By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

School is out and that means summer camp has started at the YMCA with day campers enjoying a variety of sports and activities.

The morning time at the pool is one of the favorite parts for campers, especially 6 year olds Heidi Wright and Emmie Sorrells.

Emmie, who is attending YMCA camp for the first time, said swimming and opportunities to learn are why she wanted to be a part of the camp.

“I really don’t a have a favorite,” Emmie said. “I like all of it.”

Each day holds something new as students learn about the Bible, photography, Spanish, tennis, gardening and archery.

Thursdays feature culinary adventures with Liz Doonan.

On a recent Thursday, Doonan led groups of students in making flaxseed dough pizza.

Heidi and Emmie said cheese is their favorite topping for pizza.

“Sometimes, I get triple cheese,” Emmie said.

The pizza that campers made with Doonan was topped with cheese, colorful peppers and broccoli.

Heidi said she helped stir the dough. Emmie said she enjoyed cracking the eggs for the flaxseed crust.

As the pizza cooked, Doonan had campers help her clean up the counter.

She gave the campers helpful hints throughout the process.

“That is one thing about cooking, you are always learning what you could be doing better,” Doonan said. “That’s fun and exciting. If you do something that you don’t like you’ve got to remember it, and say, ‘Next time, I do this I’m going to put more cheese.’”

She said the recipe could really be used with any type of flour.

Doonan said this was her first year to lead a class during the camp. She said Y director Lori Patterson had asked her if she would be interested after they met through mutual friends.

“I really just go by what we make at home and what my kids enjoy,” Doonan said of choosing the recipes for her class. “I really like to be health conscious. I find it does make a difference in our quality of life.”

This is why she uses a flaxseed base for her pizza dough.

Pam Teel of the YMCA said she enjoys working with the campers.

“I love being around the children,” Teel said. “We have a lot of fun.”

She also enjoys the opportunity to teach students about the Bible as a part of the program.

Groups of students rotated through the kitchen station, shooting baskets in the gym and practicing sight words with a game.

During the game, campers passed balloons around in a circle until the leader said stop. The student holding the balloon when the leader said stop had to read the word.