Youngsters were out in the fresh summer air at Jacob Myers Park this past week for Outdoor Adventure Camp where they participated in an array of activities like nature hikes, crafts, games, water play, and for the first time, a Dinosaurs Rock museum. Although temperatures were a bit warm the shade from the trees, the occasional breeze, and variety made the week very enjoyable for the 21 campers that participated.
The Dinosaurs Rock museum arrived at midweek and was a treat for the campers where they got to hear a presentation about dinosaur bones and other relics. They also got to engage in digging through some dirt to find some hidden gems. The campers were allowed to take home all the items they found during the dig.
“I think they (campers) really liked the Dinosaurs Rock,” stated Stephanie Argumedo, Parks and Recreation Camp Leader. “They thought it was pretty cool and they took the stuff they found home and showed their parents. So hopefully we will have them back next year.”
Each day campers created a different craft like the skeleton fish they made on Monday out of sticks that were gathered during their hike. On another day and during another hike they collected leaves for a leaf lei that they made.
“We pretty much used stuff from around the park or recycled items,” said Argumedo. “We went on a lot of hikes.”
On Tuesday the campers colored water bottles and had a lanyard to hang them in, so each person had a water bottle to take on the hikes. They also made squirrels out of wood, piggy banks out of Popsicle sticks, and fans made with paper plates. The craft that was a huge hit with the youngsters was the fidget spinners.
None of the crafts were repeated from previous camps. They were all new crafts, officials noted.
The youngsters also participated in several games like a giant memory board game with poster boards where each group created their own card. The camp leaders made their own version of Survivor and Amazing Race that the youngsters played, giving the contests their best efforts.
The final day of camp featured a day filled with water games. The kids were able to bring water toys and most of the activities included water, a perfect way to cool down at the end of a busy week.
