For children 3 to 12 years old
During camps, children get to have fun with special projects and activities that relate to the theme. Campers also take turns preparing breakfast, lunch, and a snack for the whole group. The food we prepare and serve is local and/or certified organic. We also work in our garden and harvest fresh ingredients for our meals. We make time for games, and time to relax and read. Campers have access to our Montessori room, library, and art studio. This ensures a well balanced day in all areas of child development.
To apply, click on Application from the menu to the right and follow the instructions.
Camp hours: 8AM to 4:30PM
Options:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Tuesday, Thursday.
Week 1: June 1 to 4
Survival Strategies.
Come explore how various animals deal with naturally dangerous situations in their environment. We will act out scenarios, pretending to be these animals, asking ourselves questions. How to stay warm when seasons change? How to find food in the Arctic? How to survive an Antarctic winter? How to stay cool in a desert? How to deal with a rising tide? How to be safe during a volcanic eruption? Then, we will learn how various human populations have used some of this information to ensure survival. We will include modern techniques for surviving being lost in the forest.
Week 2: June 7 to 11
The Science of Mixtures: Gorp and goop, doughs and dies, candles and soaps.
If you fancy yourself a mad scientist or sorcerer, a favorite thing to do, at all ages, is to mix things together and make potions. We will transform solids into liquids, and liquefy solids! We will turn matter into gas and energy. We will create useful items to use, wear, and eat!
Week 3: June 14 to 18
Environmental Protection.
In this camp, we will wear the hat of environmentalists working in the local community to improve issues that we as neighbors, students, and citizens care about and can change. Campers will bring their knowledge and concerns to the discussion table and we will find or design projects that we can do over the week and over the long term. Indeed, we hope that the hat will fit so well, that it will engage us in sustainable activities to improve Nashville.
Week 4: June 21 to June 25
Freshwater Ecology.
Freshwater ecology was my first love. Before I wanted to be a marine biologist (a la Jacques Cousteau), I loved going fishing with my family and looking into the water for what might be moving in there. Later, I spent many wonderful summers diving all over Quebec, involved in macrophytic and macroinvertebrate research with L’universite de Montreal. Nashville is home to many freshwater habitats. There are so many beautiful intricate creatures that swim or hang-on in the currents. So, we had the idea to bring the streams and rivers to A New Leaf and study this truly amazing world! We will make our own freshwater ecosystem, use microscopes, draw, and learn about life underwater.
Week 5: June 28 to July 2
Treasure Hunt!
Ahoy mates! Let’s sail from the river to the sea for there are many treasures awaiting discovery. The islands off the East coast of North America have seen many ships anchored over many years. Pirates were busy hiding bundles of many shapes and sizes. The trouble is, no one has yet been able to solve the riddles and puzzles that they have left. Can you put all your heads together and unlock the mysteries? Come try, and take some treasures home!
Week 6: August 2 to 6
Week 7: August 9 to 13
Scarecrows.
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens has organized a wonderful display of scarecrows to be enjoyed every fall for the past three years. Two years ago, A New Leaf presented Chef Crowquette. He was a large black crow outfitted as a chef. He was working in his kitchen, reading recipes from his special cookbook: worms, spiders, centipedes, and pumpkin croquettes… He also had a beautiful garden, by the city’s train tracks, filled with the ingredients that he needed. Last year, we made The Crowing Frog of Calaveras County. Inspired by the tale of Mark Twain, our giant frog could not jump with its body full of stones. It stayed crowing pitifully in its latticed box.
What will our scarecrow be like this year? Let your imagination run wild and come design the greatest scarecrow that Cheekwood has ever seen! We will work over two weeks for this project, but campers can sign-on for one or both, as preferred.
First we will brainstorm to find a theme and ideas. Then, we will build the main structure of the body. It may even be made of several parts or bodies. It could have a large décor and furniture. We will work on the main pieces, and work on the trim, beautification, and finishing touches as we go, so that campers coming on different weeks will get to
experience a bit of everything.
Cost:
Fees are between $100 and $250 per week and include all meals.