Garden Camp Day One

I planned a preschool day camp last summer that went really well. As you are trying to get your summer activities planned consider doing something like this. It's fun, and it teaches our young children about the earth our Creator has created, and is creating.

Schedule for the first day: Earth Genesis 1:10 God called the dry land Earth.
Opening 10 min: God created the Earth. God wants every person to help take care of the earth. The earth has many different parts.

Art Tent 20 m: Make worms out of yarn on paper with glue.
Supplies: yarn, paper, glue, scissors, markers and crayons. Help the children cut yarn into different lengths. Let them make worm designs with glue and attach the yarn to create colorful worms. The children can create as many worms on their papers as they wish and add backgrounds with the markers and crayons.

Game 20 m: Exploring the beauty of outside.
Supplies: sheets or blankets, small container of sand, several rocks
Take the children outside and lie down on the blankets or sheets. Have them rest quietly. Encourage each child to think about what it feels like to lie on the ground. Listen to the sounds you hear. Ask the children to look around and find something they see that is beautiful. Ask each child to tell what he or she found. Talk about the beautiful earth and how we need to help take care of it. Show the children the container of sand. Pour a small amount in each child’s hand. Remind the children that sand comes from the earth. Hold up a rock. Explain that sand is very small pieces of rock. Tell the children that they can look around for a small rock or piece of nature they can keep. Tell the children that the object s are to help them to remember how beautiful the earth is and how important it is for each of us to take care of it.

Drama Tent 20 m: Mud Pies
Supplies: dirt, water, dishpan, aluminum pie pans, aprons, spoons, bowls, measuring cups, table covering and hand washing supplies.
Let the children wear aprons and play “Mud Pie Bakery.” Cover the table. Let the children help you mix dirt and water together in the dishpan to make a thick mud. Encourage the children to use the mud to make mud pies. Talk about the recipe for creating a mud pie.

Worship Tent 20 m: Potted plants, pot of dirt
Supplies: several potted plants, small container of dirt.
Teacher talk: God wants every person to help take care of the earth.
Place the plants and the container of dirt on the table. Encourage the children to look at the dirt in the container and in the potted plants.
Say: If there was no dirt in the pot with the plants, the plants would not live. Each of us needs to help take care of this wonderful world that God created. One way we can do that is to grow and take care of plants.
Pray: Thank you, God, for giving us this beautiful earth to help take care of. Amen.

Snack 20 m: Dirt Pudding Cake
Ingredients: instant chocolate pudding mix, milk, chocolate sandwich cookies, gummy worms
Directions: Make the chocolate pudding. Add crushed cookies and gummy worms. Sprinkle a heavy topping of cookies over the top.
Serve in paper cups with a spoon.

Closing 10 min: Review Bible verse and say a prayer.