2020 Nature Day Camp

 

 

Don't spend your summer indoors! Discover how much fun it is to spend  time outdoors, exploring, playing, and learning about nature!

The Yakima Area Arboretum is committed to offering first rate environmental education to our Nature Day Campers.  We believe that facilitating positive outdoor experiences while developing an understanding of local ecology can yield a powerful and lasting educational experience that helps create more informed, sensitive, and thoughtful citizens.  We strive to provide a collaborative learning environment that blends the arts, sciences, and playfulness, that actively engages the hearts, hands, and minds of our students.

This year for the summer camp season, we've created and changed some of our camp themes. These themes will help guide the games, lessons, activities, and exploration of each camp throughout the week to offer a wider variety for multi-week campers and a more focused week based on your child's interest. While these seem like big changes, just know that Nature Day Camp will have all the fun experiences that campers and parents have come to expect from this program for the past several years. Check out our themes below for 2020!

Camp tuition includes one (1) T-shirt and twice daily snacks. 

Campers should come prepared each day with:

• Sunscreen already applied
• Backpack
• Lunch
• Water bottle
• Durable clothes and shoes that can get wet and dirty 
  

 

2020 Schedule & Camp Themes:

 

Explorers (1st-3rd) and Survivors (4th-7th)

Kids learn the basics of what it takes to explore and survive in the wilderness. Both groups will learn the basics of what to bring on a trip in the wilderness and what to do if you're lost. Explorers will focus on what to look for while walking (plants, wildlife, safety, etc.) through games, creature features, and projects. Survivors will create a survival shelter, learn about ways to get clean water, learn what’s needed to build a fire, and how identify native plants and animals. Survivor is our most popular camp!

Week 1- June 15 to June 19

Week 7- July 27 to July 31

Week 10- August 17 to August 21

 

Art and Nature (1st-3rd) and Creature Creations (4th-7th)  

Campers will be inspired to create natural art and recreate engineering feats found in the natural world. Art and Nature campers will use natural materials to use for art projects which may include making their own creatures, wind chimes, and other fun projects that they will get to take home. Creature Creations campers will learn from lessons that include making "owl pellets" to dissect at home, bird nest weaving, and more.

Week 2- June 22 to June 26

Week 8- August 3 to August 7

Creeks (1st-3rd) and Rivers (4th-7th)

Campers will get wet this summer with a week of water exploration. Discover the critters that live in our water, learn where our water comes from, and cool off with water inspired games. This was formerly our “Water World” camp.

Week 3- June 29 to July 3

Week 6- July 20 to July 24

 

Funky Forests (1st-3rd and 4th-7th)

Campers learn about what goes on in our forests. Both groups will learn the basics of what makes up our forests and what the trees there can tell us! They’ll learn about how forest fires move through terrain, what you can find in the forest above and below ground, and the effects of removing too many trees from the landscape!  

Week 4- July 6 to July 10

 

Leap, Slither, and Crawl (1st-3rd) and Call, Growl, and Howl (4th-7th)

Explore the creatures of the Yakima Area Arboretum. Younger campers spend their days looking for smaller creatures that might be leaping, slithering, or crawling through the grounds and trees. Older campers learn about larger and stealthier animals, focusing on their sounds and identifying their tracks.

Week 5- July 13 to July 17

Week 9- August 10 to August 14

Please Keep In Mind

Please help your child put on sunscreen and insect repellent before camp! 

Send your child to camp with weather appropriate clothing since we will be learning and playing outside rain or shine!  Please select clothing that is not expensive or new.  Pack an extra set of clothing to keep in your child’s camp-cubby, just in case!

Choose lightweight lunch foods that do not need to be refrigerated since we will be packing our lunches and picnicking often.  No need for heavy drinks since we will have our water bottles with us.

Any necessary medications must be included on the registration form or explained to camp staff during sign in. Campers with potentially life-saving medication or medical devices (inhaler, epi-pen) CANNOT participate if they do not have the medication or device at camp.

Camp staff will have extra sun block, insect repellant, and itch relief ointment along with a complete first-aid kit including topical antibiotic and Benadryl.  If you have concerns about these over-the-counter products being offered to your camper if she/he is in need, please talk with camp staff during sign in/out.  All staff are First Aid/CPR certified.

We will be traveling to offsite locations such as Sarg Hubbard Park, Robertson’s Landing, and Sherman Park during the week. At these times all campers are advised to use facilities provided at the Arboretum before leaving. Once we have left Arboretum grounds, we will be using facilities provided at the various locations that may not be as well kept. Please speak with camp director Garrett Brenden if you believe this may be an issue for your camper(s).

Nature Day Camp is Sponsored by the Following Organizations:

Register Now!