Educators Plant Seeds of Curiosity in the Hearts of Young Learners at Frick Park Summer Camp
Things are heating up at the Frick Environmental Center's summer camp! Campers ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade explore the woodlands of Frick Park and foster a connection to nature through memorable activities like roasting marshmallows, digging for worms, and learning about habitats. Naturalist educators and dedicated camp counselors share their love of the great outdoors with young learners, planting seeds of curiosity that will hopefully grow into a lifelong stewardship of green spaces. Read on to see some of the highlights, as told by camp counselor and educator, Amber!
Adventures from Kinder Camp
When the huge storm hit several weeks ago, it knocked down a tree that was completely hollow inside. We moved pieces that we cut of the log to a spot in the woods where we set up activities for the kids. It makes a hollow tunnel for kids to climb through and climb on. On the first week of kinder camp, the kids wanted to see how many of them could fit on the log tunnel at one time. The campers enjoyed climbing on top of the log and jumping off. It added a nice playful element to the space.
On the final day of the first week of Kinder Camp, Lydia (camp counselor and educator) took flower petals from an activity earlier in the week and made a flower design in front of the fountain to welcome the campers to their last day of camp.
Tales from Survival Camp
One group was taking a walk on the Sensory Nature Trail when they saw a black rat snack. We quietly watched it slither through the leaves until it came to a tree and proceeded to climb. The survival campers watched it for several minutes as it made its way high above their heads.
When building shelters, each group has a designated scarecrow with a name and background story that they are building a shelter for. Later in the week, their shelter is tested to see how dry the scarecrow stays when water is poured over the shelter. One of the groups came back from lunch the day of the water challenge to find their shelter had partially collapsed on the scarecrow. This could have been a devastating moment, but the campers all had a good attitude about their shelter despite the setback.
Counselors went up one morning to bring materials to their site. They found a fawn nestled under one of the shelters that the campers built. Its mother left it there to stay safe while she foraged.
One Survival Camper stated that their favorite part of camp was the friends they made along the way.
