The first camp I ever conducted, we had an indoor swimming pool, and we decided to have some organized activities. I instructed the kids to walk in a circle, holding hands, going round and round to create a giant whirlpool. This put ¾ of the kids at the edges of the pool as they walked, and the rest along the rope line that divided the shallow end from the deep end. When the whirlpool really got going, I then told the kids to turn and go the other way. The effect was instantaneous, as the whirlpool sucked kids down. Fortunately, all of them knew how to swim, but it was a heart stopping moment watching all the life guards and counselors jumping in to pull kids up out of the vortex.
Sue Kahawaii
