Country Camp Summer 2010

Summer’s just around the corner and that means more adventures at Country Camp!

Registration is now OPEN for Summer 2010!

Summer 2010 Camp Dates:

• Saturday, June 5
• Saturday, June 12
• Saturday, June 19
• Saturday, June 26
• Saturday, July 10
• Saturday, July17
• Saturday, July 24
• Saturday, July 31

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Ages: 5 to 9 years

Single Saturday Camp Fee:

• First Child = $50.00 per camp
• Second Child = $40.00 per camp (A 20% discount!)

What’s Included: Snacks, drinks, craft materials, and photos of your child in action at camp!

A maximum of 8 children per camp, so register early!

To Register Your Child: Fill out the form on the Camp Registration page!

Country Camp Fall 2010

 

Finally, Fall has arrived! Mark your calandars – – – –
Country Camp dates:
Saturday October 16
Saturday October 30
for more Fall Fun on the Farm.

Hope to see you !

July 31, 2010 Country Camp

The last day for Country Camp this Summer, and boy, was it Summer, HOT!

 

Click on the photo’s HERE

July 24, 2010 Country Camp

Yummy! We had popeye’s to start our day. We gathered our eggs from the hen houses, and to make the holes in the bread we used cookie cutters. A little pancake syrup and we had breakfast on the farm.

We finished a few projects, fed the chickens, played with the goats (Mariah and Cocoa, too), then we were off to the creek for exploration and play. This was a good week for minnows and frogs. The water was so low that it was easy to net the little critters.  As Gayle says, “The pictures speak for themelves.”

Our pet rocks were imaginative creations! It was fun using the crayon melter. What a great wa;y to recycle all those broken crayons. Our morning ended way too quickly as we served up mud pies, played on the old swing set, and even had a pretend tea using real dishes! Of course George had to supervise the whole thing.  

Only one more summer Country Camp, then we will be waiting for the Fall.

Check out the photo’s HERE.

July 17 2010 Country Camp

This was another successful Country Camp! Campfire donuts for breakfast started our day. We made name boards using found objects and helped Mr. Pat deliver hay to the goats and learned about ruminants. We surely kept busy.

Of course, we needed a trip to the creek to cool off after all that work! The alpacas, Fluffy, Ziva, Mariah, Cocoa , and Moonspot Bob had to come along for a dip. We had time to decorate a walking stick and enjoy a cool ice cream sandwich before the morning ended. The chickens enjoyed the ice cream sandwiches too!

Wow! Where has the summer gone – – — only 2 more camps!  Fall Country Camps coming in September.

Check out the photo’s HERE, they speak for themselves!!!!

June 26, 2010 Country Camp

 

Welcome to camp

 

Sorry that this week was delayed due to photo difficulties.

Click here for the link to the photos.

June 19, 2010 Country Camp

 

Birthday Cookie

The parachute attached to the treehouse was a climbing challenge to start the day and then most everyone had to try out the new slide.  Shoe boxes decorated with beans spelled out campers names and became a great place to store “treasures” for the day. Everyone made a water scope out of recycled coffee cans and plastic wrap in order to investigate underwater life. When everyone was finished we took off for the conservation pond but on the way we stopped at the garden to see how the pumpkin plants were coming along. We also looked at the almost ripe tomato.

The conservation pond was totally full (four and a half acres of water) and we got to use the water scopes to see life underwater in the pond. We observed water bugs, small fish, spiders, tadpoles, several frogs and even a little water snake who decided to chase Ziva while she was swimming. While in the conservation area we looked at one of the orchards and saw  peach trees loaded with peaches that were almost ripe as well as a crabapple tree and a plum-tree and also lots and lots of wildflowers. Next we went to a different location of the creek and used the water scopes again to observe a baby crawdad and little tadpoles. We saw a red ear slider turtle digging a nest to lay her eggs, so we left her alone.

When we got back we got ready for snack which was a hot dog cooked on the open fire. Everyone got to cook their dog and then sit in the shade for a bit and eat. We ended up with a huge cookie to celebrate Ryan’s birthday which is next week. Since it was so hot we went over to the shade and made mud pies, mud coffee, and muddy hands and feet.

Photo’s are HERE

(Click on “slideshow” for the best view)

June 12, 2010 Turtles, Toad Homes, Fungi, and Snake Skins

We began the day with a quick check in and introduction then listened to Ms. Gayle tell about Toads and the environment. She showed everyone how to make a toad house for their own garden and then people took turns decorating their toad house. While waiting turns for the crayon melter everyone got to look at the eastern box turtle Gayle found earlier in the morning. Of course George the therapy cat had to supervise the toad house project. During the walk everyone got to see where he lived when we released the box turtle back to his home (under one of the barns). Ms. Gayle showed where a snake had used an old fence to shed its skin and talked about how snakes shed their old skins as they grow.

During the walk we found ANOTHER box turtle about 100 yards from where we let the other one go home. Then we walked through the creek and found some major thorns sticking out of a Black Locust tree. We also discovered a huge bloom of fungi growing off a log in the woods. Seems like going to the creek means wet feet and full boots, but everyone had fun and some saw some minnows before they swam to hiding. On the way back we checked out an apple tree and saw that the apples are now about the size of golf balls.

After the nature walk we came back to the yard for snack-a homemade ice cream sandwich. Campers wrote a short book about the farm and had some free play in the treehouse. Of course the hammock was occupied, next week we will put up a new one.

The photo’s for the day are HERE

June 5th: “First Camp of 2010”

 

Wild strawberries

Well the first camp of the new season was held on a beautiful summer day. After the orientation and introductions we had a chance to check on the play area, the treehouse, and then some of the animals. After feeding donkey’s we went for a walk in the woods down to the creek and examined some animal tracks, discovered and tasted some wild strawberry’s, played in the water, observed the raccoon den and climbed a few trees.  Moonspot Bob started the trip but then decided to throw a mini ‘fit’ because he wanted to go back home with the other goats.

 

After the walk we came back to the yard and after having a snack and drink we  looked at the red-eared slider that happened to show up earlier in the morning and then we set it free.  The boys walked around the pond and were surprised by the guinea hens squawking and making so much of a fuss that they decided to come back to the front yard.  Some of us colored and the others went out to the garden with Pat and looked at the vegetables and then planted some pumpkin seeds and lettuce.

Next it was time for the second walk of the day through a different pathway around to another creek crossing and on the way we say a momma cow and her two-day old calf.  Ziva decided to go along and Pat stayed home so no photo’s of that walk.  By the time everyone got back the parents were waiting and a good time was had by all.

Click HERE for photos for this week’s camp!

Things You Can Do: Dandelions in the Wind

Sharing Nature with your child doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it can be as simple as reading your child a book about a flower and finding that flower with your child outside – making the written word “come to life!”

At the school where I teach, I read the book “Dandelions: Stars in the Grass” by Mia Posada to my class of Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. It’s a great story about the most common “weed” of all – the Dandelion. After we read the story, the kids were so excited to get outside and interact with them!

Thankfully, our school has a creek area nearby and we were able to explore the “old-growth” trees surrounding it – and found lots of Dandelions!

Fun Dandelion Facts to Share With Your “Explorer:”

1. The stem of the Dandelion is hollow, which is great for blowing through!
2. The yellow flower will “dye” your skin a beautiful ochre shade when rubbed against an arm or leg.
3. The seeds from the “puffball” flower can be scattered everywhere!

During our Dandelion adventure, it just so happened to be a windy day, so our “huffing and puffing” got a little boost from Mother Nature!

Happy Easter from Country Camp!

Happy Easter from the Cuckoo Maran, Araucana, and Barred Rock chickens at Country Camp! (And the rest of us, too!)