It's that time of the year, again! The weather is cold outside, but it's time to think summer. Just close your eyes and picture it- sunshine, shady trees, song birds, blooming flowers, ripening gardens, lightning bugs, green grass between your toes... can you see it?
Now imagine all those summers days through your child's eyes and they becomes simply magical.
Your child can experience this summer magic in a unique summer oasis in the city. In Historic Germantown, as busy city life hurries all around it, there is a certain white-washed fence that stands unassuming in the middle of it all. But behind this fence is a historic homestead that has stood for 323 years. This homestead is the setting for a summer of fun in the sunshine, under the shady trees, and amongst the blooming flowers and ripening garden. Your child can have it all at the Wyck Historic House, Garden and Farm summer camps.
Summer is my favorite season for all the above reasons and summer camp is my favorite time to teach. There is a certain feeling of freedom that the kids experience when they are at camp. Us teachers feel it too. No school, no homework, just play. But little do they know they are learning and growing- socially, emotionally, physically and academically- while they are creating, planting, cooking, laughing, exploring, etc. Teachers call it learning through play, the kids just call it play but we all will remember it as fun. And as the years go by and the kids grow up, they will look back and see it as magical.
Below is more information about the summer camps at the Wyck Historic House, Garden and Farm in Philadelphia. But no matter where live, there is a camp near you that will provide your child with that magical feeling of a summer in the natural world, even in the middle of a city.
Please comment below with the city and information for your favorite camp and why you love it. Thank you!
Please comment below with the city and information for your favorite camp and why you love it. Thank you!
Wyck welcomes donations of any amount to support our camp scholarships. Email Christina at cmoresi@wyck.org for more information.
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Flying Moose Lodge in East Orland, ME Contact web page is: http://flyingmooselodge.com/contact-us email is: prices@flyingmooselodge.com
ReplyDeleteI went to this camp in middle school. Every week, four days were spent camping away -- either a hiking, canoeing, or cycling trip somewhere in ME's woods or coastal areas. Just amazing. It looks like it hasn't changed much all these decades later.
Thanks Bruce! It sounds amazing. There are very few things that do not change in this world, but somewhere in the middle of the woods, wherever you are, it is as if time really does stand still.
ReplyDeleteThe Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education has amazing summer camps that really get kids outdoors and into nature, including day camps for ages 4-9 and, weeks with 2-night overnights for tweens and weeklong camping adventures for young teens. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm biased, because I work at the Schuylkill Center. But I also have personal "Mom" experience from sending my two boys to camp last summer, and I have mom friends who've been sending there kids here for years. My twin boys were actually prepared to really complain about "the camp we have to go to because mom works there." But they did 5 individual weeks last summer and enjoyed all of them. My favorite thing is that they get to run and play and mess around in the woods, fields and streams, get dirty, explore, find bugs under rocks, etc.--all the things that come naturally to kids that the modern world and urban landscape make little room for. It's not about "point and learn about this tree." It's hands-on, kid-led, FUN, but at the same time they learn how to do stuff safely They come home dirty, tired, happy and full of newfound knowledge about deer tracks or stinging nettle or what owls will cough up in an owl pellet. And no bored high-school kids as counselors. Only trained adults. Check it out at : http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/programs/childrenteens/summercamp/
ReplyDeleteThank you Naomi! Yes! Everyday at a Schuylkill Center camp is a new, amazing adventure for kids and counselors (me) alike. And another natural jewel in the city of Philadelphia.
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