Blog
Five Great Reasons to Come to Summer Camp at Phipps!
With all the options available for summer camps, why choose to send your child to Phipps? After all, there are hundreds of camps that are offered around the city every summer and there are so many different themes and types of programming to choose from. It can be hard to know where to put your child that will maximize both your money and their fun. We know this and want to reassure you that Phipps summer camps are a great way to do both.
Think we are a little biased?
Here are the top five reasons to come to summer camp at Phipps:
5. Make things: New friends, cool crafts and memories.
Phipps camp is a great place for kids to make things; we make costumes, artwork, bug traps, musical instruments and tons of other neat crafts. Not just stuff, but memories as well. Campers come back year after year and remind us of their favorite moments, activities and teachers. Over the years, we love to watch our students grow into confident naturalists before our eyes, and often have some sappy memories of our own.
Camp is also a great place to make friends; young or old, Phipps is an excellent place to find a kindred spirit. Many of our campers make friends during camp that last from summer to summer; parents also find camp a great place to meet like-minded caregivers that they can connect with.
4. Connect with nature: Spend time with the plants, outside and in the Conservatory.
Phipps offers a variety of unique natural environments for our visitors. Campers can be immersed in a tropical forest and then suddenly find themselves in the desert. Our glass houses allow us to transport our students all over the world, learning about and experiencing plants from different climates, while our natural landscapes provide a fun place to hunt for bugs, birds and other critters. We like to spend as much time outside as possible during summer camp, whether it is looking for treasures, gathering inspiration, reading stories, or just playing games.
3. Learn about plants and animals: From bugs to birds to bluebells, what makes them so cool?
Plants are important to our lives; they give us the air we breathe, the food we eat and even the clothes we wear. Not only do they keep us alive, but they are pretty cool, too! We have plants that eat bugs, plants that mimic animals, and even a plant that smells like road kill. That is not to mention all of the tropical treasures that grow chocolate, vanilla, coffee, spices, rubber, and citrus. We love to teach our campers the stories behind some of our favorite plants, as well as the critters that call Phipps home – hawks, song birds, frogs, turtles, fish, insects, and whole host of furry mammal friends. Every camper will spend time exploring the habitats of Phipps and learning about the flora and fauna within.
2. Gain observation skills: Look closer and ask better questions.
One of the best ways to learn about the world is through observation. Active observation sparks curiosity and a sense of wonder to ask more deeply probing questions. This is a natural way to begin to understand the scientific process, by asking observation-based questions and seeking answers through simple experimentation. One question often leads to another and soon children find themselves connected to their world with a deep sense of place. The end result is a child that approaches the world with an open mind and a curious heart. Phipps camps help children learn to be better observers, whether they are being detectives, plant scientists or artists.
1. Have fun!
More than anything else, we love to have fun! Even more than opportunities for learning, our camps are full of silly songs, dancing, jokes, stories, games, and imaginative play. We let campers be themselves and encourage their interests and skills while still challenging them to try new things. Campers love Phipps so much that they often come back year after year! The highest compliment we get from a child is “that was fun!” and we strive to make sure that camp is always exciting and never boring.
In short, summer camp at Phipps is pretty awesome!
We are so excited about the upcoming season and hope to see you and your family there!
To sign up for summer camp, visit our website or contact Sarah at 412/441/442 ext. 3925.
The above photos were taken by Science Education staff and volunteers.
