SEPTEMBER 12 & 13, 2021 KIDS CAMP was “A Dream Come True” as children and parents came together to play & learn! Regina Leonard Smith proposed an Art & Music Camp at Strawbale Studio out of a vision to provide affordable and awesome learning experiences for her son and other young folks.
The children loved the day, and the moms stayed on for the day as well + one dad changing off with his wife for day 2 ! The weather was great and our projects flowed from outdoors, through the Strawbale Studio ! The Strawbale Studio was set up with filter fans and aroma diffuser for indoor safety during the unknowns of Covid.
WATERFALL, MUD MIXING, PUPPET PLAY, PAINTING, STORY & MUSIC TIME ! Kids Camp PHOTO ALBUM
The biggest hit was the waterfall, the irresistible elemental flow. Also the earth mixing – screened clay/sand subsoil, mixed with water by hand and by foot!
Much muddy fun. Some of the students enjoyed making a small model out of this all natural, local material !
Watercolor explorations – mixing the primary colors to make the secondary colors – on outdoor tables by the waterfall. The bubble machine was a big hit, too (although the grass where it was done has turned brown, alas).
We toured the natural buildings on site, and the children explored them eagerly, playing on the swings along the way. And we walked through the meadow, into the woods and down to the bog for another adventure.
In preparation for the camp, Regina went to many stores and asked for donations of materials toward the camp, and found some wonderful folks to contribute to the Camp: A folk singer did a fabulous interactive music time, with the kids playing her guitar, singing, and inviting the children to participate. She sang engaging music, incorporated movements and patterns that the kids could do, and really had a fun flow going!
The African Drummer was unable to come and the Native American group couldn’t make it out due to the flooding in Detroit, but when we talked by phone, they showed great enthusiasm for coming back another time!
And still, we had such a FULL time with our own projects, and were able to have free time for the kids to run around and explore … playing on the swings, trying out craft projects set up on the picnic table, and general interactions with each other, in nature. Fun!