Hi Tollgate Campers!
This week we have six pepper groups. We have our usual green, yellow, orange, and red. Then our newest groups are blue and purple.
The theme for today was Making Tracks: Finding your way and being found. It was filled with map making and basic survival skills for us to build on the rest of the week.
At the beginning of every week of camp, we start out by going over the C.A.R.E.S. contract that everyone signed which outlines our basic camp expectations. Our educational leaders performed skits so campers saw good cooperation, attitude, respect, empathy, and safety. We also have three rules that have motions that go along with them. Ask your campers to show you rules 1-3!
Along with learning the rules of Tollgate on our first day, we like to give a little tour of the farm on a wagon ride. Campers, did we sit on straw or hay for our ride? The difference between straw and hay is straw is wheat, barley, or oats after the grain has been harvested and hay is dried grass or legumes. We feed hay to animals.
The campers each got their turn to make a map of Tollgate during our cartography activity. They learned about making a key for their map and types of maps.
We tie-dyed our camp shirts today so we can have them ready for pick up on Thursday. Don’t forget to grab your shirts on Thursday so you can wear them to camp on Friday!
We spent a while in the woods today for preparing our skits, learning about Leave No Trace (LNT) principles, and building our shelters.
Each of the groups found cool things in the woods while building their shelters. Ask your camper about their awesome (or interesting) finds!
We learned principle one and two of LNT: Plan ahead and prepare and leave what you find behind. The campers will learn the rest of the principles throughout the week and that is what the camper’s skits will be based on.
Our groups learned about the STOP! Survival Priorities and ranked the importance of each with cards. Many people forget the first and most important thing to do in an emergency is stay calm.
Every day our campers visit our “Garden Kitchen” with Ms. Pam. The campers spend some time in the garden then visit the kitchen to make a healthy snack. While in the garden, kids tried kohlrabi.
Tomorrow our theme is Emergency Aid: Teamwork and helping others. The campers will be learning first aid, signaling for help, learning additional LNT principles and many more fun activities!
The campers will be performing their skits on Friday at 3:15. Everyone is welcome to come support their campers!