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Designing summer camps


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We are a large family and do not have the money to send the kids to those fun, enrichment type thing over the summer. So.....I am going to plan my own! :)

 

Need ideas and resources to make this really special and fun for them.

 

We have TONS of parks, nature areas, and lakes for free here in MN.

 

We have a zoo membership and were gifted a Science Museum of MN membership. So I can access those places pretty much for free as part of the plans.

 

Any ideas?

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One summer, I put together a one-week 'camp' for my dc & a few of their friends. We did a Leonardo da Vinci theme (using ideas/activities from Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself and Leonardo da Vinci for Kids).

 

I went through & decided to focus on a particular topic for each day of the week (so, for example, we had Leonardo the Jokester, Art/Painting, Scientific Inventions, etc...). The things we discussed & read related to the day's topic & then we did an activity or two (or three). We also worked on multi-day projects (including masks that were just awesome), so we would spend some time working on those projects as needed each day. I think we did 'camp' from 10am to 2pm each day, w/ a lunch break. The kids brought a sack lunch w/ them. At the end, I got each of them a tri-fold display board, copies of photos I had taken during the week, misc. 'creating' supplies (paper, pens, etc...) & let them create a way to display all their work. They attached some photos & art work to their boards, placed the bigger (non-hangable) projects in front of the board. They got to set everything up & show the moms & their friends. Then, they had a nice thing to take home & set up to show the rest of their families & other friends.

 

It was a total blast. It was also a lot of work on my part.

 

In your situation, I'd probably:

- Decide on a couple of different topics/themes & create some one-week camps. I would probably pick themes that would somehow tie-in w/ all the wonderful field trips you can make. I would probably do a 'camp' week, then use the following week to do some outings/field trips related to the previous (or upcoming week). W/ your resources, I might plan 3 or 4 camps to stagger throughout the summer: Lake Life (study organisms that live in/around lakes, water cycle study, etc...); Park/One Square Foot Camp (bugs, animal tracks, plant id, etc...); Zoo Camp (perhaps pick a different type of animal to study each day, such as mammal, reptile, amphibian, etc...); Mad Science (what types of displays/concepts does the science museum have? I would plan around some of those topics)

- Plan some books & activities to do for each theme.- Have them create a 'final project' for each camp you do so they will have a way to remember it & show it to family & friends.

- Would it be fun for the kids to pack a bag lunch each day & then have a lunch break by doing a picnic in the yard or something?

- Maybe one of the first projects could be to create/paint their own 'camp' t-shirts.

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I'd also check the schedule for the zoo and science museum to see what free programs they might have. We seem to attend at the same time, EVERY, time--morning. But, they might have a hippo talk at 2, feed the tortoises at 11, etc.... Have each child come up with a question they want to ask. Plan your visit around that group of animals and visit several from the same classification. Do sketches and write down information.

 

Art week? Get all the messy stuff out and set up at once. Maybe break it up into clay week, painting week, etc... A book from the library, like Mary Ann Kohls, could be your guide.

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You could let your kids invite a friend or two.....that would give it more of a fun, camp atmosphere. Better yet, team up with another mom and you can host a camp for a week and she can do another week- your kids would get time with other kids and you'd get some free time! (and so would the other mom!)

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I did this for three boys (2 mine) when they were little. I like to plan menus, so it wasn't work. I planned different themes for each day - soup, desserts, breads. I included some safety worksheets and cooking math. Then we hosted a lunch for the other parents on Fri, as a culmination of what they learned for the week. I only did half-days and at the end they each got a certificate and a wooden spoon! Oh yeah, I made each boy an apron with their name. They still remember that as one of the most fun camps they ever did. We don't pay to go away to camp either.

 

 

This might not be what you were thinking, but it might help the creative juices flow:001_smile:

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I'd also check the schedule for the zoo and science museum to see what free programs they might have. We seem to attend at the same time, EVERY, time--morning. But, they might have a hippo talk at 2, feed the tortoises at 11, etc.... Have each child come up with a question they want to ask. Plan your visit around that group of animals and visit several from the same classification. Do sketches and write down information.

 

Art week? Get all the messy stuff out and set up at once. Maybe break it up into clay week, painting week, etc... A book from the library, like Mary Ann Kohls, could be your guide.

I have the schedule but they all seem to be at least 24.00/child.

 

Can't swing that. :( And some are only an hour and a half one time class!

 

I will double check though.

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You could let your kids invite a friend or two.....that would give it more of a fun' date=' camp atmosphere. Better yet, team up with another mom and you can host a camp for a week and she can do another week- your kids would get time with other kids and you'd get some free time! (and so would the other mom!)[/quote']

I am part of a homeschooling group and may open it to them if I can get organized enough.

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I did this for three boys (2 mine) when they were little. I like to plan menus, so it wasn't work. I planned different themes for each day - soup, desserts, breads. I included some safety worksheets and cooking math. Then we hosted a lunch for the other parents on Fri, as a culmination of what they learned for the week. I only did half-days and at the end they each got a certificate and a wooden spoon! Oh yeah, I made each boy an apron with their name. They still remember that as one of the most fun camps they ever did. We don't pay to go away to camp either.

 

 

This might not be what you were thinking, but it might help the creative juices flow:001_smile:

SUPER fun idea! My kids would LOVE that!

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I have the schedule but they all seem to be at least 24.00/child.

 

Can't swing that. And some are only an hour and a half one time class!

 

That's a shame. Our zoo does all kinds of free "meet the zoo keeper talks." The zoo keeper is just available with a certain animal to talk about them. They are often non-favorite animals. Aldabra tortoise, white rhino, vultures, etc...They do them on a set schedule every week. But learning first-hand info really sparks interest.

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That's a shame. Our zoo does all kinds of free "meet the zoo keeper talks." The zoo keeper is just available with a certain animal to talk about them. They are often non-favorite animals. Aldabra tortoise, white rhino, vultures, etc...They do them on a set schedule every week. But learning first-hand info really sparks interest.

You know, we have 2 zoos. I haven't checked at the other one. :)

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