Thursday, June 18, 2009

Day 4 of Summer Safari Camp!




Today, the children got to perform in relay races in and out of the water! After the splashing and racing, and watching Spongebob Squarepants, children listened to a guest speaker from the store Auquatropics. He shared the clown fish, the cleaner fish, the nutabrank, the pencil urchin, the starfish, sand sifters, Bangui cardinals, a bamboo shark, the African Lung Fish, a fireworm, a serpant starfish, an African Clawed Frog, a Leaf Fish, a Goldfish, and many more! Your child learned that:
  • Clearner fish do not get eaten even though they always hang around larger fish! This is because the cleaner fish eat the parasites off their skin!
  • The sand is white because aquatic animals that eat and digest the sand.
  • Fish always have their color for a reason. Some have color to indecate their poisen. Others need color to attract mates or lure food.
Veronica and Diego won Camper of the Day for being a fantastic participant!
Ask your child about the guest speaker, and the relay race during water time! Tomorrow is a field trip to the butterfly farm, so be sure to give your child sunscreen and comfortable walking clothing.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Day 3 of Summer Safari Camp!


Today was monster day! Campers played a games outside and made monster creatures inside! At the beginning of the day several children brought in pets, plushes, figures, and fossils to share. Emily brought her pet cat, Zach brought his pet dog, Aubrey brought her pet guinea pig, Ben and Malcom both brought shark teeth, Augustine brought a Megladon tooth, J.P. brought a dinosaur model, Katherine brough her toy dragon, and Ave and Haven both brought stuffed animals.


The animal handler today was Oona. She was the main helper in the creation of an online monster. If your child is interested in this activity, download the game Spore onto your computer!


At the end of the day, campers watched Spongebob Squarepants. Also, Haley and Malcom won camper of the day! Congratulations!


Ask your child about the monster they helped create on spore!


Tomarrow is water day, so be sure to tell your child to wear a swimsuit and bring lots of sunscreen! Sharing is still going on, so feel free to bring in any pets or instruments. (:

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Second Day of Summer Safari Camp!



Today we learned about birds! It was a fun filled day; campers made bird masks and looked for fossils outside. Campers learned that:


  • Birds have hollow bones, because it makes them lighter for flight.

  • Some birds cannot fly, and most of them have found other ways to escape from predators.

  • Examples are swimming, agility, and speed.

  • Some birds that do not have a way to escape predators evolved in an area with no predators. When a new predator is introduced these species often die out. An example of this is the kiwi.

Today's animal handler was Kelsy. She got to hold a cockatiel named Sunny. Cockatiels are social birds that love to climb!


At the end of the day, campers watched more of the movie and the campers of the day were awarded. Zach and Kamya were awarded!


Ask your child about Lucky the rooster! Also, tomarrow is monster day, so be sure to bring in anything related to share!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Second Week of Summer Safari Camp!


Welcome to the second week of Summer Safari Camp!  We are so happy that your child is here to join us!  Today was amphibian day, and campers caught fish and other water creatures at the creek and they made finger print animals!  Your child learned that:
  • Amphibians do not drink, they soak up water through their skin; this is why poisons effect them so much.  
  • Caudata means salamanders, and Anura means frogs.
  • Animals hibernate when it is cold, and they excavate when it is hot and dry.
Today's animal was the pudgets frog.  They natively come from Peru in South America.  They excavate during the summer months, from November to February.  Since Murmel the frog was lost, no one was the daily animal holder today.  ):

At the end of the day, campers wound down by watching Fern Gully the Last Rainforest.  The winners of Camper of the Day were Aubrey and JT!

Please remember to pack a water bottle for your child.  Campers do outdoor activities everyday, and they need to stay hydrated!  Also, sharing animals or instruments is encouraged!  Feel free to bring in larger animals during the morning as campers arrive.  Other smaller animals or instruments can stay in the room for the whole day.    

Friday, June 12, 2009

Day 5 of Summer Safari Camp!

Today the campers went on a real safari at the La Chua trail!  They saw many alligators and birds there, and the campers wrote in their journals about everything they saw!

After the campers got back from their field trip they wound down by watching the beginning of the movie Fern Gully the Last Rainforest.  The Campers of the Day were Sydney and Jamm, because they helped inform the other campers and had a fantastic attitude!

Camper Notice: We have learned that the campers have been exposed to Strep Throat this week. We wanted everyone to know just in case your camper develops any strep like symptoms.

Thank you for a wonderful first week at Summer Safari Camp!  We really enjoyed working with your children, and we wish them the best of luck!  If this is your last week with us, we hope you have a happy and safe summer!

A big thanks to Captain Hollinger and Captain Hollinger 2; this camp would not be without them!  Also a shout out to parent supervisors that went on our field trip with us.
 


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Day 4 of Summer Safari Camp!


Today was amphibian day, and our water day!

After an axolotl presentation and other sharing, children divided up into 3 groups and had fun drawing, playing outdoor games, and making cards!  Then, after a snack and playtime, campers had fun doing a relay race in a water filled obstacle course!  

Today's animal handler was Diego.  He got to hold a pacman frog!  Pacman frogs are dirt dwelling frogs that do not rely on water as much as other frogs.

After watching Madagascar, the Campers of the day were awarded.  Amara and Roger, for being a great help!

There is a field trip tomorrow with a lot of walking, so be sure to tell your child to wear comfortable clothing!  There will be a lot of alligators!