Our teen camp was mini in size (as we couldn’t stay overnight), but mighty in fun! Our Auckland Youth with diabetes from ages 12-16year old’s got amongst heaps of activities at YMCA Camp Adair in the Hunua Ranges.

There was mountain biking, shelter building, abseiling, high swing (with lots of high-pitched screams) and archery. One of the best teamwork activities was the obstacle course, which was also the best at getting youth completely covered in mud. There were other activities too, plus some diabetes education, which was much more fun when it involved a jelly fight! Sugar-free jelly was great, as many teens got peckish mid throw eating it from their hands and faces.

All teens came away saying they learnt more about diabetes, how food affects blood sugars, and even things like ‘Macros’ and Glycemic Index.

We finished off our last day at camp inviting parents and whanau for dinner together, so they could catch up too. Even though camp is finished I know that some teens are keeping in touch, and some have set up their own WhatsApp groups.

I heard that one camp group had been checking in with each other, like asking what each of their fav low carb snacks were. Super great team. Isn’t that a load of our mind as parents, knowing they’ve got some mates that understand what it’s really like to have diabetes.

We can’t wait for our next camp coming this January for 9-12year olds. Make sure you follow our Auckland Facebook: Diabetes NZ Auckland Youth | Facebook, and join our Auckland email (contact: youth@diabetesauckland.org.nz) to see all our cool events when they come up.