With camps starting this week (click here for our camp schedule) there is a whirlwind of activity in the education department as everyone gets ready for another exciting summer. Some of the Education staff started their careers at HMNS as campers in Xplorations Summer Camps; some of us started as part-time camp teachers in the summer; others started as Summer camp interns. A few of us have been here long enough that our own children, nieces and nephews are now too old for camp.
Summer camp is such a huge part of all of our lives and it almost has a life and a personality all its own. The only way I can describe it is to say that it is like a favorite relative that comes to spend the summer.
I asked the Education crew to tell me what their very favorite part of camp is and I wasn’t sure what everyone would say. The answers ranged from sweet to funny to inspiring. For the next few weeks we will present these responses, and hopefully give all you readers just a little sample of how much fun summers can be here at HMNS. This week we will see what Chris Battan, our live animal program manager had to offer:
Chris has three of her own children in camp this summer and they offered to write about their favorite part of camp for her.
Camper to Camper
An Interview Among Siblings
By Emma, age 8,
(interviewing her older sister Allie about summers at the Museum)
Emma: How many years have you been to camp?
Allie: 7 years, when I started they had camp for 5 year olds.
Emma: Why do you like going to camp?
Allie: It is fun and there is always something new to do.
Emma: What was one of your favorite activities you got to last summer?
Allie: Movie Monster Maker camp was super fun! Painting my face in different characters, fake bruises so real my mom was worried, and stop-motion videos were fun to make.
Allie, looking pretty gruesome at our Movie Monster Makeup camp!
Emma: Do you have a favorite camp?
Allie: Um, it’s a tie between Test for the Best and Bedazzled. Product testing -so much food, but stuff you can use too- and I like beading on the looms. We used some of the spa stuff recipes for a birthday party!
Camps like Test for the Best allow kids to learn about science through experimentation and real-world observations.
Emma: So, Aaron (age 6) is finally old enough to go to camp, and what advice would you give him?
Allie: Take a sweater (it’s cold in the classrooms!), listen to the teachers and you’ll have fun!
Emma: What camp would you recommend for Aaron?
Allie: I don’t know, there’s so many good ones… He’d like Booms and Blastoffs, and Waterworks – the giant bubble trick was cool!
Emma: Thanks for talking with me.
Allie: Sure.
Emma: Mom! What camps am I taking this summer?
Polishing her acting skills to try fooling Dad. It worked on Mom!
Think our camps sound fun? Well you can read more about them HERE! If you like what you see you can enroll! Camps start June 5th so sign up while spots are still open.
