Wow Wednesday! Camp Crafts: Brainstorming

Hi

Here's my WOW Wednesday update...
WOW It's already going to be June in a week! That means I have to pay rent, electric bills... gah! This summer is dragging and flying at the same time.. kind of like a turkey. Or something.

Anyway, for the past couple of days I have been gathering resources for projects and craft ideas for camp. One thing I realized that made my job a bit easier.. many of the campers are 'graduating' to different camps, meaning I can re-use many of the projects I did last year. I was getting my nails down a couple days ago and went through the camp posts on here. I broke down each camp and figured out which crafts I did with which groups. Here goes...

Senior High:

1. weaving
2. leather wrap bracelets
3. wire-wrapped nail crosses
4. pop tab bracelets not successful 
5. embroidery floss friendship bracelets
6. melted bead sun catchers
7. soup can luminaries (for banquet)

Science Camp: This camp actually had crafts organized by the deans which included mobiles, kites, rocket kits (complete with awesome launch!) and yo-yos

Elementary Mini Camp:

1. paper snakes
2. fuse beads - this craft lasted for the majority of the time mini campers were here
3. sun catchers

Teddy Bear Camp: This camp actually had crafts organized by the deans. Crafts were for age 4 - 2nd graders and were centered around the stories in the Bible. Parents were required to help and participate as well, but the deans encouraged the kids to do most of the work. I helped to organize crafts and created name tags with campers.

Summer Games Camp:

• Painted Crosses (Let the New Man Live) I helped the campers decorate wooden crosses with beads, moss, paint, glitter (shudder), and gems. 

Junior High Camp:

1. Shrinky dinks
2. weaving
3. free drawing
4. make decorations for banquet
5. sun catchers
6. leather wrap bracelets
7. Gods Eyes
8. faith (macrame) bracelets
9. papermaking
10. bead animals

Elementary Camp:

1. name tags
2. rockets (supplied by a counselor)
3. faith bracelets (macrame)
4. dragon marionettes
5. free drawing
6. weaving
7. graffiti/name art
8. gimping
9. shrinky dinks

Family Camp:

1. gimp
2. leather stamped crosses
3. string art (boards, string, designs)
4. play dough faces
5. free drawing
6. fuse beads
7. weaving
8. gods eyes
9. salt dough ornaments (whole camp craft)
10. folded paper wallet
11. leather wrap bracelets

As you can see... each camp had a LOT of activities. I am trying to mix it up and use some of the other supplies in the craft cabin to do new projects. Senior High campers are the first to arrive and they want to do more involved crafts every time they walk in the door so I am going to switch some of my 'staple projects' around and mix in some other new ideas, too! One problem with my SH camp projects is that I will be gone for half the days the kids are there - I have a friend's wedding to go to and I have already checked out the schedule for that... So I need to find something they could work on with a 'sub craft lady' or on their own time.

Senior High Project Options:

String Art

String art projects were a HUGE hit with the family campers. They made original designs and had a lot of fun creating and picking out string colors etc. We also spray painted the boards they used for extra 'flair'.

Concrete Stepping Stones

The camp director wants each camp to make one of these - so some kids will be assigned to work on designs and finishing the stone.

I want to be sure campers will be autonomous and able to do the crafts on their own/organize projects. So here are the "Sub Plans" for Senior High:

Old standby - Shrinky Dinks!

Gimping 

Though I would really have to make sure someone could sell/distribute the gimp fairly so I would have some left over for the other camps!!

Melted bead jewelry/sun catchers

These were a big hit last year - I recently found a page that has an artist who wraps the melted beads with wire to create designs and jewelry. Pretty cool addition to an already cool project.

Worst case scenario the campers will not have crafts or the person who they are going to instead of me will have their own projects. I'll be returning just in time for... SCIENCE CAMP. :)

Elementary Mini Camp occurs mid-week during Science Camp and they are in grades 3 - 5. These campers were crazy wild but learned quickly about my classroom (cabin) management procedures in order to get to work. I have a couple new crafts for them..

Elementary Mini Camp Project Options:

Plastic Lid Monsters

I found this craft while browsing Pinterest. We have BOXES AND BOXES of plastic lids and frankly I love googly eyes so... it's a win-win in my book :) This would be a 1-day craft.

Bubble art

Campers would be coloring bubble mix with food coloring and blowing bubbles onto paper! It creates cool abstract designs and is cheap, simple, and amusing. AND kids could do it outside or inside the craft cabin. Another one-day project.

pop tab snakes!

Last year the first craft I did with the Mini campers was a paper spiral snake that they decorated. Well, I am going to keep with that theme since my own little snake will be joining me again at camp, and have them make a different snake craft. This one is made out of felt and pop tabs with GOOGLY EYES. It's all about the googly eyes...

Crayon Explosion Lantern

Another cool project I found on Pinterest - uses popsicle sticks, crayons, wax paper, and some ingenuity with designs :) This would probably round off the week and I think it could be fun. Kids could make one each and possibly draw or write on them as well. This would be a multiple day project.

The camp director wants each camp to make a cement stepping stone - so kids will be assigned to work on designs and finishing the stone during the last two meetings with me.

Summer Games Camp:

 I am not sure this camp will want to do a craft this year or not.. working on contacting the deans of a few camps, actually, to see if they want to work on projects during their camps.

Junior High Camp Project Options:

This camp was full of energy and creative ideas, but they also wanted NEW EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. Family Camp and Junior High did the most crafts of all the camps and I had to have lots of options for both. But first, Junior High...

magazine/newspaper woven baskets

This would be a big BIG project that I would encourage campers to work on in groups/pairs. We have huge bins of magazines and clippings and there would be more than enough to create multiple baskets using this method.

sand candles

This craft was suggested and encouraged by the new camp director - I think it would be fun to try! We definitely have wax, shells, and SAND to spare! I would just need to pick up some wicks and campers would have to seek out other objects for the inside of the candles.

Beaded loom bracelets

We have about 8 bead looms in the craft cabin and I know some of the campers would be more than interested in trying them out! It would be quite the task to set up each loom but kids could work on them all week and, hopefully, complete a bracelet by Saturday when they leave.

Paracord bracelets

We have lots of paracord sitting in the craft cabin, unused...waiting. The knots are very similar to the knots they use for gimp bracelets so it would be easy to translate the process into a new, uh, string? And I want to make one! They're cool :)

The camp director wants each camp to make a cement stepping stone - so kids will be assigned to work on designs and finishing the stone during the last two meetings with me.

One of the last options would be creating decorations for the Junior High banquet. Kids spent quite a bit of time working on streamers, coils, ribbons, etc. to fill the dining hall for banquet. It was nice because kids were always working on something! On to the next camp!

Elementary Camp Project Options:

The first craft we make is name tags when the kids arrive for camp. I had to receive campers, create their name tags, and then send them off for registration paperwork and cabin assignments. Too cute.

I will have to look and see what I have by way of supplies.. I know we have some birch tags and I might have some of the paper tags left... last year I created driftwood and paper luggage tag name tag necklaces. 

another option for name tags - would be tricky to do with so many campers!

Popsicle stick canoes!

The new director wants more camp-specific crafts, so I thought this would be a fun option! We have boating and water games at camp and this could be an ornament, magnet, or pin.

plastic bottle lantern

These could be fun! :) The kids like to have night lights and trail guides to go to and from their cabins. This only needs tissue paper, a plastic bottle, and a battery-operated candle.

huichol yarn paintings!

This is the big "If I have time" craft I want to try! The campers in this group are grades 4-6, which can be a trying transitional time for me and them! Giving older campers the option to work on a more involved project while having the younger kids either fall back onto more simple projects or work all week on a large project will create balance and hopefully keep the kids engaged. It's a pretty cool process; I was able to make one in my Art Education class this semester!

I might allow the kids to work with Fuse Beads if they prove they can clean up and work productively. I always find about 9000 beads on the floor of the craft cabin regardless!

The camp director wants each camp to make a cement stepping stone - so kids will be assigned to work on designs and finishing the stone during the last two meetings with me.

playing with popsicle sticks

So.. back when I was a camper we were given 'craft time' and popsicle sticks were always the first thing to go. I made all sorts of boxes, trays, frames, and other knick knacks that are still scattered around the houses of my family members. Popsicle sticks offer kids the chance to think outside of traditional building tools and the results can be pretty impressive!

"kindergarten" craft, my foot!

So Family camp has its own set of challenges. The kids are of varying ages, sometimes the parents want to participate, and often I am left to my own devices with the kids who come and go as they please. My strategy for last year was to do two big crafts and then let the kids choose what they wanted to do from my activities in other camps. I think I'm going to stick with that since it worked out so well!

Cassette tape wallet/change purse

Paracord bracelets would be a good choice for this group as well - they could also work with gimp cording and friendship bracelets.

I might have each family (usually there are two) make a stepping stone as well. I will need to talk to the families and see what they want to do. Usually the kids run the show so that should be interesting!

Aaaand on that note I need to get to sleep! I'm leaving Illinois early tomorrow and heading back to Marquette to prepare for camp, unpack, and enjoy my NEW BEDROOM WINDOWS. So fancy. So nice.

Until next time, (Also, please please please do not say anything about the Blackhawks game. I am crying inside.)

Ms. Kanak (Crazy Craft Lady Returns!)