2022 Farm Camp Recap - Week 2 (June 13-17)
Monday - Welcome & Orientation
Willows (Ms. Nora)
Our first day of farm camp started off strong with a game of Blind Samurai. After that, we played a name game to get to know each other a bit before going over our agreements that keep everyone safe and happy. Our first activity was watering sunflowers, and on our way we walked through rows of squash, corn and artichokes and took a tour of the fields. We talked about how to use our composting bathroom and why it's a sustainable option compared to traditional flush toilets. Next, we did a scavenger hunt to get ourselves acquainted with where things are located and how the farm runs. Once afternoon hit, we headed up to the tasting room for lunch where we read “Ms. Rumphius” and learned how to make butter by shaking a jar of non-homogenized whipping cream! Everybody got a turn shaking the jar to contribute to the finished product. We ended the day with some water play on the slip n slide and in the sprinklers.
Oaks (Ms. Bridget)
Welcome to farm camp! Our first day started with a game of palm tag, then we walked to our outdoor classroom under the tree where we played a circle game to learn each others names, then collectively came up with agreements about how to be safe and respectful during our week on the farm. After hydrating (which we do every hour or so in this heat) we then went on a walk around the farm, checked out baby plants in the the greenhouse, felt the heat inside the compost pile, met the chickens, and collected herbs for some sun tea. After stumping each other with riddles over our snack, we did a farm scavenger hunt to get even more familiar with our surroundings. It’s quite warm by lunchtime, so we all walk up to the tasting room to cool off and enjoy lunch. After that, we played a circle game requiring intense focus called “Cat and Rat”, then started working with yucca leaves to make cordage. We wrapped up the day under the trees with an epic water cup relay, slip n slide, and super soaker battles.
Tuesday - Bug Day
Willows (Mr. Kyle)
We began punctually at 9 am. Each child drew a "symbol card" which they got to hang onto and ponder for the rest of the day. We played a game of "Changer and Guesser," where the Changer leads the circle in a motion and occasionally changes it up, and the Guesser must guess who is the Changer. Then played a few rounds of "Blind Bee" an adaptation of Blind Samurai. We went on a bug hunt after taking many sips of water, and discussed where bugs might live, harmful and helpful bugs to the organic farm effort, and the difference between soil and dirt. We also drew pictures of our bugs and told bug stories, led by the students themselves. We then then packed up and went to lunch where we circled up and told one "group mind" story, where each member of the circle contributes one or two lines to the collective story as it is passed around. We then went out to make seed balls from soil, clay, sand and water mixed with native flower seeds, and finished of the day with lots of water play.
Oaks (Ms. Bridget)
On Tuesday, we started off with a game of “Fox and Rabbits,” then went for a morning walk through the woods behind the farm to our herb labyrinth and historic cabins at the edge of our property. Along the way we checked out an abandoned bee hive and carefully stepped around several massive carpenter ant colonies. We visited the chicken coop to say hello to our two broody hens. After snack, we learned a song about insects, then discussed the importance of beneficial insects on an organic farm like ours. We set off on a bug hunt to catch insects around the farm, then tried to identify them using our good bug / bad bug field guides. We found several leaf-footed bugs, a honeybee, a bumblebee, carpenter ants, grasshoppers and a lady bug. We then held bug races, where the insects start at the center of a circle drawn on the ground - the first to reach the perimeter wins. All contestants were gratefully released back into nature. We moved up to the tasting room for lunch, where we played another round of “Cat and Rat”, then made homemade garlic bread for the whole camp from the butter that the Willows made on Monday and garlic harvested from the farm. We finished off the day with more water play.
Wednesday - Tomato Day
Willows (Ms. Nora)
Wednesday we started our day with a game of Poison Dart Frog, a game that sharpens our awareness and thinking skills, and just so happens to be hilarious. After that, we moved on to our farm chore which was harvesting tomatoes for our afternoon activity. We talked about how to know if a tomato is ripe, by its color and squishiness, and why garden fresh tomatoes taste better than tomatoes from the grocery store. During snack time, Ms. Nora told the story of a man who was searching for the bird of truth, and in the afternoon we headed up the hill to check out the chicks. We played a lively game of “Chicken, Chicken, Fox” (a.k.a farm duck, duck goose) and asked lots of questions about what the chicks were doing, making lots of squawking noises in the meantime. For lunch we headed to the tasting room to cool off and Ms. Nora read the story of “The Woman Who Was Not Afraid,” before making scissor salsa with the tomatoes we harvested earlier. We finished the day cooling off with some water play!
Oaks (Ms. Bridget)
Wednesday was tomato harvest day at camp. After our morning games (“Seagulls & French Fries” and “Monarch & Viceroys”) we went out to the farm to hunt for tomatoes and basil for our cooking project. Thankfully the day was relatively cooler so after snack (and more tricky riddles) we took a hike up the hill behind our property. The kids said hello to the cows, and discovered some cool rocks, deer bones, and an iridescent beetle on the way. They really loved being able to see their farm classroom from above. We then played “Bird Survival” where pairs of sparrows try to build nests, while blue jays try to steal their eggs, and hawks try to catch (tag) everyone. It’s a fast-paced game that teaches kids about survival strategies these species might employ in the natural world. We hiked back down to the tasting room for lunch to discover that the restaurant crew was chopping up huge tubs of onions to pickle (phew!) so we decided to eat outside in the patio area. We then learned how to make world’s easiest pasta sauce aka Pasta Fresca with the tomatoes & basil we harvested. Unfortunately, the camp stove we were using did not boil the water for pasta in time, so we saved it to enjoy the next day. All the the kids enjoyed water play till the day was done.
Thursday - Color Day
Willows (Ms. Nora)
Color Day! Thursday started off with an engaged game of What Time is it Mr. Fox, ending with lots of laughing and screaming. After that, we went to take care of the hens and roosters, observing their feathers and discussing the differences between the two. We checked for eggs and talked about what a 'bloom' is, the special outer coating of an unwashed egg that helps protect it and keep it good for months. We headed back to our classroom for snack and had a thoughtful discussion about eating whole foods, rather than processed foods, where trash goes after we throw it away and how landfills work. Moving on to our afternoon activity, we learned about sheep wool and wet felting, starting a challenging tactile project. Once it started getting hot, we headed up to the tasting room for lunch and Ms. Nora told a story about a golden apple tree. For our afternoon activity, we looked at some edible flowers from around the farm, and picked the petals off for our confetti cracker snack! Lots of us didn't know there were edible flowers so this was quite a treat! At the end of the day, we wrapped up by spending some time outside playing in the water.
Oaks (Ms. Bridget)
The Oaks warmed up with a fast-paced game of Scramble (like dodgeball with bandana balls) then moved to our classroom to play “The Wind Blows for Me.” We had a birthday celebration for Wren with popsicles for everyone to share (thanks Wren’s mom!) We also had the chance to try our pasta fresca at snack time - they loved it! After snack harvested flowers and made beautiful bookmarks by transferring the colors to heavy paper using hammers. We also made bracelets from our corded yucca - this was a challenge for several students, but they never gave up! We played a fun circle / guessing game called “Bob the Weasel” then moved indoors for lunch. They finally managed to finished the “Cat and Rat” challenge - a worthy achievement! (Ask them to describe the game.) More water games at the end of the day, and we were done before we knew it.
Friday - Bird (and Cow) Day
Willows - Ms. Nora
Our bittersweet, last day of farm camp started off with another game of Blind Samurai, this time, since we knew each other it was much more cut-throat, in a good way! Everyone was engaged, screaming and laughing while running from the swords-person. Our farm chore was more watering, which they were happy to self-direct, feeling like little famers now we played at the weather station and sang to the flowers. After that, we explored the herb labyrinth, stopping to observe carpenter ants, raccoon and armadillo tracks in the sandy soil on the way. We harvested some yarrow and motherwort before walking back to the classroom, stopping to pick some basil and mint for sun tea. We got it brewing and took a break for snack while Ms. Nora told the story of the “Old Woman and the Black Dog.” We went into our afternoon activity, finishing up the felting project from the day before and learning how to weave. After that, we headed up to lunch and read the story of “Grandmother’s Basket.” At the end of the day, we went up the hill to see the cows and play music for them, they were very friendly and even licked a few peoples hands! At the end of the day, we played in the gravel, and threw our seed balls from Tuesday in the flower beds next to the stage!
Oaks - Ms. Bridget
For our final day we learned a bit about our local birds. After our morning games of “Jedi Dodgeball” and “Monarchs and Viceroys”, we did a silent sit spot and listened for as many birds as we could hear, the discussed the concept of Bird Language and how they communicate not just with each other, but with all the animals nearby. We tested our knowledge of birds with a true or false relay, then after snack played “Bird Spy Bingo.” We came back to the shade and finished our yucca bracelets and bookmarks, then visited the chicks in their new chicken tractor before going inside for lunch. We had several tables with guests, and all the kids behaved very well. After lunch we took a short walk to the pond behind the vineyard and got a close-up view of a deer skeleton. Back for a final game of “Bird Survival” and slip and slide until it was time to say goodbye. We wrapped up with a round of “Rose, Thorn and Rose Bud” where each camper had a chance to share something they loved this week, something they found challenging, and something they learned. It’s a great way to bring closure to a busy week - and they all had an amazing time. Hope to see y’all back for more- we still have some openings at the end of June and most of July!
