Mud Camp and Horse Camp- Day 1

Welcome to Tollgate campers and families!

This week is special at Tollgate! Mud and Horse camp are happening on site this week. Horse campers are doing garden time, garden kitchen, animal chores, and other activities with Mud campers.

Today, the campers began with the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H pledge. Each pepper group will have the opportunity to lead the pledge throughout the week.

Staff reviewed the CARES contract with your campers using skits.

CARES stands for: Cooperation, Attitude, Respect, Empathy, and Safety! Campers caught showing these characteristics will earn the badge. Then when the camper sees a friend using the characteristic, they pass on the badge.

Meet the red pepper group!

The red peppers loved garden kitchen and tie-dye today!

All of the campers worked on tie-dye t-shirts today.

What colors did your camper use to make their shirt?

Campers took turns in the animal barn.

These campers milked the goat. What is goat milk used for in the United States? Around the world?

These campers cleaned out the bedding in the barn. 

Good cooperation campers!

The peppers created a rain gauge to collect rainfall on the farm throughout the week.

How much rain does your camper estimate will fall this week?

How does rainfall affect which plants can grow in an environment?

The pepper groups explored the pond this afternoon. What critters did your camper find?

The campers sampled different spots in the pond to see how critters vary from one part of the pond to another. 

A dichotomous key was used to identify the critters this group caught. They found a crayfish and tadpole.

These campers climbed Mt. Woodchip to find materials for their mud castles.

What type of materials make a good foundation for a castle or building structure?

These peppers hiked around site to compare different soil types. How is the soil in the forest different from the soil by the pond? Are the plant species different in various parts of the farm (pond, field, forest, garden)?

Both the pepper groups and horse campers had snacks in garden kitchen.

In the morning, they made mint chocolate chip smoothies.

In the afternoon, they made a salad.

Here are the recipes!

Morning: Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie

1-1½ large frozen banana (peel before freezing)
1-1½ cups non-dairy milk
Handful of fresh mint leaves, stems removed
1-2 handfuls of spinach
1/8-1/4 tsp. peppermint or mint extract (optional)
½ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
1-2 tbsp. chopped dark chocolate or cacao nibs*

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. You can blend/mix the chocolate bits in with the smoothie or use as a garnish on top.

*Note: For extra chocolate flavor, you can add a tablespoon or two of cacao powder and 3-5 dates for blending with the rest of the mixture.

Afternoon: Cucumber salad with sesame dressing

Sesame dressing:

½ cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Salad:

4 cups of spinach
3 medium cucumbers
½ medium onion
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup sunflower and/or sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Horse campers did additional activities today!

They went on a tractor ride to tour the farm.

Campers spent time grooming and riding horses.

What new skills did your camper learn today?

Helmets are important while riding horses. These campers learned about “helmet” protection for eggs.

What materials did your camper use to design a helmet for their egg?

When they dropped the egg, did it break?

How could they improve their design next time to protect the egg?

Here is the link to additional photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qmvtOiHBlk09aAt73

See you tomorrow!

 

 

 

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