MIDDLEBORO — For 100 years, Camp Yomechas, a summer camp in a secluded wooded area by a pond on Wareham Street, has served the area’s young people with a range of activities, including swimming, games, arts and crafts and horseback riding.

The camp, which is run by the Middleboro YMCA, ends when school returns. But in certain ways, it never closes. 

When the full-day of summer fun gives way to full-time school session, the camp transitions into a before and after school program, with many of the same activities as the summer camp and all of its spirit of camaraderie and adventure.

Youngsters from kindergarten to grade 5 can attend the programs starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. The youngsters are dropped off at the before school program by families at 7 a.m., then are driven to school on a bus. After school, a bus transports them to the camp, where they are then picked up by 6 p.m. by their families.

The camp has served a valuable purpose for the past 100 years, said Julie Kennedy, executive director of the Middleboro YMCA and Camp Yomechas.

“The Y is always here for its community, serving families, providing a safe place for children to go, a fun place for children to go,’’ she said.

Kennedy hopes they remember “the tradition and friendships and memories that were made’’long after their time ends at the camp.

The before and after school programs add an educational component, with features such as arts and crafts and science experiments. The morning program provides breakfast, a chance to get outside and be active and social time, Kennedy said.

After school, stretching their legs is an important aspect, since the children have been seated much of the day in school, said Mel Sylvia, school age director of the camp.

They also play with Lincoln logs and other traditional games, which “doesn’t get old,’’ said John Gonsalves, senior group leader. 

The youngsters also share reflective time, he said, with “Y chat,” which makes an inquiry, such as, talk about a time when you did something kind for someone else? This is aimed at prompting introspection, he said.

“It’s a reflective tool,’’ he said.  

On a recent afternoon, students were working on tie-dyeing shirts.

The afternoon also features a snack and homework help, Kennedy said.

The setting, a 32-acre wooded area with a pond where students can swim and go boating in the summer, is also a draw for the children, Kennedy said. “

“Just being on the beautiful grounds of the camp, just to be able to do sports outside in nature,’’ she said, makes for happy campers, no matter what the season.