Tree Frog Treks

Here is what happened today at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today your Little and Junior Explorers camp theme was “Desert Tortoise.” In the morning they continued their food chains by making their owl tube (these projects will be making their way home today). The campers also played the nature game “Who Am I?” where they have to guess what animal they have taped to their backs while receiving clues from their peers. Then, they continued with their games by playing “Animal Quiz-Mania” and “Desert Tag.” We celebrated the end of the camp by having cookies and juice and giving each camper a “Knowledge Certificate” and a Tree Frog Treks t-shirt.

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s camp theme was “In Search of El Dorado.” The campers started their morning by hiking to and around the Land’s End Trail. They campers explored the Sutro Baths and learned about native plants, animals, and birds along the way. We celebrated the end of camp with a celebration, blasted off popper rockets and bike pump rockets, gave the campers “Knowledge Certificates”, and their own special tye-dye’d Tree Frog Treks t-shirt!

Animals presented at camp: Ivan the Sulcata Tortoise

Click here for photos from camp!

Another amazing camp day, here is what happened:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today’s camp theme was “Super Snakes in the Desert!” The campers started the day learning about how and why snakes shed their skin. To help better understand this concept they played a game where they had to put multiple pairs of socks on their hand and then pull them off so that they would turn inside out symbolizing the shed. In addition, the campers made their snake tube for their food chain, played “Snakes in the Tunnel” and made a “Paper Plate Snake Mobile.”

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s camp theme was the “Splash Down!” In the morning, the campers jumped on a charter bus and they headed off to Del Valle in Livermore. Once there, they went hiking, swimming, and looking for native birds, plants, and animals. The campers had so much fun!!

Animals presented to all groups: Drella the Carpet Python, Rhonda the Rankins Dragon, and Flower the Russian Tortoise

Click here to see more photos from today’s camp!!

Did you see that we won “Best Camp for Kids”? See the blog post below for the full story.

What a great week it has been for Tree Frog Treks!!  We have been having a great time at our Summer Camp in Golden Gate Park, have been doing several library visits, and doing our Saturday program with the California Academy of Sciences.

In addition, we found out that we were given three awards this week for our programming.  The San Francisco Bay Guardian awarded us the “Best Camp for Kids” in their 2010 Best of the Bay Reader’s Poll!  We also took the silver medal in Bay Area Parent’s Best of the Best for “Best Camp Theme” and “Best Summer Camp.”

Thanks to those of you who voted for us!  It means a lot to us that you enjoy our camps as much as we enjoy putting them on!!

Here is what happened at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today your Little and Junior Explorers learned all about the desert!  They made “Sandpaper Desert Scenes” using sandpaper and crayons, and learned all about adaptations of desert plants and animals.  They played the “Adaptation Relay Race” and “Owl Vision and Fox Walking.”  The campers also hiked all around Golden Gate Park today making their way to the Botanical Gardens and the Redwood Grove. It was another great day of camp!!

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s camp theme was “The Inca Trail!”  They made tennis ball boats and floated them on the amazon river (Stowe Lake), played “Camouflage in the Jungle” (at the Polo Fields) and did the Equator Ritual.  In addition, they visited the Bison, made PVC pipe blow guns that shot out mini marshmallows, and hiked to Ocean Beach.  It was a fun-filled-day!!

Here is what happened today at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today your Little and Junior Explorers learned about “The Food Web (aka the food chain).”  The campers started their day by searching for spiders in the meadow and making their own webs using glue, a spray bottle, black paper, toothpicks, and a hand lens.  The campers also started their food chain project that will continue for the rest of the week.  SPOILER ALERT: Each day the campers will design and color an important part of the food chain.  Today they colored their smallest tube – the grass – and the next smallest tube – the grasshopper.  Since the grasshopper eats the grass.  They will continue this process including a mouse, a snake, and an owl and will take the project home on Friday!  Each tube will fit inside of one another.

Animals presented to the Little and Junior Explorers: Digger the Kenyan Sand Boa, and Lizarda the Leopard Gecko

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s theme was “Dia De Los Muertos! and the campers spent the whole day in Golden Gate Park.  The campers started their morning making and preparing tye-dye shirts.  These shirts are made using plant based dyes and were placed on our trademark Tree Frog Treks shirts.  (They will be receiving their completed shirts on Friday)  Later in the afternoon the campers made clay skulls, skeleton shrines, and built a Mayan City.  After the city was built, Mr. Science stopped by the camp and simulated an earthquake using water, shaking the city, blasting off popper rockets inside of it, and having the kids jump on top of it. Casey’s group stopped by the Tree Frog Treks’ office to see the animals up-close and personal.

Animals presented to the full-day campers: Trucker the Sulcata Tortoise, Jabba the Argentine Horned Toad, Balboa the Boa Constrictor, and Oko the Poison Dart Frog.

Click here for more photos from today’s camp!

This week’s camp theme is “South of the Border.”  Here is what happened today at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today’s Little and Junior Explorers theme was “Getting to Know the Desert!”  In the morning the campers played name games and team building activities.  Then it was time to learn about desert animals and why many of them burrow underground.  They did an experiment called “Cool Burrow” where they dug a hole, placed a thermometer in the hole, and then one on the ground (surface level).  They then measured the temperatures of the hole and surface and discovered that animals burrow in holes to keep cool during the hot desert days.  The campers also made “Cactus Hotels”  using milk cartons, plastic animals, green construction paper, glitter, and glue sticks.

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s theme was “Welcome to the Jungle!”  In the morning the campers played name games and other team building activities.  Then they were off to Stern Grove.  There the campers hiked throughout the park, explored the amphitheater, and participated in several art and science stations including making peace necklaces, face painting, and a special “Biodiversity Bonanza” with Mr. Science.  A few highlights of the day include finding a California Slender Salamander and finding Pine Lake, which is one of three natural lakes in San Francisco.

Animals presented to all groups today: Abeni the Sulcata Tortoise, Pablo and Thorny the Bearded Dragons, and Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Click here to see more photos from today’s camp!!

Here is what happened at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today’s camp theme was “Space Party!”  The campers started their day playing “Who Am I?  In this game, the campers break up into pairs – one has a picture of an animal on their back  and the other camper describes the picture to him/her.  The camper with the picture on their back has to guess what the animal is.  They also made “Obleck” and “Gak.”  In addition, we celebrated the end of camp with cookies, juice, and each child received a Tree Frog Treks t-shirt and a “Knowledge Certificate.”

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s camp theme was “The Space Station!”  The campers made their way over to Adventure Playground in the Berkeley Marina.  The campers had a BLAST at the playground and built forts, played in the dirt, rolled tires, and basically followed our mantra of “Get Out and Get Dirty!  We also celebrated the end of camp and each camper received a Knowledge Certificate and t-shirt.

Click here to view more photos from camp! (Check back on Monday for even more photos)

Today’s camp theme was “Space Party!”  The campers started their day playing “Who Am I?  In this game, the campers break up into pairs – one has a picture of an animal on their back  and the other camper describes the picture to him/her.  The camper with the picture on their back has to guess what the animal is.  They also made “Obleck” and “Gak.”  In addition, we celebrated the end of camp and each child received a “Knowledge Certificate.”

Click here to view more pictures from camp!

Parents:  We would love your feedback.  Please click here to take a few minutes to fill out our Summer Camp Survey.

Hi Mr. Science,
What is the largest reptile?
Eli, age 8

Hi Eli,

Great question! The largest reptile is the Saltwater Crocodile. These reptiles live in Australia, and some parts of India and Southeast Asia. Saltwater Crocodiles typically weigh between 1300-2200 pounds and average 13-18 feet in length or longer. The largest recorded Saltwater Crocodile was 33 feet in length!

Keep those questions coming!
Sincerely,
Mr. Science (a.k.a. Chris Giorni)

Here is what happened today at camp:

Little and Junior Explorers
Today’s camp theme was “Night & Day:  Starring the Sun & Moon!”  The campers learned how and why different areas of the world are experiencing day while other experience night at the same time.  The teachers demonstrated this by using a globe and a flashlight.  They made “Animal Constellations” with butcher paper, paints, sponges, brushes, and paper plates.  In addition, the campers made “Magnetic Space Rockets” using paper plates, magnets, paper, tape, and glue.

Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today’s camp theme was “Splash Down!”  The campers started their morning early by hopping aboard their charter bus to Del Valle in Livermore.  Once there, the campers explored their surrounding, ate space food, and played space games.  They did an experiment called “Fuel Spume”, “Anti-Gravity Arms”, and played a game called “We are From Mars.”  In addition, the campers slashed around in the water, saw a Rattlesnake, a Bald Eagle and Turkey Vultures.

Click here to view more photos from camp!