Journals and Experiential Learning

While Summer Day Camp is about having fun, it's also about learning too. Our day campers spend a lot of time doing "experiential learning"--they learn about history not by reading a textbook, but by visiting museums and by acting out history. They learn about math not only from working through math worksheets but from counting seats in the bus on the way to lunch or from multiplying to figure out the total number of ice skates that they'll be using when they visit the ice rink for the skating lessons.

Our Summer Day Campers also spend time writing about their experiences in day camp---and we know that writing is very, very important. Unstructured writing activities provide kids an opportunity to be creative and to learn to love to write.

Here are two journal entries from kids in our ages 9-10 camp:

"Hi my name is Amber S.* and I am participaing in summer camp at Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center. Yesterday I had fun spending time with my friend Kendra* and playing dodgeball. I really like everything. What I am scared to do is get in trouble and spiders. I really would like to go to Splash Island." --age 9

"I like going swimming and learning to doggie paddle. I had lots of fun yesterday. I like everything there was nothing I didn't like. I want to be a veterinarian and take care of animals when I grow up." --age 9