LANK’s Camps Earn a Five Star Review

I love summer camp, but I especially love summer camp at LANK! There is a certain cadence to our day, and a relaxed atmosphere that only summer can provide. Maybe wearing shorts and sandals sets the tone for the day, and knowing that daylight will endure past 6 PM gives everyone that general sense of unhurried well-being. All of the summer camp themes were fantastic and provided our preschoolers a chance to play, create, cooperate, explore, and form bonds with friends and teachers. Our three camp sessions gave our kiddos an opportunity to get along with a new set of peers and different teachers than they may have experienced during the school year. At camp everyone eats lunch together, and there is greater variation of ages within groups. All of this provides the most wonderful backdrop to challenge, extend and develop social skills while making sure children feel secure enough to practice independence. Below I have highlighted some of the wonderful activities that accentuated the 2018 camp experience.

Camp Applause

We began the summer with a bang by expanding our traditional visual arts camp to include all the arts; drama, music, dance, and literature. The children’s book “999 Tadpoles” by Ken Kimura became the focal point of the two-week arts camp. It is the story of a mother and father frog in search a larger pond for their tadpoles in an effort to keep them safe from predators. Aside from enjoying the book, the children participated in set design, costumes, and ended the play with a modified version of Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog dance! Along the way, the children helped create a huge papier-mâché snake that was featured prominently in the book.

Construction Zone II

Back by popular demand, and even better this summer than last! Thanks to Home Depot, our campers wore construction aprons along with hard hats as they pounded, sanded, and tried their hand at using screwdrivers. The school was laden with boxes, Legos, and blocks, and we couldn’t have been happier. Teachers provided shaving cream to be used as mortar with bricks, and there was even a swinging wrecking ball! Some of our younger campers were introduced to blueprints for the three pigs’ houses, and others constructed automobile and emergency vehicles from large boxes.

Gardening Gurus

Although it rained most of the week, the teachers and children took advantage of all the wet soil with fun, textural play! They set up a mud kitchen outside, and it was completely joyful! The children felt a connection to nature, and were engaged for long periods of uninterrupted bliss. Other activities during the week included observing and arranging flowers, planting seeds, using concrete to make garden stepping stones, and creating wind chimes.

There are so many social, emotional, physical and intellectual benefits to the camp experience. When you add the nurturing, secure atmosphere of LANK, nothing could be better! Check out our Facebook page for pictures of all the fun!