“This is one of the best staffs we’ve had,” said Matt Jacobs, assistant camp director at Happy Hollow. The children’s day camp at Happy Hollow runs on a weekly basis through the second week of August, as a sector of the Mansfield Friendly House. Children between the ages of six and fourteen are eligible. “Every staff member is either pursuing childhood education or childhood psychology,” Jacobs stated during week two of their weekly children’s day camp. They provide camp up to nine weeks.
‘Future World and Local Leaders at Work and Play’, reads a sign at the top of the hill on Hull Rd. Children were creating structures along a wooded trail, capturing crayfish in a river, playing basketball on the court, and ‘catching the East Australian Current’ by way of slip and slide. And counselors were dressed up like Incredibles and Fairy Godmothers, for the Disney dress up day. A young Snow White waited for her turn to ride one of the white horses.
Other young campers at Happy Hollow have the opportunity to make activity choices on a daily basis, and pursue interests of different types. All of this took place during Activity Hour, the hour after lunch, and included a group participating in arts and crafts indoors.
“It’s a great thing,” Jacobs stated, having never been a camper yet a devoted counselor for nine years. He is finishing school for early education, but said a year is still a while away. “I just love it. It’s a place where kids can play and not be at home playing video games.”
“This camp is awesome,” stated camper Zachery Rome. “It prevents bullying, which is great in our community,” Rome said. Assistant camp director Jacobs added, “We have a whole training with counselors on diversity, bullying, and stereotypes.”
The land for Happy Hollow was donated in 1940 as part of the original Hidden Hollow Camp. Twenty years later in 1 960, the new Hidden Hollow Camp was established on O’Possum Run Rd, and Happy Hollow was organized on Hull Rd. Since then it has provided families a safe retreat for the children during the summer.
“Some come one week, some come every single day,” Assistant camp director Jacobs said. “Last year a kid skipped Cedar Point for Happy Hollow.”