People often ask if we have weekly themes. Themes make sense for camps that run for 8 or 12 weeks, attempting some differentiation as the summer winds on. But we like to keep things small, with only 3 weeks and only 14 kids per week.  With such a small group, we are able to cater somewhat to the needs of the children that week. Some groups are all about the adventure, wanting to stalk ducks or build tracking boxes or climb in the trees on belay. Others are very interested in the crafts and we’ll learn cordage, build looms to weave grass mats, etc. We might have a week with young imaginative children and keep focused on “solving mysteries” as we follow wonder, or make fairy houses in the woods. Some kids love the gardens, some love the chickens, some love the creek. We have a routine, a schedule and a plan, but we can look a week ahead when we set up that plan to see who the kids are going to be.  It’s essential in this over-programmed life children lead to experience some of what summer used to be, too, playing in the creek and building mud castles.

Instead of weekly themes, we’ll build daily themes so that everyone gets the whole experience of Earth Camp. Some possible themes are: adventure, animals, plants, earth, air, fire, water, shelter, food, energy, connection, web of life, and primitive skills. Within our themes, our days are filled with garden projects, farm animals, wild plant and animal hikes, tracking, bird language, nature wanders, nature journals, fire making and other primitive skills, homesteading skills, & more.

With our “Special Guests” we feature a couple of times a week, our “Elder Storytime”, our sense of adventure and love of new activities, and the reality of time fitting it all into a short 3 weeks, every week is a little different. For more info, don’t hesitate to ask us. Keep checking this blog, too, as we’ll occasionally update you as we schedule our guests & activities, too.