Camp Knickerbocker, on Barters Island Road in Boothbay, is a place for kids to have fun and at the same time learn a lot of life lessons.

There are walks through the woods to learn about nature, there's a playground with slides and a miniature house, there are arts and craft lessons, there's swimming, boating and sports. You name it, Camp Knickerbocker has it.

There is also no shortage of counselors to guide and instruct the kids with whatever activity is in the works on any particular day, or hour.

Maddie Rideout is the co-director of the camp this summer, along with co-director Tracey Hall. With help from around 20 counselors, the two guide the campers, some days totaling over 80, through a list of activities on the 70 acres of woods and lake front.

The day begins with an opening ceremony and flag raising at 9 a.m. at the flagpole, and ends in the same place at 4 p.m.

There's a weekly theme at the camp. This week's theme was “Explore the World.”

On July 17, counselors Cheyanne Gogolinski and Courtney Dowling led a group of around 15 “Scampers” (four to five year-olds) into the woods for an “unnatural” trail hunt for “things-that-don't-belong-in-nature.” (Hall had scattered some unnatural objects around for the kids to discover.)

Scamper Camper Riley Overlock found some yellow rubber bananas, and Chase Licursi found a beet can.

As these kids were rounded up to head off for the playground, a group of four more, slightly older ones came along, led by BRCTV's Jonne Trees, holding a camera on a tripod. Trees, along with counselor Tyler Morton, were instructing campers on how to make short films, as part of the camp's Digital Media Camp.

“The kids came up with the idea and wrote the script,” Trees said. While he got his camera ready, Sophia VanHook applied makeup, in the form of fake blood, to Ethan Barter's face for the final scene.

Other activities that take place at the camp each day include arts and crafts, led by director Jenn Greenleaf, waterfront activities (swimming and boating), and field and court sports.

Campers can also opt to travel to other places in Maine with the camp's Adventure Camp program. These trips are limited to 12-15 year olds and include white water rafting on the Kennebec River, camping in Acadia National park and Mt. Blue State Park, and island hopping, with canoes and kayaks, around some of the islands off the Boothbay area.

Campers, counselors and directors all appear to share an enthusiasm for the YMCA day camp in Boothbay. “”It's really fun,” said camper Grace Campbell of Boothbay Harbor. “I like everything here.” Aiden Marston, also of Boothbay Harbor, said, “I love it! I like swimming, but I get very cold.”

And Rideout, who started at the camp this summer and is also the childcare director at the Boothbay Region YMCA, said, “I love it here.”

Click here for more photos of kids and counselors having fun at Camp Knickerbocker on July 17.