Summer Camp Recap: We Like Dirt!

By Carolyn Carlins

Summer Camp Recap - is our weekly seasonal segment featuring our summer camp programs. This is the place for camp parents to find pictures of their campers in action and see all the fun things we did all week. It’s also a great place for educators to pick up craft, story and lesson ideas for their own early childhood programs!

We Like Dirt

Last week we began our Summer Camp season with We Like Dirt! Everyday our 2-4 year old campers explored the world underground through singing, dancing, and creating with soil. Throughout the week campers dug to the bottom of what makes up, lives, and grows in the dirt.

Day one focused on the question: what is dirt? Campers investigated what makes up dirt, finding soil, rocks, grass, and leaves. They also took a look at what grows in the dirt while walking amongst the plants in the conservatory. Finally, campers made a mud pie with native wildflower seeds to take home and grow in their garden.

Day two focused on the creatures that live the dirt. Campers identified animals that make the underground their home and got to view a busy ant farm. Out in the discovery garden, campers dug in the soil to find rolly polly bugs and worms. Back in the classroom, campers decorated t-shirts with footprints of animals that live in the dirt.

Day three focused on worms and compost. Campers moved like worms and explored their new wiggly friends up close. Next campers peered into the worm composting bin, feeding the worms with leftover food and placing new bedding in the top of the bin. Out on the rooftop garden, campers looked for colorful yarn worms amongst the plants.

Day four focused on plants that grow in the dirt. Campers explored seeds that are smooth, rough, hard and colored.  We explored the Edible Garden to learn about plants that we eat and how they need dirt to grow. Then we visited some of our favorite winged pollinators in the Butterfly Forest. Back in the classroom campers planted carrot seeds, excited to watch it sprout and grow!

What a wonderful start to our summer camp!

If you would like to read and learn with your own Little Sprout, here are some books suggestions from the week:

Underground by Denise Fleming

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Lunch by Denise Fleming

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

All photographs taken by Phipps Science Education and Research staff.