Woodvale Farm
Day Camp
An Old-Fashioned Farm
Adventure
Ages 5-8
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 40 children ages 5 to 8 are
divided into 4 groups, each supervised by a trained counselor
and junior counselor.
Each week has a theme that will be woven
into the classic Woodvale Farm activities. Click
Here for more
information on each theme.
Week 1: Barnyard Babies
Week 2: Happy Birthday, America!
Week 3: Green Thumbs
Week 4: Halloween in July
Week 5: Farmyard Friends
Week 6: Olden Days
Week 7: Kids in the Kitchen
Week 8: County Fair
The day begins at
9:00 AM with crafts, songs, games, and announcements. The
morning field session lasts from about 9:30 until 11:00 AM.
During this session the campers are in their groups
of 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 learn about animal care and help with the morning
chores. 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. Their group may help feed and water the goats,
pigs, sheep, rabbits, chickens, chicks or ducks on a rotating
basis. They visit the gardens to taste the vegetables and
fruits of the season, plant seeds and help with the garden
chores such as watering, weeding and harvesting.
To see how food goes from the field to the kitchen,
they may harvest a zucchini and bake 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 chickens and ducks to the sheep and goats,
they’ll learn why farmers keep and raise 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 11:00
AM with hand washing.
Campers sit at the picnic tables with their counselor
and junior counselor.
After lunch and more sunscreen, campers have a
supervised free-play with balls, jump ropes and hula-hoops.
There is usually an organized game such as kickball or
soccer and a quieter game or craft in the shade of a
sun-shelter.
After the recreation time ends (about 12:00 noon),
campers have their afternoon field session. The afternoon
field session takes place from Noon until about 1:15 PM.
Campers are again in their small groups and participate
in a number of different farm and nature activities. This is a
very popular time for groups to make old-fashioned ice
cream.
After their afternoon
session, campers gather their swim items (suit, towel, change
of clothes, water-bottle) and head for the beach.
Some groups walk down to the beach, which is about a 15
minute walk downhill, while other groups are shuttled down in
a 15-passenger van.
They switch on the way back.
On the first day, the lifeguards review the rules and
each camper finds a swimming “buddy”.
Swim times last 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 shallow end reaches an adequate depth for farm
campers to have an enjoyable swim time. Following swim time,
the children return to the Woodvale Farm to prepare for going
home. While the campers gather their things, they get the
chance to have a final snack before departing. Each group is
provided a snack, while groups that cooked during the day opt
to sample their ice cream or cornbread. At 3:15, the children
riding the shuttle bus depart and the gates open for sign-out.
On Friday there is a
Farm Carnival, sometimes following a theme, which features
games like ring-toss, pig calling, freeze dancing and face
painting.
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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