End of week 1

Hi everyone, happy Friday!

Another rainy day for the campers but we had some fun activities planned! The morning started off great. Dylan and Rene taught more campers how to make the paracord bracelets. They were successful! Chantelle took a group to the porch to work on the awesome bird feeders. They are starting to come together. Meanwhile, Allie and I hiked with some campers on the trails with a terrarium. The kids got to decide what they were going to put in it. They started off with a grass, moss, and bark base. After, they found many salamanders. They also found a giant slug under a piece of bark. After lunch the students enjoyed some free time. Quiet time consisted of the usual bracelet/paracord making, sketching, painting and sanding wood.

In the first afternoon block Dylan showed a group of kids how to carve some neat walking sticks. Rene worked on dream catchers and Chantelle and I offered more sketching and watercolor activities on the porch. The kids drew some nature scenes with flowers and butterflies. Towards the end of the first block the weather started clearing up. The sun was shining! In the second block Allie took a group of campers to do watercolor by the pond. They got to observe the nature and replicate what they saw. Chantelle and Rene took a group out to collect items on a walk. Dylan helped a smaller group of campers take logs and turn them into a useful structure. Some campers made pencil holders, while others made small flowerpots.

We just want to thank all the campers for the great week they gave us! We all had a ton of fun. The second week of camp will be another great one!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend,

-Shannon

June 12th

Hello all!

Today started off great! The weather was overcast but we made the best of it. Chantelle took a group of campers outside along the trails to gather small sticks to make picture frames. These frames are constructed of sticks and twine and used for the photos that the campers took earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Rene and Dylan took a large group of campers to make a shelter in the Play Woods. The campers gathered logs and sticks for the structure. This activity is good for group work; all the campers can work together and it takes cooperative teamwork. In the barn, Allie and I did tie-dying with the campers. They dyed shirts and bandanas which will be special souvenirs from the Land Lab experience. The process is long, but fun! The shirts & bandanas will continue drying here. During lunchtime and recess, the campers played games. Quiet time included sketching, bracelet making, painting with watercolors and sanding.

After lunch the campers participated in more tie-dying.  Dylan also taught a group of people how to make paracord bracelets. These bracelets serve many purposes other than fashion. They can be used in nature as traps, splints, or for a fishing line. Chantelle took a group to the porch to make popsicle stick bird feeders. During the second block, sketching took place along with more bird feeder making. More paracord bracelets were made. The weather turned cooler and the rain poured but the campers continued having fun doing intricate activities.

Looking forward to a fun Friday tomorrow!

-Shannon

Pond day #1!

Hi everyone!

Today started off rainier than we'd like. We almost postponed Pond Day but the rain stopped and it started getting a little lighter out so we followed through with our plans! The campers got all geared up and ready to go out to the pond. After listening to instructions, everyone helped carry out the nets, wood, and vegetables (for Stone Soup.) Once out at the pond, the campers jumped right into the water. Some swam all the way out to the dock while others waded in the shallow part. Some students helped with the preparation of Stone Soup, while other campers took turns in the canoe. Activity around the pond includes finding creatures and putting them in the observation tank. One camper found a frog! Others found small snails, tadpoles, and even some different plants. Anything that the campers liked they could put into the tank for everyone to see.

During lunchtime the kids got to sit around the fire and eat. They also got to try the Stone Soup that was prepared. Stone Soup is made with many different ingredients and can always taste different based on whatever is put in it. The campers brought things like basil, carrots, potatoes, and more! After they ate, the kids played during recess. For quiet time, bracelets were made and wood blocks were sanded.

         After lunch and quiet time, the campers went back out to the pond to swim and take turns in the canoe.  A small group went out to the woods to build shelters. More discoveries were made at the pond, too. At the end of the day, the campers cleaned up and went back to the barn. Overall, it was a great pond day. We were so lucky that it stayed dry!

Can’t wait for more fun activities tomorrow!

-Shannon

Day 2!

Hi all!

Today the day started off humid and overcast. (No rain so that was nice!) We all gathered and discussed the activity choices for the day. Rene and Dylan took a group of campers out to gather supplies for some dream catcher making. After the sticks and vines were collected, the campers (With lots of patience) created a circle out of them. Then they put string around it to create the catcher. Some campers even added long ties and feathers off the bottom of it! The end result was very cool. Meanwhile, Allie led bracelet making and water colors. The kids painted some nature scenes as an introduction. Chantelle and I took a smaller group out to take photos. We found some great slugs, moths and pretty flowers. We also found a couple four leaf clovers. The campers loved to capture great photos!

During lunch the sun came out and the campers played capture the flag. After, during quiet time, the campers sketched and sat outside enjoying the sun. They also sat outside sanding and painting.

After lunch Dylan led campers to gather more supplies for their boats. Rene helped a group of kids build the solar oven. On the next sunny day the campers will put the oven in the sun and bake cookies in it. Some campers were ready to build their boats and Chantelle, Allie, and I helped assemble them. Tomorrow the finished boats will be set out on the pond. In the second block the boats continued to be made and shelters were constructed in the woods. Also bracelets and water color paintings were made.

The second day was great and the campers enjoyed their time in the sun. Looking forward to pond day tomorrow!

-Shannon

Taking photos of the woods 

Making the dream catcher!

 

Photography of the pond and woods!

Finished Dream catcher

First day back!

Hello all, it’s good to be back!

            We hope you all had a great end to the school year and that you’re all ready for 3 weeks of fun! Today the weather was a bit overcast, but luckily the rain held off. The new campers were introduced to the day-to-day activities while the returning campers reviewed them.

            The morning started with the blindfold walk .The campers paired up and led one another through to the “dark woods” while one partner was blindfolded. The activities helped the campers get more in touch with all their senses and helped them build trust in one another. After the walk, groups split off and went to different areas of the land lab to explore. We saw some salamanders and slugs on the way. The campers loved the new tree stump chairs they found along the trails leading to the play woods.

            We had lunch in and around the barn and afterwards the kids had recess. It started to mist a little bit during that time, but that didn’t stop the campers from running around and having fun! After lunch Rene and Allie took the campers to do an alphabet scavenger hunt while Dylan, Chantelle, and I went with another group to collect nature items for the boats that the kids will float on the pond soon. The next block of activities included more boat gathering/shelter building with Chantelle, Rene, and Dylan. Allie and I helped the campers make bracelets. Some bracelets were finished, but other bracelets are more complicated and take more time.

            Overall it was a great day and ran smoothly! We look forward to the week ahead and hope the best weather comes our way.

See you guys tomorrow! – Shannon

      Campers getting ready for the blindfolded walk

On the blindfolded walk!

Exploring the land lab!

Having fun while gathering supplies for the boats