Water Camp has been a fantastic for all of us here at MSU Tollgate! We had another amazing day with our campers, and we can’t believe that the week has come to an end already!
We took care of all of the animal chores this morning. This is by far a highlight of the week for most campers, and we love to see them interact with the animals in a respectful way.
All of the campers went canoeing today on the farm pond! We had a blast paddling around and playing “boat tag.” Ask your camper how they liked their canoe time!
We talked about plants that can start growing without soil. Basil is one such plant, so we pinched off the top growth and placed it in a cup of water. Each camper had the opportunity to take their basil transplant home and watch it sprout roots. Feel free to change the water every few days to keep it fresh!
Green Peppers pick basil to sprout in water.
Yellow Peppers learn about basil with Ms. Erika.
In Garden Kitchen this morning, we made a soda pop alternative using sparkling water and 100% fruit juice. We added some fresh grapes and lime juice to spruce it up, and it was delicious!
Green Peppers mix up their drinks.
After lunch, we had some time for free activities. Some groups went for a hike around the farm while others revisited activities from earlier in the week.
Red Peppers hike around vernal pools after reading about them.
We did a final test on our STEM project, and our boats fared pretty well overall. Ask your camper about their boat design and whether it withstood the rigorous testing!
Yellow Peppers test the “Titanic, Jr.” on the water.
Orange Peppers testing their boats in the pond!
Ms. Pam made blackberry-mango smoothies for our destination snack this afternoon. The recipe can be found at the end of this post.
Green Peppers approve of the smoothies!
Perhaps the best part of the day was our closing activity: the water slide! We had a blast flying down the hill!
Thank you for sharing your camper with us this week! We have had a wonderful time learning and growing together, and we appreciate your involvement and support of MSU Tollgate’s programming. We hope to see you and your camper around the farm soon!
The Green Pepper group!
Orange Peppers!
Yellow Peppers!
Red Peppers!
Blackberry-Mango Breakfast Shake
Ingredients
1 cup orange juice
1 cup refrigerated mango juice
¾ cup light firm silken tofu
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups frozen blackberries
Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender in the order given, process until smooth, makes about four 1-cup servings.