Looking for an opportunity for your kids to explore nature, get muddy and have fun? For its third year in a row, The Parklands of Floyds Fork is offering ten summer camps for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Get Outside! Summer camps, based in the beautiful Beckley Creek Park and state-of-the-art PNC Achievement Center for Education offer a blend of outdoor activities and hands-on classroom activities that will keep students entertained and engaged for the summer.
“Parents can expect their children to come away from our camps with a new found curiosity about nature and the outdoors,” Education Coordinator Curtis Carman said. “Our camps are exploration based and will cover a different natural history topic every week. Our goal with camps is to provide Louisville's children with a safe, structured environment that allows them to explore the Kentucky landscape and incite their curiosity about the natural world. Kids don't explore in the woods much these days and we aim to change that.”
Camps run from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and campers should bring their own sack lunch, bottled water and snack for each day. Camp registration cost $210 for non-members and $185 for members. Membership information is available here.
With already 130 campers signed up for the summer, parents are encouraged to register before classes close. Click for registration information here.
Garden Keepers
Who: K-3 Graders
When: June 8-12
What: Campers will gain hands-on practical gardening skills in a wet and muddy week full of fun. At the end of the week, campers will bring home a plant that will encourage them to start a garden in their own home or yard.
Nature Detectives
Who: 4-6 Graders
When: June 8-12
What: Campers will uncover the mysteries and secrets of science and nature first-hand in this week long camp.
Art in the Park
Who: K-3 Graders
When: June 22-26
What: Through sun prints, shadow portraits, water painting and sprouting paper, campers will use the surroundings of Beckley Creek Park as their muse to explore different artistic mediums.
Art and Photography in the Park
Who: 4-6 Graders
When: June 22-26
What: Campers will learn basic photography skills and make plantable greeting cards in this week-long camp that culminates in an open house art show at the end of the week.
Tail Tales
Who: K-3 Graders
When: July 6-10
What: Through the telling of stories, experiments, hands-on activities and games, campers will not only live in a story, but create their own.
Wildlife Biology
Who: 4-6 Graders
When: July 6-10
What: Explore the wild critters that live in the Parkland’s creeks, wetlands and urban forest habitats. Special visit from KY Fish and Wildlife Representative Jason Nally.
Bug Out
Who: K-3 Graders
When: July 20-24
What: Explore Kentucky bugs in their natural habitat and learn about how they are beneficial to us in this program that allows campers to get an up close look at their favorite creepy crawlies.
Entomology
Who: 4-6 Graders
When: July 20-24
What: Explore the fascinating world of entomology for a week. Campers will learn about different kinds of aquatic, pest, detritus and social insects as they create their own insect collection and learn about specimen preservation. Camp also includes $40 fee for a specimen collecting kit that campers will be able to keep.
Muckology
Who: K-3 Graders
When: August 3-7
What: Campers will learn about the science of mud, sludge and slime in this very messy camp.
Creek Explorers
Who: 4-6 Graders
When: August 3-7
What: Campers will learn basic canoe techniques and discover the vast diversity of life present in the Floyd’s Fork Stream Ecology.
The feedback for the camps has been positive so far.
"Just today we had a 2nd grade girl catch a baby snapping turtle in Floyds Fork," Carman said. "When she proceeded to show all of her classmates she kept repeating, 'this is the best day of my life!' And while we can't promise that for every child in our camps, we are hoping to provide an experience they won't soon forget!"
Additional descriptions and information can be found at the Parklands website.
Photo Courtesy of The Parklands of Floyd's Fork
