Nature Day Camp
RHA’s Nature Day Camp programs encourage children to explore, create and play in a vibrant outdoor setting. These unique outdoor learning experiences are absent of video games, tv and competitive sports. Instead, children experience nature together, developing a strong appreciation for the outdoors and learning how to protect our natural environment. Each Day Camp session has a teacher to child ratio of 1:4. Children discover wildlife, habitats, adaptations, plants, insects, birds, predator-prey interactions and more through field activities, stories, crafts and hands-on projects.
Every morning children are greeted by their Camp Counselors (RHA staff, interns and/or Associate Naturalists) and Helpers (teenage student volunteers) and start off with a new sight or sound for the day – maybe a bird song, a painted turtle sunning itself on the edge of the pond or a traditional story about nature. This reflection helps us to set the focus for the day, be it water, weather, bugs, soil or any other of the fun subjects we explore.
On hot days, we like to get our exploring done in the cool morning hours, so we often set right out on a hike to one of the special places on Fairview Farm’s beautiful 170 acres! Favorite destinations include the Bird and Butterfly Garden, a stream, our pond or a shady forest glen. With magnifiers and binoculars in hand, the children set the pace and decide on the destination.
Alternating between active and restful activities, after exploration time we grab a snack and drink of water and then enjoy a hands-on activity under the shade of a tree or in our nature classroom. Following up with a game such as camouflage, a scavenger hunt or building our own habitats with found materials, we are always ready for mid-day lunch! Another cool-down activity (Drip Drip Splash is a big favorite) is followed by camper’s choice – more outdoor exploration or finishing up our craft for the day.
At least once a week we have a special visitor – a scientist who studies snakes, turtles or butterflies, a fisherman or another interesting guest who help us understand and appreciate the outdoors even more! To remember each day for years to come, every camper keeps a Nature Journal in which they record their reflections before they leave for home each day.
With a day full of fresh air, fun and exploration, children leave Nature Day Camp feeling happy and full of new discoveries to share with friends and family!
**New for 2013! Summer Adventure Camp for Teens! Perfect for young naturalists looking for a week of adventure and discovery. This camp will introduce teens to outdoor skills like orienteering, fishing, astronomy and river exploration. A great opportunity for campers that have out-grown Nature Day Camp and are ready for fun, new experiences!
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