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Title At Home Summer Camp. Family fun in your own neighborhood!

At Home Summer Camp: 5 Days of Family Fun

by Brittney Schrick, PhD, CFLE - July 14, 2022

The second half of the summer can be hard for families. Kids are bored, it's VERY hot outside, gas is expensive, and you may be starting to think about the new school year. Instead of planning a vacation that may be too expensive or time-consuming, how about having summer camp at home?

Below, you will find five days of themed activities, craft ideas, media, and snacks! All of the decisions are made, so all you have to do is have fun! There are activities and media for all ages. You can choose to do these all in one week, over a couple of weekends, or even each Saturday until school begins again! Your family, your rules! 

Each day will have a post on our Facebook page @UAEXFamilyLife with more pictures and content. 

Let's get this party started!

Theme Days

Camp themes list

 

Day 1 Camp Out
Day 2 Wet & Wild
Day 3 Growing Things
Day 4 Let's Cook
Day 5 Home Sweet Home

 

Day 1 Camp Out

Welcome to Camp! 
Day 1 is all about getting excited for camp!
For activities, build a fort or a tent with things you find around the house. One fun way to do this is to use a folding table and an old, flat bedsheet. Lay the sheet over the table, cut a flap in one side as an entrance, and decorate the sheet however you like! This can be folded and put away to reuse whenever you like. After you build your fort, take a walk around the neighborhood and use our scavenger hunt list. We have lists for rural and urban neighborhoods!

Make friendship bracelets, beaded bracelets or necklaces, or keychains with embroidery thread or beads and string. You may have some of these things available already, but if not, they are easily found at craft and big box stores and are low cost. A simple pattern is linked in the table below. You can also create camp bandanas or tshirts with tie dye or fabric markers. These can be worn throughout your camp week!

While you do your camp activities and crafts, listen to the "Camping" playlist on Spotify. You can access it for free if you do not have a paid account. Do some yoga with "Campout Yoga" or "Going on a Bear Hunt" yoga to stretch and move your body. 

When it's snack time, make some s'mores! No campfire is needed, but that can be fun too! S'mores can be made in the oven or using a can of clean burning Sterno (the one with the wick instead of gel works best). Make sure an adult is present for all activities with an open flame. Another great camp snack is trail mix! Buy it already made or make your own with some nuts and seeds, dried fruit, and a few chocolate candies. 

Activities

Build a fort/tent
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

Crafts

Make a friendship bracelet
Tie dye bandana or tshirt

Media Campout Yoga
Going on a Bear Hunt Yoga
Spotify "Camping" Playlist
Snacks S'Mores
Trail Mix

 

Day 2: Wet and Wild

It's time to beat the heat with some water play!

Activities Outdoor water play
Visit a local pool or splash pad
Crafts Bubble Painting
Ocean in a Bottle
Watercolor Camp Room Sign
Media Our Planet "Coastal Seas" 
"The Water Cycle for Kids"
"Why is Ocean Water Salty"
Snacks Golfish or Whales Crackers
Popsicles

Day 3 Growing Things

Activities Bean sprout
Chia Seed House
Build an Herb Garden
Crafts Sidewalk chalk silhouettes
Make seed balls
Seed Art
Media "How does a seed become a plant?" 
"Peep plants a seed"
"Beekeeper answers bee questions from Twitter"
Honey-Bee Friendly Plants & Flowers
"Gardening from the Ground Up" 
Snacks Veggie Rainbow Roll-Up
Sunflower Seed Mix

 

Day 4 Let's Cook

Activities Make a shopping list and shop for your recipes together
Make a simple recipe together like these: 
-Easy Bread
-No-Bake Cookies
-Easy Pasta
Play "Grocery Store Bingo"
Crafts Decorate an apron or kitchen towel
Make a paper chef's hat
Media "The Chemistry of Bread" 
"How Your Digestive System Works"
"Molly of Denali-Awesome Info Kids: How to Make Homemade Pasta"
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: We're Baking Treats
Snacks The treats you make together!
A balanced snack using MyPlate

 

Day 5 Home Sweet Home

Activities Write postcards to friends or family
Pick up trash in the neighborhood or community
Help a neighbor with yard work or take them a treat
Use sidewalk chalk to write kind messages on the sidewalk or driveway
Call or visit an older family member or friend
Crafts Create a yarn art piece to hang on the wall
Craft stick birdhouse
Cardboard box town
Media "This is Where I Live" 
"Sesame Street Elmo's World: Homes"
"Exploring Habitats"
"How the Rest of the World Lives"
Dollar Street Website
Snacks Build a house or structure with pretzel sticks and cheese cubes
Graham cracker and nut butter houses
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