What We Did This Week
july 1, 2025
Today, our stars explored the beauty of nature by creating Nature Collages! We collected leaves, grass, and flowers from the outdoors and turned them into beautiful art projects. This hands-on activity helped our stars connect with the natural world and learn more about the importance of nature in our lives.
Materials Needed:
• Leaves
• Grass
• Flowers
• Glue or glue sticks
• Construction paper or a sturdy piece of paper
• Scissors (for adult use)
Instructions:
1. Go outside and collect leaves, grass, flowers, and any other natural items you find in the environment. (only fallen nature of course! We would never harm a life plant )
2. Spread out the materials on a table, ready to use for the collage.
3. Have each child glue the natural items onto their piece of construction paper, arranging them in creative ways.
4. Allow the glue to dry before displaying the finished collages.
What Our Stars Are Learning:
• Ecosystem Awareness: Our stars learned that the leaves, grass, and flowers they used are part of the Earth’s ecosystem.
• Environmental Appreciation: By collecting natural materials, our stars gained an appreciation for the beauty and importance of nature in our daily lives.
• Creativity and Expression: This activity encouraged creative expression through art while fostering fine motor skills as they glued and arranged their materials.
• Respect for Nature: Our stars learned about the importance of caring for plants and the environment as they interacted with nature.
june 24, 2025
cooking fun at summer camp!
Our stars got a chance to create their very own maracas in a fun and musical craft activity! Using simple materials, they explored sound, rhythm, and the joy of making music. It was a wonderful hands-on way to combine art, creativity, and music into one exciting activity!
Materials Needed:
• Empty toilet paper rolls (1 per maraca)
• Rice or dried beans (to fill and create the sound)
• Colored markers or paint (to decorate)
• Stickers, tape, or other decorative materials
• Scissors (for adult use only)
• Paper circles or cupcake liners (to seal the ends)
• Masking tape or duct tape (to secure the ends)
What Our Stars Learned:
• Sound Exploration:
Our stars discovered how different amounts of rice or beans and different shaking motions create various sounds.
• Creative Expression:
Decorating their maracas gave each child a chance to express themselves and take pride in their creation.
• Rhythm and Coordination:
Through musical play, the children practiced rhythm, coordination, and fine motor skills while learning to keep a beat and make joyful noise together!
June 25th, 2025
Today, our stars had a wonderful time exploring music through Scarf Dancing! Using colorful scarves and listening to a variety of classical and jazz music, the children expressed themselves through creative movement.
They learned how to listen closely to different rhythms and tempos, using their whole bodies to move with the beat. Whether the music was smooth and slow or lively and quick, our Stars floated, swirled, and twirled with their scarves—building coordination, rhythm, and confidence along the way.
Extensions to Support Deeper Learning:
• Color Exploration: We sorted scarves by color and played games like “Find the Blue Scarf” to support color recognition and visual discrimination.
• Mirror Movement: Children worked in pairs to mirror each other’s scarf movements, enhancing observation, focus, and body control.
Scarf dancing is not only fun, but also supports:
• Gross motor development
• Listening and focus skills
• Creative expression
• Emotional regulation through movement
