Two campers admiring a bandana dyed with wild berries.

Younger camper holding a muffin tin filled with sand from the sandbox.

An older camper using their hands to find clay in the side of a cliff.

Summer is flying by, how is it already Week 8?! On Monday morning, our Growing Wild campers explored Trillium Camp, where they typically spend their time. They jumped around in a mud puddle, made face paint with charcoal, made sand cakes, and played pretend. Forest Village campers played a fun tag game in the meadow with the goal of making it past a set boundary without getting tagged. Before getting into the exciting activities of camp, however, our instructors went over important safety instructions and rules and found ways for the campers to feel welcome in within their groups for the week. On Tuesday, our Fire Wizards (both the Tanagers and the Cardinals) hiked over to the cliffs where they spent the day playing in the creek, explored the cliffs, mined and soaked clay that was found nearby, and gave instructors and fellow campers clay masks for their faces and arms. Back at camp, our Color Foragers worked with different dyes, dying fabric and bandanas and hanging them up to dry. Some made cool patterns, while others wanted saturated, solid color.

On Wednesday, our Forest Villagers played a game that required teamwork and active listening skills where campers had to retrieve bandanas from behind an instructor and pass them between each other until they got them past the starting line, all without getting caught by the instructor. The kids also made charcoal paint, and they even found a makeshift tripod that consisted of three sticks tied together with cordage. Our Growing Wild campers played pretend, played in the sandbox, and played with sticks. Our Color Foragers did some more work with dye. They got to make purple/pink dye out of berries in addition to creating color in many other ways! Our Ravens camp got to practice the play that they were acting out about a very bad camp counselor… Ending off the fun day at camp our Forest Villagers got to explore the creek and built shelters for small creatures.

A younger camper observing two instructors as they lay out leaves on different pieces of paper.

Growing Wild campers prepare leaf sun prints that they designed!

A window screen laid out over two logs with an array of dyed wool pieces on top.

Pieces of wool laid out to dry, dipped & soaked in dye by the Color Foragers.

On Thursday, Growing Wild campers began their day by exploring another camp. Color Foragers turned the wool that they had previously dyed into yarn and used the wool to needle felt. They also sewed their bandana/fabric squares together with thread. Forest Village campers spent some time practicing their wood carving. Despite a little bit of rain that appeared in the afternoon, our campers made the most of their time at camp! Forest Explorers told stories by the fire and practiced wood carving while learning about knife safety. Our Tanagers made a fire as a group that reached a piece of jute that when burned and separated, let down a basket of apples. They were happily rewarded for their hard work when they got to roast their apples over the fire! On Friday our Growing Wild campers got to make blueberry pancakes at trillium camp. Getting to each help the instructor pour the ingredients into the mixing bowl, and then getting to enjoy the yummy pancakes by the fire. Our Color Foragers continued on with more crafts from yesterday, they did more needle felting and turned more wool into yarn. Forest explorers started their day playing a fun running game in the meadow.

On Friday, our Color Foragers continued their crafting activities from yesterday. They worked with felt and practiced needle felting, creating all kinds of fun and unique projects. Meanwhile, our Forest Villagers spent their morning playing a running game in the meadow. As they ran, laughed, and had fun together, they also learned about different animals and the nature around them. On the other side of camp, more of our Forest Villagers were busy collecting hickory nuts, which they would later use as currency for a fun afternoon activity. In the afternoon, all of our camps came together at Turkey Knoll for a Ren Faire! The campers created and displayed many different makeshift booths where they could sell a variety of items, including leaves, sticks, friendship bracelets, and other handmade treasures. Using the hickory nuts they had collected as currency, the campers practiced buying and selling while learning about the value of currency, patience, and interacting with others. To end the day, everyone gathered at the faire and sat together in a big circle to watch a special play. It was a fun way to bring everyone together and finish off an exciting day at camp!

Two older campers standing against a cliff, searching for pieces of clay.

Fire Wizards mining for clay at the cliffs.

A younger camper holding his hands up to his mouth as he sneaks up on an instructor.

A Forest Village camper sneaking up on an instructor during a game.

Photo Gallery August 17-21 by Greta Sanford, Maddy Getty, & Hallie Allport

Week 8 Blog – Dying Fabric, Exploring the Cliffs, and Fire Safety!

Photo Gallery August 17-21 by Greta Sanford, Maddy Getty, & Hallie Allport

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