In the Classroom: Dragontails and Starlights

With the start of summer, there are new groups of Dragontails and Starlights at camp. Everyone is having a great time making new friends and having lots of fun together.

 

The past several weeks have been very busy for the younger campers. They were excited that PIC's nature playground/outdoor classroom opened right in time for camp, but that hasn't stopped them from exploring nature outside of PIC grounds!

 

The Dragontails and Starlights took a bus ride to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. While the Dragontails took a walk in the woods and collected materials for nature collages, the Starlights embarked on a pond study and learned about frogs, dragonflies, and turtles. 

 

Along the walk to the pond one of the children found a beautiful blue jay feather. After that all the Starlights were on the look-out to find their own feather. We also saw in indoor art exhibit made of sticks, paper, and leaves, inspiring us to create our own nature display in our classroom.

 

On another adventure, the Dragontails hiked the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park where they got to see geese, turtles, and chipmunks. Summer Camp teacher Rachel Parker caught crayfish and fish for the Dragontails to see up-close! Everyone loved leaving the sidewalks and streets behind for the chance to explore the natural world.

 

The Starlights took time to enjoy what the city has to offer. They went to Sister Cities Park to get wet in the wading pool, climb on the rocks, and have a picnic lunch under the shade trees. Staying closer to camp, the Starlights also visited the Penn Museum for an Aesop’s Fables puppet show and then explored other exhibits, which featured many artifacts from China, Egypt, and Africa.

 

During the next few weeks of summer our campers will enjoy more indoor and outdoor adventures with a trip to the Independence Seaport Museum, Bartram Gardens, and Valley Green in the Wissahickon. The summer heat won't slow these PIC Summer Campers down!