture. Having an outdoor classroom made the use of food-based paper maché mixes impractical, so our goop is simply half water, half Elmer’s.

Intent on indoctrinating the campers with anti-war propaganda, I have renamed the puppet class the “War Abolition Regiment, W.A.R. for short.” At the W.A.R. we make puppets in the name of peace. Last session we made a flock of monarch butterflies. This session, we had a brainstorm session and the kids decided we should make honeybees, a scorpion, a cricket and a flower. Today we are paper maché-ing the first layers on our swarm of eggplant-sized honeybees.

“Puppets can make people happy with how beautiful they are,” says Corinne, 9. “They can help the earth by spreading peace and joy because they look like animals. Honeybees represent defense because they can sting, and they represent hard work because they make honey.”

“I don’t know, it’s just fun to smack around some glue and paper,” says Milo, 10. “I guess paper maché gives a ‘demolish war’ kind of vibe. If we’re gonna make a scorpion, let’s make it a peace scorpion. Puppets is definitely the best class.”

“Puppets can capture attention because they’re fun and distracting,” says Oliver, 10, squishing his glue-covered hands together and slowly unsticking them. “If I had the attention of everyone in the world, I’d tell them to go get on a unicycle. Bees are fuzzy and loud. You can make anything in puppets.”

“Puppets tell their own stories,” says Luka, 9. “They can change people in a way. When you make more than one puppet, it’s like you’re making a story. The bees represent working hard and not quitting. That’s what we’re gonna have to do if we want world peace.”

“Sometimes if I’m stressed I just make a puppet and it calms me down,” says James, 9. “People can make peaceful things with puppets, like bugs. Bugs remind us that humans aren’t the only creatures in the world, and knowing that helps us realize that we have a responsibility to take care of each other and the environment. The needs of even the smallest creature are just as important as the needs of kings.”

“Creating puppets is a peaceful protest,” says Teen Staff Beatrix. “Just the act of building these puppets together is an act of building community. The work we at Camp do supports conflict resolution, and the passing on of that knowledge has the potential to prevent future wars.”

“What else are we here for if not to speak up for peace?” asks Restorative Justice Coordinator Silver Morningstar. “In the current human war, there’s been nearly twenty-thousand casualties. We need to use every form of art at our disposal to build enormous pathways to peace worldwide!”

“I think puppets play an important role in abolishing war,” says MESH Lead Elizabeth Theriault. “From what I witnessed today, they are bringing people together, they’re sparking curious conversations, opening hearts and inspiring playfulness. I was drawn to today’s class because I love bees. They’re such communal creatures. They rely on each other and their specific roles. They’re a beautiful symbol of community and intentional collective living. It all gives me hope, for bees, for puppets, and for world peace. L’chaim!”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

The Aerialists Won

Tuesday, July 28th, 2026

AERIALS SITE circa 9:48pm—Three aerialists ascend the rig simultaneously on separate apparati for the grand finale of Teacher Talent Night. The audience oohs, aahs and cheers with the occasional whistle. The ground-set stage lights beam a colorful up-glow on the performers, the dust from recent foot traffic resulting in an unintentional fog machine. Crickets can be heard clearly, even over the moody indie-pop soundtrack. Suddenly the music switches briefly to “Paws Out” by Kit’n’Tenders (shout-out to longtime Winnarainbite Thessaly “The Ukulady” Lerner).

“Paws out! Claws retract! / No kitten fights when you’re out back / Only happy purrs / No more grrrs / Sure it’s hard to play that card / When kittens fight in your backyard!”

Sensing the imminent end of show, I slink through the deserted Stilt Field and head across the Tipi Circle to the toothbrushing zone. As I pass the Juggling Cart I can hear tonight’s emcee Ache Smith utter Wavy Gravy’s immortal words, “Brush ‘em if you got ‘em!” I arrive just before the onslaught of children. Tonight’s question: “Who won Teacher Talent Night?”

“Unicycle; that’s the one I was most awake for,” says Ivy, 13.

“It was a tie between juggling and the cat one… aerials!” says Marquez, 10. “They both put on a good show.”

“I thought of another quote,” says Quincy, 10, ignoring my question. “‘It’s not enough to be friendly; you have to be a friend.’ It’s from a book.”

“Unicycle and aerials,” says Damien, 11. “So impressive.”

“Acrobatics of course,” says Frankie, 11. “They put in a lot of work and time to be so strong, and I liked how it looked.”

“The aerialists won,” says Teen Staff Crow. “Things like that take a lot of dexterity. When you do aerials you have to face the danger of falling and injuring yourself. I find that respectable.”

“Kai, because they got on the tall unicycle and were juggling the things that flip around,” says Malea, 13. “It was amazing and very cool.”

“Poetry,” says Simon, 11. “The wordplay was so confusing that it made even more sense. Like when a joke is so stupid that it’s funny. Poetry: it’s the world in words.”

“The juggling, hands down, not even close,” says Janosh, 12. “They were all juggling a bunch of different things and doing a bunch of different tricks. Very exciting!”

“I really liked gymnastics and breakdancing,” says Locke, 10. “There was a dude who came out and did one of those flips on your shoulder, and then he kept spinning until he spun off the stage and knocked over a microphone. Then he stood up and did a b-boy pose. Very funny!”

“I thought they were all good but if I had to choose one I would say silks,” says Calais, 12. “But I might be a little biased because I do silks myself. Besides that, I liked stilts. I’ve never done it so I find them impressive.”

“Maybe acro or dance,” says Miles, 7. “I liked when he spun around.”

“Stilts,” says Maddy, 9. “I don’t know why, I just think it was cool.”

Final skill shout-out tally:

Poetry 1
Dance 2
Stilts 2
Acrobatics 3
Juggling 3
Unicycle 3
Aerials 4

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Magical Capacity

Welcome to the Camp Winnarainbow Blog! This feed is dedicated to providing daily updates on various Camp happenings with a special focus on camper quotations. DISCLAIMER: For matters of an urgent or serious nature, please contact the Camp office directly. This blog desk is not equipped to handle official business. Besides that, feel free to request article topics or special reports. Happy reading! —J. Payseno, Editor

Monday, July 27th, 2026

JUGGLING CART circa 7:13pm—The first after-dinner free-time has unfurled into the evening, children flitting around campus, exploring the environment. A cluster of campers have congealed around the beloved Juggling Cart, a sort of wheeled dog house full of juggling pins and rings. On the ground beside it lie several 13-gallon Costco bins, topless, also full of juggling equipment—balls, poi, flowersticks, et cetera. The aspiring jugglers toss the implements up in irregular spurts, bending down to recover fallen items every few seconds. The sinking sun shoots rays through the western treetops and onto the jugglers’ knoll in bright splotches.

“It’s the way the balls move; you gotta be mentally tough to figure it out,” says Quincy about the art of juggling. “I have this poster in my room that says, ‘The most powerful opponent is the eye of the opponent in the opponent’s eye.’”

“First you throw the first ball, and then the second ball goes up and then the third,” says Omar, 10. “No matter how hard it is, you gotta keep trying and eventually you’ll be successful. It’s about learning about it.”

“How do you do those?” asks Tavi, 12, gesturing at the bin of flowersticks.

“Here, I’ll show you,” says Emmett, 12, holding a set of his own. “You just start like this with one on the top and one on the bottom, and you go back and forth until you get the hang of it.”

“How do you do that!” marvels Tavi.

“Four years of practice,” says Emmett with an air of weariness. “I learned by starting with one end on the ground.”

“I’m gonna try that,” says Tavi, sitting criss-cross in the wood chips to finesse the flowerstick like a snake charmer.

“It’s a little bit challenging but not super challenging,” says Leo, 10. “I just like it, the way it all moves and feels. I can’t explain it, but it does improve eye-hand coordination.”

The conch blows, calling away the jugglers to the Rainbow Theater along with the rest of Camp. Before I can follow along, Clowning Instructor and Camp Magician Riley Soloner appears, brandishing a handwritten list of counselor names in a tiny notebook, dots of colorful marker accenting the black ballpoint print. I know exactly what he’s here for because he explained it to me six hours ago. It’s a project to collect one-word definitions of the notoriously indescribable magic of Camp.

The magic of Camp.

You see, ‘Camp Magician’ is a confusing title (not entirely by accident) because it doesn’t refer to stage magic—rings, cards, rabbits, sawn ladies, that sort of magic. It refers to the elusive quality that brings people back year after year, decade after decade. It refers to the reason that 90% of our staff are former Campers, and the reason that anywhere you travel in the world, you can meet people who have been to Winnarainbow and have instant, meaningful camaraderie. Camp Magician is a new experimental role meant to foster that sense of magic and help it flourish.

In lieu of pinning down a precise definition of this nebulous phenomenon, Riley has reportedly chosen this session to ask every counselor two questions: 1) “Have you ever experienced the magic of Camp?” and 2) “How would you sum it up in one word?” He plans to use the list of magic words to compose a poem later this week.

“Yes, and… ‘Adventure’,” I answer.

…

LOO-LOO circa 8:06pm—The downtown bathroom-shower-laundry area always has a steady stream of foot traffic, even during shows such as tonight’s Tipi Skit Night. The facilities sit at the base of the plateau hillside which is nicely lit at this time of day. Earlier I saw a fox on the kitchen side, ambling down the road before cutting up into the brush. I look for it now, scanning between the trunks of pine trees. Eventually I spy, not a fox, but a large raven. It slowly glides in a long arc to a bough where it perches.

Maintenance Man Marcos strolls up with a towel slung over his shoulder.

“Eight o-six—the best time to shower,” he says. “Put that in your blog!”

He slips into one of the open showers, closing the green door behind him. I oblige his snarky request while waiting for a more sincere interview subject. Soon they begin arriving.

“My friend recommended Camp to me, so I came here,” says Vivi, 11. “She said it was fun and that there’s a lot of fun activities. I’m excited to try stilts, silks, and maybe unicycling. So far so fun!”

“I’m looking forward to songwriting,” says Teen Staff Bean. “Last year I was inspired to learn banjo. I got my own banjo and have been practicing all year. I’ve basically been preparing for this session ever since last August. I wanna write something folky and fingerpick-y. I’ll probably write lyrics that are a metaphorical train of thought, and a little non-sensicle.”

“This session I’m going to be maximizing my magical capacity,” says Camp Auntie Moment Parker. “I’m going to drink as much water as I possibly can, and I’m going to be as kind as possible to myself and others. This session seems super chill, but you never know. It could be Esperanza Spalding or it could be Led Zeppelin. I wouldn’t mind a little Fleetwood Macabooyah.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Building Community

Saturday, July 21st, 2026

HIGHWAY 20 circa 6:42pm—The curving highway bobs my Explorer like a buoy floating between shade and sunlight, illuminating the dust-caked windshield at each hill peak. A few of us are escaping to the coast for the weekend after an exhilarating and exhausting Session C. Our soundtrack is the Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, whose title track served as one of our all-camp songs this session.

Last night a number of us counselors stayed up past midnight to put the finishing touches on a flock of monarch butterfly puppets for the campers to carry in the opening parade of today’s Big Show. The monarch butterfly being a symbol of migration, it was a child-appropriate way for us to carry forth a message of anti-fascism in the year 2026. The campers themselves put in the majority of the work to create the butterflies. Over the past two weeks they visited the puppet grove day after day to mold chicken wire, add layers of paper maché, paint wings, and apply untold fathoms of black duct tape. The final result was a visually memorable addition to the summer.

Today I asked a few parents to share their highlights from the Big Show.

“Exciting, inspiring, heart-warming,” said Brian from Oakland. “The skill with the dancers was off the chart!. The songs at the end were great too. The Nirvana song with the alternative lyrics, very camp. I’d describe Winnarainbow as welcome-maxxing. People feel comfortable and are accepted here, which isn’t always the case in the rest of the world. ‘Come as you are’.”

“It was cool to get a wave from Wavy,” said Paul from Alameda. “He was there in the audience doing his thing. I’m the father of a fourth-year camper. It feels amazing, and the weather is also amazing! Nice and cool, comparatively.”

“It’s great to come back year after year and see the evolution of our son’s interests,” said Ella from Alameda. “From clown, to mime, to et cetera, he has touched all these different skills.”

“The clowns were incredible,” said Margret from Palo Alto.

“It’s a unique place, that’s for sure!” said Oscar from Palo Alto.

“The best part of the show was everything my son was in,” said Gabby from Oakland. “He’s so talented, so amazing, so cute, so friendly. The only bad thing is that now that he’s coming home, it’s gonna be hard to match the high level of Camp cuisine.”

“It’s incredible to see the development of several kids over multiple years,” said Boots from Oakland. “You can see they still have that fire of childhood even though they’re starting to get teenager-y. You can see the thread of Camp Winnarainbow shining through with all the community being built here.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Life-Affirming

Friday, July 24th, 2026

KITCHEN circa 7:56am—The mornings can be quite chilly at Camp, especially in the shady kitchen, which sits at the western base of a large plateau. I grab a quick cup of coffee at the back of the eating area and double-back towards the bridge. The cocoa line is short today, a testament to how the exertion of Camp life whittles down the early riser crowd over the course of a session.

One of my favorite sensory luxuries at Camp is embarking on a morning walk to enjoy direct sunlight while the air is still cool. Crossing the bridge I emerge from tree shade into the open parking lot. The sunlight soothes my limbs as I command them forward. I lean forward for coffee sips over the jostle of my own walking. The bitter coffee strips away hints of toothpaste.

As I traverse the parking lot, a fenced orchard comes into view. On the far corner there is an image of a cartoon anthropomorphic pig displayed, a sort of mascot that has come to represent the Hog Farm commune. Passing the pig, I turn right down the main access road which will set me on a pleasant loop.

Rounding a gentle bend in the road there comes into view an unexpected congregation of children in Irene’s Garden. Just on the other side of the tall deer fence, a dozen campers and counselors scrounge around in long rows of farm dirt, seemingly foraging for potatoes. Irene stands nearby her tractor pointing and explaining things to people.

I continue on with my walk (in order to make 8:30 sound-check for song circle) and, a while later, track down a few garden walkers, the first of the summer.

“We walked over to the garden and they showed us how to wash the cabbage,” says E, 10. “The we got to pick cabbage with huge garden scissors. It was really fun to throw some cabbage around for a change. Then they brought out a tractor with a tool on the back that pulled up the potato roots.”

“It was really nice to be out in an open area in the morning,” says Victor, 13.

“It was magical and very special,” says Camp Doctor Yakira Teitel. “It was a beautiful morning. The kids all got to help in a way that was actually helpful to Irene. Irene is an incredible Hog Farmer who years ago started a small garden that is now a whole farm. Some of the food grown here comes straight to Camp Winnarainbow, and some of it even goes as far as stores in Berkeley. Garden walks go back decades, but this was the first of the summer.”

“The garden walk was really fun,” says Falco, 1. “Getting to pick potatoes, flowers, squash, zucchini, I find it fun to harvest food. It’s also good to get away from the cold, shady kitchen.”

“I love seeing Daisy,” says Porter, 10, referring to Irene’s large dog. “She’s very obedient, just follows everyone around, loves kids. I think she either is grey with black spots or black with grey spots. She’s the garden guardian.”

“It’s interesting to see the hills outside of Camp,” says Anna Marie, 14. “It’s cool to help out with communal stuff. Irene was cool like a girl-boss.”

“The garden walk was life-affirming,” says Restorative Justice Coordinator Silver Morningstar. “You have Irene out there explaining things to the kids. She said, ‘Everyone take ten flowers! Take as many as you want!’ and all of a sudden kids were walking around with big bouquets. Then I look over and Oliver is juggling potatoes!”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Big Questions

Thursday, July 23rd, 2026

So here I sit , Silver Morningstar, in the puppet palisade. Fresh of a birthday that is ending with a strange burrito eaten away from our home kitchen and a flat tire on the side to go with it. It’s my birthday and I was honored to be asked to write a blog entry while your usual friend JP, who rescued me, now works on world peace puppets.

Today I asked the children the big questions. Their answers are offered verbatem and unabashedly. Its July 23rd, 20226, 947 pm, the evening program has just ended and the children of the rainbow are walking nearby to brush em if they got em.

Suddenly a camper races past! “You the one running, you will be absorbed!” I call out. The calmly transition to a walking pace, familiar with the silly restorative ways of Winnarainbow.

Part 0  What did you come to camp for…top 3

{ I came to camp for…}

Silver 48*

1. The salad bar
2. The money
3. To do morning reading
4. To build a heart rock spiral 
5. The giant fan in the big top
6. To find my water bottle
7. To locate my sorcerer’s staff
8. To sleep in a tent beside a river 

Maya BN age unknown

1. The creek
2. Song circle
3. Heart rocks*

Caulder age ?*

1. Tradition
2. Because I have not been on the bus ever. 
3. Hot coco

Solemon 17

1. I really like everyone here
2. The community and vibes*
3. The food 

Phoenix age 11*

1. No clue
2. Technically not for anything 
3. My mom said i must 

               Porter age 10

1. To make new friends
2. To learn some new skills
3. To drink coco*

Star 18 with blue hair

1.The individuality

2. The attitudes towards performing

3. These mornings*

Vela age?

1. Because it was fun the last time *
2. To make more friends
3. To have fun. 

Falco age 8

1. I like living mostly outside*
2. Camp is fun
3. So I could learn more clowning.

Ruby 12

1. My mom made me *
2. I went last year
3. I liked it last year

Ranger age 8*

1. I don’t know
2. Nothing
3. My mom told me to. 

Cyrus

1. To learn circus*
2. My mom forced me
3. My cousin’s recommend it

Timony Age ?

1. Because vela told me it was fun. 
2. To get out of the house and away from my parents
3. Because my brother was also leaving for 2 weeks. 

Jackie 20

1. A new chance at intentional community
2. Being able to facilitate the joy and education of children
3. The safety to fail*

Memo 75*

1. The Money
2. To work on my kids skills 
3. To interact with other do-gooders

Sabeen age?

1. My best friend dragged me here
2. I like everyone here
3. Ariels are really fun, I haven’t missed a class yet. 

Ache’ 22

1. Community
2. To give back
3. The heck of it *

Bukie 22*

1. High intensity world building with children
2. Reminder of hippie clown history
3. Just the daily funnies

Lena 11

1. Because every year i come with my best friend*
2. Tight rope 
3. Having fun

Larkin 11

1. Because i go here every year
2. Because it’s so fun
3. Because there is a really awesome RJ teacher who is so modest …*

Kira 15*

1. I love camp
2. I really miss camp since last year
3. I was hoping to see some of my old tipi mates and learn some new tricks like juggling and maybe do some stilts, so if i ever find some stilts i can do it and be a tall person. 
4. I also come back because I love the coco better than the coco at my house. 

Lira 12*

1. Nature
2. No screens
3. Friends

 I’m kinda screen addicted so this is good! 

Mario from Mexico City. Age young*

      1.Fun

      2.Active classes

      3.Sleeping bags

Ava 14*

1. My friends 
2. Hot coco
3. Volleyball

Ripley 13 almost*

1. The stilts 
2. Trapeze
3. To be with other people like me

Penny 15 or16*

1. To be happy
2. Slow my pace down and get caught up in things 
3. To learn new things

Tristan 12*

1. For the love
2. Unicycling and stuff
3. Enjoying with the family and stuff

Maya*

1. The  joy
2. The nature
3. The vibes

JP*

1. To put on a new Tshirt

Django 13*

1. Friends
2. Stilts
3. Unicycling

Matthew 12*

1. LeBron 
2. Curry
3. Draymond 

Valentine Josien 13*

1. To meet with my friends
2. To do diablo
3. To eat

Mason aka the rooster*

1. To have fun
2. To get better at performing the stuff
3. To see my cousin

Bryn age ?*

1. To make new friends and meet new people 
2. To get away from screens 
3. To get hot coco every morning

Ginger*

1. The future
2. The kids
3. The magic

Miles*

1. Jumping on the jumping mats
2. Having fun
3. And i don’t know why i came to camp it was my mom’s idea

Robby age young*

1. What! 
2. Umm umm ummm
3. To find sticks!
4. To use my magic wand that can do anything but i forgot to bring it 

Aven 14

1. Stilts is always fun
2. The community is really nice*
3. Friends

Shakon 28*

1. Food
2. Kids
3. Peace

Now that’s just in alphabetical order the way i like it 

Karma age?*

1. To schedule
2. To stress about scheduling
3. To reduce my stress about scheduling but doing dance

Joaquin 28*

1. Safety
2. Work 
3. Friends

Lexi age ?*

1. The money
2. The fame
3. The power 

Kali 10

1. To meet new people
2. Do stizilts*
3. Have fun

Abigail age ?*

1. Having fun
2. Having more fun
3. Having an amazing time! 

Stan Luupper age old*

1. To bring the orb
2. To get everyone else on will fenders side
3. Educate the masses

Suri 15

1. The friendship
2. Learning opportunities
3. To give back to the community especially this year, cuz it’s my first year on teen staff. 

Jalin age?*

1. Coco
2. Cuzins
3. Gambling

James 13

1. Durell
2. Durell
3. Durell

Durell 

1.

2.

3.

Kushi

1. To help kids grow confidence on stage
2. A lived experience of bravery 
3. Connection to the land

Momo

1. Community
2. Land
3. Making magic

Cass

1. Reconnect with community
2. Build bigger and stronger community

Riley 

1. Longtime friendship
2. Creative spark
3. Nature

Lastarla 

1. Community

2. Youth advocation

3. Friendship and connection to spiritual land

Angel

1. It’s my job
2. I just love this place
3. It’s my job

JAli

1. Kids
2. The people 
3. The humans

Kimi age? 

1. Lokey i just came here for the bread

2.0

How long will camp last? 

1. I think it will last forever and ever and ever until the sun exposed because this is the place where there is unlimited love and acceptance and one day our leaders will realize this is what we need and then we will have it. 

Anna Marie 14 Scarlett

2. I think it will last as long as it’s needed and i think it will be needed for a long time but if someday the world is a better place, and we don’t have to go into the woods to find a safe place then it won’t be as needed. 

Iona 14 Scarlett

3. Until it doesn’t.

Atticus 12 rainbow

4. Forever! 

Rubin 12

5. For as long as people believe in peace, love and orj’s.

Sky 15

6. Uh. Probably for like 100 or so more years. 

Mario 8

7. Forever, because people will maintain it that long and keep it alive. 

Anonymous 14

8. 3 days

Mcai 9

9. 50 years

Just because. 

Haily 

10. I would say like 47 years. Because if camp has lasted 51 years with all that fun then it can almost happen again. 

Aliyah?

11. As long as Quinn is here. 

Quinn 14

12. At least a 100. Cuz people like it. 

Lexi 28

13. A long time, not forever, but definitely a long time. 

There’s some stuff going on in the world and i don’t think this place will be able to last until the heat death of the universe.

Ruby S. 12

14. Forever. 

As long as i will live.

Czar 21

15. As long as i am here. So you better pick me as a teen staff 

Charlie 11

16. Forever. Because all of our descendants. And Luke Skywalker. 

Caulder 9

17. James 12

Forever. Because LeBron, curry, renaldo, Namar and Oliver tree.

18. Like 2 more days. 

Zahara 13 almost 14

19. Forever. Well because wavy gravy’s legacy will live forever even if he castles. And people will still like camp even after wavy. They’ll wanna put on his legacy.

Larkin 

20. I don’t even know what day it is 

Ziona 14

21. As long as me and frankie stay at the camp. 

Lou 11

22. Camp winnarainbow will last until pigs fly. 

Silver 48

23. I say forever. Because even if camp itself goes away it will still be remembered. It will never be forgotten. 

Mason aka the rooster 10

24. At least 100 years because the other camps i been to lasted that long to this one will too i guess. 

Sierra 13

25. 75 more years 

I think the American project will fail or change to a degree that camp will not last past that. I think the surrounding condition will degrade.

Jasper jg 37

26. Like 20 or 25 more years. Because it’s been 51 years so another 20 or 25 sounds about right. 

– Donald

27. Hopefully, forever.

Maia 15

28. Forever. Because it’s built on generations. 

Bohdi 

29. Honestly, literally no idea. 

Alina 11

30. 20 years. 

Robby 3 not 3 and a half though.

31. At lease 11.000 Zlurps.

Why not. 

– Luna age 21

32. Untill the world ends. Sofia age 11

33. I think camp will last as camp winnarainbow for about 30 to 35 years and then it will change its name and all kids will receive cybernetic enhancements and lots of other stuff. The new name will be decided by a mind link. So we will have to wait to see what it is. 

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Dogs & Wizards

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026

BLOG LAIR circa 10:51pm—Tucked behind one of the Puppet Grove cabinets I’ve arranged a small desk where I do my nightly blogging. The back of the cabinet serves as a pin-able wall where I can arrange my ephemera. A mounted power strip gives life to my clamp lamp which in turn illuminates my journal. My overheating-prone laptop sits elevated on a copy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (for better air flow, I hope). Fallen bay leaves have nestled themselves into the spaces between the papers, pens, cups, sunglasses, bug spray and rolls of masking tape that keep me company during these writing sessions.

Tonight our evening program was Adventure Night, a camp-wide game that releases unfettered competitive energy into the camper polity, tipi versus tipi. As usual, the Tipi Circle was transformed into a sort of life-sized gameboard. All around downtown Camp, carnival-style activity sites were offered, such as stilt pole ring toss, Big Top obstacle course, and Leaf Grove limbo. After the festivities, I posted up in the toothbrushing zone to hear some post-game analysis.

“I liked gambling at the uni-track,” said Ja’Lin, 8. “We were rolling dice. Rolling three 3’s wins you Winnarain-Bucks. The counselors were dressed up like dogs and wizards. It was really fun because I kept outrunning the Grim Reapers.”

“I head some stories that the session breakers saved money from last session,” said Ruby, 10. “I think that’s why TQ won. I was still proud of my tipi. Adventure Night is my favorite evening activity we’ve done. It’s magical. I like the concept of the Grim Reaper; you’re not just going around to sites, you actually have to look out for yourself.”

“TQ 100% cheated,” said a camper who wished to remain anonymous. “There was no way they got 500 points in one hour when the runner-up only got 200. Follow the money; see where it leads.”

“Adventure Night was so fun,” said James, 12. “It’s a good way to get your energy out. I did all the sites. The best was roshambo. I say do as many sites as you can, and figure out what gives you the most money for the quickest time.”

“Everyone cheated,” said Shya, 13. “The only way to win is to cheat—swim or drown. It’s all rigged; Flame should have won third at least. Last year our counselor cheated and we won, but this year they said, ‘No cheating.’”

“I got 11 Winnarain-Bucks for knowing what color hippos sweat—pink!” said River, 15. “I got a bunch of money for stealing my friend’s sock. The random quests were the funniest part. I got tagged by the Reaper like six times. Overall, super fun!”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

It’s Funner to Be Weird

Tuesday, July 21st, 2026

STILT FIELD circa 7:47pm—The sun shines dramatically through the Stilt Field shade on an after-dinner bout of soccer. A small group of poi spinners commiserate in the center of the field, oblivious to the game swirling around them. The soccer players seem to naturally avoid the stationary clutch of jugglers, as if it were a natural, immovable obstacle. The activities continue simultaneously in the same space without pause or question, just two versions of fun, soaking up the same patch of sunshine in the last few minutes of free-time.

The conch blows, summoning the campers to the Rainbow Theater for tonight’s program, Weirdo Talent Night. I head backstage to prepare.

“Is ‘Heart Rock Spiral’ ready?” asks Performance Coordinator Kushi Beauchamp, wearing red and white clown makeup and holding a clipboard with the running order. We give her our collective thumbs-up and she hurries off to let the emcees know they can begin the show.

“Give it up for Heart Rock Spiral!” chime the emcee hosts, Adelina and Luna.

“It’s an Andelusian cadence in E-minor, right?” confirms Teen Staff keyboardist Judy. I nod, strapping on the Camp bass, a black and white Mexican-made Fender Jazz. José settles into the kit as the stage hands pass out wireless mics to Silver and Riley.

The song we’re performing to open the show is an original Camp Winnarainbow collaborative piece extolling the virtues of the Heart Rock Spiral, a new area in downtown Camp dedicated to conducting conflict resolution. What began as a simple theme song has taken on a life of its own, blossoming into a fantastical ode to nature and the supernatural. Silver counts us in.

…

LOO-LOO circa 9:52pm—In honor of Weirdo Talent Night, I’m asking children to rate the weirdness of Camp on a scale from 1 to 10.

“7/10—I’m not sure why,” says Milo, 11. “Everyone is weird.”

“Honestly it depends on what you classify as weird,” says Calvin, 12. “For me, I’ve been here so long, Camp is a zero. The first year was weird, but now it’s my new normal.”

“5/10—Medium weird,” says Quincy, 11. “I like weird things. If you come to Camp, be prepared to learn new things. That’s the best part. In order to learn new things you gotta be a little brave and a little weird.”

“8/10—A lot of people don’t go to a clowning camp with tipis,” says Gisele, 11. “Honestly the weirdest thing we saw this session was Larkin falling over on crutches. It was so random.”

“8/10—I don’t really know how to use crutches,” admits Larkin, 11. “Was that really the weirdest thing we saw? I mean, we got invaded by TIS CORP. That was weird. And the robots were really weird.”

“10/10—Everyone has their own interests and people accept you for who you are,” says Madi, 13. “People are inherently weird and Camp just allows it to all come out. The weirdest thing that happened this session was my tipi mate woke up laughing at midnight and then fell back asleep.”

“7/10—Pretty weird; not bad, just weird,” says Zina, 14. “It’s just how unique it is. It’s unlike anywhere else. Being weird is amazing and Camp is amazing, ergo Camp is amazingly weird!”

“9.5/10—There’s just not a lot of outdoor circus camps,” says Lucy, 13. “For example there’s way more Starbucks than there are Camp Winnarainbows. Here everyone is super supportive, you get to know everyone, and there’s no screens. It’s basically the opposite of Starbucks. I don’t even like the smell of coffee, so I would choose Camp over Starbucks any day.”

“7.5/10—Just the amount of things you see here that are out of the ordinary on a daily basis is wild,” says Katie, 15. “It’s a very unique system of camping, very progressive, very welcoming, very accommodating. My favorite thing about Camp is the diversity of people and activities. Where else could you learn to ride a unicycle on a dirt trail with a man named Dinklefritz?”

“5/10—Being weird isn’t bad; being normal isn’t bad either, but it’s funner to be weird,” says Nadia, 13. “Camp is weird because it’s different from the outside world, and it’s normal because it’s comfortable and people are still just people. It’s perfect. I love Camp.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

The Magic Always Comes Together

Monday, July 20th, 2026

LOWER RING circa 4:41pm—The muggy morning has finally given way to blue skies and breezes. I sit at the strategically located Lower Ring supervision station with a clear view of the Big Top, the Stilt Field and the Aerials Site. The main trade off for all this visibility is being in the crossfire of several competing sources of canned music. Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is currently vying for control of my eardrums with some H&M-worthy pop song.

A group of stilters stride by in two columns, their interspersed earth-borne spotters walking backwards, ready to catch any stumblers. The group moves steadily toward the kitchen, passing by an in-progress cloud swing clinic at the Aerials Site. Several young aerialists sit in the shade on a tumbling mat awaiting their turn on the so-called ‘biggest swing in Laytonville.’

As of this morning, regular classes have resumed at Camp, now infused with the extra energy of the impending Big Show. Today I’m asking campers what acts they are preparing to dazzle the grown-ups with this coming Saturday.

“I’m doing stilts because I like being tall, trapeze because it’s fun, and poi because it looks cool,” says Ripley, 13. “It’s cool that everyone gets to show their talents. I love the evening programs, and the Big Show is like the final one.”

“I believe that there is a power in creating something, whether physical or verbal, which is why I chose improv and poetry,” says Oscar, 14. “I feel like they allow me to express myself in ways that other art forms don’t allow. All art forms are restrictive in their own way. Visual art for example—2-dimensional or 3-dimensional—has a lack of voice. Improv and poetry aren’t restricted in this manner. One’s voice can make something more true to oneself and more freeing to the artist. Well, that’s my opinion anyway.”

“I’m a competitive dancer—not in terms of personality; I dance in competitions,” says Zahara, 13. “I’m really excited to be in Karma’s dance class. Hip hop is my specialty, mainly tutting and waving. I’ll also be in the stilt parade for like the fourth or fifth time. For those who this will be your first Big Show I say, ‘Have fun; no one is judging you.’”

“I’ll probably do unicycle; it’s a classic for me,” says Lena, 13. “It’s fun to see how far I can push myself. I’ve come a long way since I was 10. I couldn’t do anything at first. Riding unicycle is all about finding balance. It’s a metaphor for finding balance in life.”

“I’m doing unicycle because it’s really fun and I’ve been doing it for like three years,” says Gage, 9. “I know how to bunny hop, self mount, idle, and figure eights. It’s kinda unique having one wheel. Cars, bicycles, they all have more than one. It’s like they have training wheels. When you’re on a unicycle, you have to keep your balance or you’ll fall down.”

“I’m gonna do juggling,” says Naveen. “Juggling is chill. It’s something to do when I’m bored. I think adults are bored like 98% of the time, so I guess I’ll be juggling a lot when I grow up.”

TIPI CIRCLE circa 8:46pm—A brilliant peach sunset has ripened into view above the Big Top where dozens of campers rage at the Costume Dance Party. The scattered musical energies of afternoon have consolidated into one deafening litany of popular songs of questionable appropriateness. I sit and enjoy the scene alongside Tiffany Dunlap, multi-decade veteran of Camp’s Costume Barn. Years ago she raised her two daughters here at Camp, and has now returned with her granddaughter who is currently somewhere in the frey of costumed dancers.

“I appreciate all the energy that goes into the Big Show,” saysTiffany. “The second week picks up momentum leading up to it. Some of these kids don’t even know the skill before they arrive; it’s amazing what they can learn in two weeks. At the Costume Barn, we try to bring people’s creative visions to life. The magic always comes together in surprising ways.”

The granddaughter emerges from the Stilt Field to quietly consult with her grandma. She leans into Tiffany’s lap, chewing her skirt and casting a thousand-yard stare that betrays a well-earned sleepiness. Sunset has given way to twilight and the smell of the nightwatch’s fire fills the air.

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE