posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Jul 5
Welcome back campers! Here is what happened today at camp:
Little and Junior Explorers
Today’s Little and Junior Explorers theme was “Westward Ho!” Camp focused on the idea of movement and adaptability and discussions on why animals might need to leave one area of habitation and move to another place (migration). The campers learned how plants grow and made seed mosaics out of seeds, glue, cardstock, and crayons. They also played “Hopscotch Migration” and the “Adaption Relay Race.” It was a great start to a great week!
Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today the Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists went adventuring on “The Klondike!” In the morning, the campers played name games and other group building exercises. They learned about the Klondike and heard and touched several of our Alaskan animal specimens. The campers made ice cream, saw the Northern Lights (our “Cream Kaleidoscope” experiment using one-colored dye), and carved a totem pole. In the afternoon they were off to Fort Funston where they had a snowball fight, made snowshoes, climbed the Klondike staircase, and built an igloo.
Animals presented at all camps: Trucker the Red Footed Tortoise, Declan the Corn Snake, and Stripes the Leopard Gecko.
Click here for more photos from today’s camp!
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Jul 2
Today’s camp theme was “Arctic Adventures.” The campers learned about blubber which is a layer of insulating fat found in pinnipeds and cetaceans and why this is an incredibly important adaptation for animals that live in a cold habitat. They made “Blubber Gloves” using water, ice, and gloves stuffed with shortening. In addition the campers made “Polar Puppets” and “Polar Bear, Polar Bear in the Sea” which is a game similar to “Red Rover.”
Parents – we value your opinions! We would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out a survey about your camp experience. Please click here to go to the survey!
To see some more photos from camp, please click here.
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Jun 29
What a beautiful day! Here is what happened at camp today:
Little and Junior Explorers
Today your Little and Junior Explorers learned all about whales! They learned that whales can grow to be up to 46 feet long, weigh up to 40 tons, and can stay under water for 15 minutes. The campers created a giant whale using cones that was 44 feet in length!! In addition, they completed many whale themed activities such as a “Krill Feed,” “Can You Race Around the Length of a Great Blue Whale?”, Salt Dough Cetaceans, and sang the song “I’m a Big Whale” (sung to the tune of Clementine). They also hiked to the Botanical Gardens and had lunch by the pond the kids call the “Evil Eel Pond.”
Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today your Adventure Explorers’ and Wild Scientists’ camp theme was “Undersea Shakedown.” The campers made salt dough cetaceans, “Bubblegum Submarines” (a lesson in pressure using raisins and soda), “Cartesian Divers”, and played the game “Sharks and Minnows.” In the afternoon, the campers created a replica of an ancient island city using recycled objects and paper and simulated an earthquake using water, vibrations, gak, and fire (handled by Mr. Science only).
Animals presented to all groups: Mookie the Madagascar Mud Turtlr, Eddie the River Cooter and Hamburger the Red-Eared Slider
For more photos from today’s camp can be seen here!
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Jun 24
Here is what happened at camp today:
Little and Junior Explorers
Today your Little and Junior Explorers went hiking and wandering through Golden Gate Park looking for native birds, plants, and animals. All of the groups visited the Lily Pond where they saw two ducks and two turtles. At lunch, the groups made their way to the de Young Scuplture Garden and did a skit about a crazy crab. It was a great day and the campers really enjoyed visiting different areas in the park.
Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Today your Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists went to Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch. The campers hopped aboard a charter bus and sang silly songs along the way. Once they got to the park, the hiked on its trails, and went swimming (there was a lifeguard on duty at all times) although most of the campers only went in the water up to their knees. It was a wonderful day at the park!
Animals presented to all groups: Tiny the African Bullfrog, Ivan the Sulcata Tortoise, and Tarot the Burmese Python
For more pictures from today’s camp, please visit our Flickr page or click here.
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Jun 23
This week’s camp theme is “Ancient Explorers.” Here is what happened at camp:
Little and Junior Explorers
Monday: Today your Little and Junior Explorers learned what is took to “Become an Explorer.” They learned what explorers need when they go on their adventures, the tools they use, and about their special clothing and equipment. The campers started their morning playing games, group building activities and making explorer hats out of newspaper. Then the group spread out and went on a small hike throughout their camp meadow. They learned the four directions and how to use a compass.
Tuesday: Today your Little and Junior Explorers learned about the “Tools of the Trade.” The campers made bird binoculars using toilet paper tubes, tape, and yarn. Once those were complete, the campers went on a hike to look for native birds and animals. Some of the groups even went to the top of the de Young Museum to view the birds from above. The campers also played an awareness game activity called “Owl Vision and Fox Walking.”
Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists
Monday: Today your Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists learned all about oceans. They started their morning on a journey to Ocean Beach were they collected seashells, and looked in the tide region for marine life. Then it was off to the Red Vic for a private viewing of the documentary “Oceans.” It was a great day and the kids really enjoyed the film!
Tuesday: Today your Adventure Explorers and Wild Scientists spent their entire day at Golden Gate Park. They got on their explorer hats and went looking for native birds, plants, and animals in the park. They hiked to Stowe Lake, the waterfall, and some of the groups even walked to Lloyd Lake.
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Apr 6
Today’s camp theme was Wild Science Laboratory! Spring brings many changes, and chemistry is the science of change!
Today the half-day and full-day campers learned all about chemical reactions. They started their day learning about endothermic (cold) and exothermic (hot) reactions in an experiment that we simply call “Hot and Cold.” They played a game called “Red Light, Green Light”, played “Camouflage”, and made salt dough camouflage critters. In addition, the campers made fog in a jar. Here’s how you can make some at home:
Materials
- Black construction paper
- A plastic or glass gallon jar
- Tape
- Warm water with food coloring in it
- Matches (wooden are best)
- Gallon-sized zip-bag filled with ice
Instructions
1) Tape the black paper backdrop onto the jar. The paper helps you to see the fog form later.
2) Fill the jar 1/3 full with warm, colored water.
3) Light the match and hold it over the opening of the jar, then drop it into the jar a few seconds later.
4) Cover the jar quickly with a bag of ice.
5) You should see a small cloud of “fog” forming inside. If not, try the experiment again!
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Apr 5
Yay!! We are back at the Bay Area Discovery Museum for this year’s Spring Camp! Today’s camp theme was “Roots & Shoots.” Here is what happened:
Today the half-day and full-day campers learned all about plants and how they grow. The campers learned the parts of the plant, how to identify those parts in nature, played the “Plant Needs Relay,” and made seed mosaics. The campers also ventured over to “Discovery Hall” where they examined several science related specimens and exhibits.
At noon the half-day campers went home and the full-day campers continued their adventures with our staff. The teachers cut open various types of fruits and vegetables and examined their seeds and discussed the differences in their shapes and sizes. The campers explored the Waterfront where they searched for starfish, mussels, and clams and went out on the trail to look for seeds in nature. In addition, they took some of the items that they found on their hike and made bark and leaf rubbings.
Animals presented today: Mr. Bufo the Western Toad, and Choco the Malaysian Painted Toad
Photo credit: http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~agrosenheider/myparts.htm
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Feb 17
It’s “Wacky Wednesday” today at camp and the campers learned all about the water cycle. Mr. Science and the Wizard (a.k.a. Natalie) blasted off popper rockets, two liter rockets, and recited the “Mind Map” to get the day started. They sang songs with Mr. Science, pretended they were tidepooling, made cream kaleidoscopes, and played with bubbles. After their morning snack, they made their way to the Sutro baths. They learned some history and went adventuring in the fields. In fact, the campers even came across a Red Sided Garter Snake. In the late afternoon they had their “Wacky Olympic Contest” in which the kids would be told to run to one side of the field and act like a pirate and return like another character like a ballerina or clown. They even had an award ceremony! To see photos for camp, please click here to visit our Flickr page.
Animals presented today: Rosy the Rose Haired Tarantula, Ivan the Sulcata Tortoise, Julie the Burmese Python, and Choco the Malaysian Painted Toad.
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Feb 9
This week our students will be learning about “Crystals: Snowflakes, Sugar, and Salt.”
Crystals are amazing, naturally occurring structures that one can find everywhere. You can even make them yourself if you know a few scientific tricks. Snowflakes, stalagmites, stalactites, baking soda, salts, and sugar are just a few types of crystals.
You can make your own snowflakes at home!
Experiment: Forming Snowflakes
Materials:
Ice
Salt
Metal container or bowl
Magnifying lens
Ziplock bags
Milk
Instructions:
1) Mix ice and salt in a metal container or bowl.
2) As the temperature drops the outside of the bowl will form snowflakes.
3) Use a magnifying lens to look more closely.
4) Also try adding a ziplock bag of milk to the mix and make snowflakes in a bag.
Photo Credit
posted by Tree Frog Treks! on Feb 8
This weekends Kid’s Play Night theme was “Shadow Boxes and Wind Chimes.” The kids explored Amazon insects under the microscope, made density columns and bubbling volcanoes, and examined specimen slides. In addition, they played hide and seek, frog tag, and did some animal coloring sheets. They enjoyed meeting Blondie the Burmese Python, Trucker and Abeni the Sulcata Tortoise, Pablo the Bearded Dragon, Chili the Corn Snake, Tickle the Gopher Snake, Tiki the Bearded Dragon, and Lizarda and Ginger the Leopard Geckos. The ,kids watched “Kung-Fu Panda” and “Earth” as they ate pizza.
This coming weekend, Tree Frog Treks will be offering Kid’s Play Night on Saturday and Sunday, giving you two opportunities to go out this Valentine’s Day!!!
