There’s nothing like a good water fight to cool off from the summer temperatures. 

That’s exactly what the youth enrolled in the Salish Kootenai College’s summer program did on Thursday afternoon; they had some fun running around in the sun splashing each other, laughing, and chasing each other around the lawn of the McDonald Health Complex.

Mike Tryon, Community Health Director for the SKC, said the kids were partaking in an event scheduled at the end of the summer after a season of being active.

Tryon and other counselors have been looking after children of varying ages that participate in the SKC youth summer program.

The program is funded through grants from the college. For Tryon, the mission is simple: get kids out of the house and engaged in each other and the community during crucial summertime months.

“We want to keep kids active,” he said. “We work with families, too.”

Tryon said the youth summer program, in its fifth year, encourages a healthy lifestyle through exercise, nutrition, and yes – a little fun while they’re at it.

“We’re trying to reduce screen time,” he said, referencing the need to find fun ways to pull kids from too much time with iPads and other technological distractions that carry so many kids through the heat and into the dog days of August.

The summer youth program lasts from June 10 until Aug. 20. This year over 60 youth registered for the program. The day starts at 8 a.m. with a healthy breakfast, and ends at noon, right before lunch.

“It’s good to get them in a routine,” he said.

Tryon said he’s scheduled many activities throughout the summer such as hiking in Glacier National Park and trips to McDonald Lake for weekly swimming and fishing trips.

Tryon says the activities are educational and fun, teaching them to develop good eating habits, proper exercise, and addressing their needs.

The meals provided are in conjunction with the Montana Food Service Feeding Program, a statewide initiative to provide healthy meals to kids that need it. The Summer Food Service Program is a federally assisted meal program that provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need throughout the summer months when they are out of school.

In addition to healthy eating as part of the education, Tryon said he and his team also give tips for sleeping well.

As for Thursday afternoon’s water fight, Tryon said he and his team wanted to mix it up a little bit. However, when they went to Wal-Mart, there weren’t any more water shooters left. So Tryon had to improvise. They bought about five buckets with a water squirter attached – an everyday household item you might use to put weed spray or gardening water in and turned the kids loose after filling them up with water. 

And from the laughing and running around, you’d guess right if you thought the water was cold.

Other instruments used for a strategic water battle included dozens of water balloons, and good-sized balls that were soaked in water to be thrown at unsuspecting enemies – or teammates. The whole activity was filled a sense that it was every one against every one – counselors included.

One aspect Tryon stressed was the way the program works with the families of the kids. For instance, if transportation were a problem, he would arrange a safe pickup to any person that lived far away and/or couldn’t get a parent to take them. Other kids were encouraged to have the responsibility of getting to the college on their own via walking or bike riding.

Routine is an important part of what Tryon and the other counselors are trying to achieve for these kids. Having the kids pedal on their bikes or walk to the college every day also cultivates a sense of responsibility. “Hopefully they get some exercise,” he said. “And have a little fun while they’re at it.”