An
Old-Fashioned Farm Experience
Join us for a week “Down on the Farm.” The 19th
century Woodvale Farm has a barn, classroom, outbuildings, 11
acres of pastures, two gardens, a pond and hiking trails. Each
week in the summer, a maximum of 50 children ages 5 to 8 are
divided into 5 groups, each supervised by a trained counselor
and junior counselor.
New this year are weekly themes, which will be woven
into the basic Woodvale Farm activities:
Week 1: Gardening
Week 2: Patriotic
Week 3: Cooking
Week 4: Olden Days
Week 5: Ice Cream
Week 6: Halloween
Week 7: Thanksgiving
Week 8: County Fair
The day begins at 9:00 AM with crafts, songs and announcements.
The morning field session lasts from about 9:30 until 11:15
AM. During this session the campers are in their groups (8-10
campers each). It is during the morning and afternoon field
sessions that the children learn all about the farm, the people
who built it, the animals, gardens and nature. They visit
the gardens to taste the vegetables and fruits of the season.
They plant seeds and help with the garden chores (watering,
weeding and harvesting). They may harvest a zucchini and create
a loaf of zucchini bread or they might grind some corn and
bake cornbread. They will get to know the animals at Woodvale
Farm. From the farm cat to the chickens to the sheep, they'll
learn why farmers keep and raise these animals. On Thursday
morning there is usually a Living History activity that involves
all the campers in an imaginative journey into Woodvale Farm’s
past.
Lunch begins at 11:15 AM with hand washing. Campers sit at
their picnic table with their counselor and junior counselor.
After lunch, and a reapplication of sunscreen, campers have
a supervised free-play with balls, jump ropes and hula-hoops.
There is usually an organized game (kickball, soccer, etc.)
and a quieter game in the shade of a sun-shelter. After the
recreation time (about 12:00 noon), campers gather their swim
items (suit, towel, change of clothes, water-bottle) and head
for the beach. Some groups walk down to the beach (about a
15 minute walk downhill), while other groups are shuttled
down in a 15-passenger van and they switch on the way back.
On the first day, the lifeguards review the rules and each
camper finds a swimming “buddy”. Swim times lasts
about 40 minutes. Since Farm Day Campers only swim in the
shallow end of the roped off swim area, swim tests are not
necessary.
The afternoon field session takes place from after swim time
until about 3:00 PM when campers are again in their small groups
and participate in a number of different activities. Nature
hikes are a big part of the week. The children will go on several
hikes including a trip to the pond. Armed with nets and buckets,
they will explore the pond and catch critters like dragonfly
nymphs and tadpoles and search for bullfrogs and turtles. Crafts
are another part of the camp experience. Some of the crafts
might include finger painting, butterfly making, pet rocks,
masks, seed art, pom-pom bugs or nature collages. All children
will card wool and either learn how to drop-spin or make felt
balls. They will meet some of the animals up close, feeling
their fur, feathers or wool, listening to the noises and observing
their behavior with a focus on safe, humane interactions with
animals.
From 3:00 until 3:25 campers will learn about animal care
and help with the end of day chores. Their group may help
feed and water the goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, chicks or
ducks on a rotating basis.
On Friday there is a Farm Carnival that follows the theme of
the week. It might feature games like ring-toss, pig calling, freeze
dancing and face painting. Before sign out on Friday at 3:15
PM there
is a short family program of skits and songs followed
by a tour guided by your child. This is their opportunity
to show you around the farm to meet their favorite animals
and see the gardens. There is also a Farm Stand set up on
Friday so that you can take home some of the garden’s
bounty that the kids helped harvest. Sign out and bus pick-up
follows. |
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