Kids Camp

When we started to come to DIMC, they had a program for the kids every week.  It was something they called Kids Camp.  It was a short weekend camp at the temple.  Since DIMC Azusa has many bedrooms, a good amount of children and volunteers to chaperon, this was possible for them to do each weekend.

The parents would come and drop off their kids at the temple on either Friday or Saturday and they would have lots of activities to build friendship, teamwork, and understanding of Buddhism.  From the moment we wake up, they made sure we brushed out teeth, made our beds, and then gather to do morning chanting and meditation together.  Morning chanting would be lenient to those who were still new because they don't want to force anything on anyone, but we kids would all help each other get up and go together.

We would get the chance to offer food to the monks in the morning the traditional way, where the monks would walk barefoot and carry an alms bowl.  We would all put dry foods into the alms bowl and make a wish or resolution that the good deeds we have done bring us happiness, good health, prosperity and all good things our way.

Throughout the day, activities would consist of fun team building games or activities to learn how to help the temple like the simple small jobs we can all help with: sweeping, mopping, wash dishes, vacuuming, setting up meditation mats or chairs, etc.  Right now it may sound like hard labor, but actually because we did it as a team, anything we did finished in about fifteen to twenty minutes. The most wonderful thing about learning how to do these activities which most people would call chores is that after learning how to do it at the temple, we can do these activities in our own home.  So we are learning to keep our own home clean, neat and tidy to help our parents with taking care of our home.

This simple lesson of how to do chores is what helps people have warm families.  You may read this and think this is a bunch of bologna, but it isn't.  I encourage you to try this Universal activity of cleaning your home with family or helping loved ones clean, I am very sure sooner rather than later, your family will have a closer bond.