SUMMER 2023 SCHEDULE
Every day at Cairn Hill Summer Program is carefully planned to offer exploration and fun activities connected to a weekly theme, leaving plenty of time for play and rest when needed.
Cairn Hill Nature Preschool Summer Program July - August
Week 1 (July 5th - 7th)
Buzz and Flutter
From moths and butterflies to bees, wasps, and moths, we transform into pollinators as we learn about nectar dances, the importance of pollinators, life cycles, and flowering plants.
Week 2 (July 10th - July 14th)
We Can Wing It
Why doesn’t a woodpecker get a concussion? How can a falcon fly so fast? Could a hawk see an ant from the top of a 10-story building? We'll be honing our “owl eyes” during this week of winged adventure and find out all about birds and what they might be telling us about the natural world.
Week 3 (July 17th - July 21st)
Branching Out
Tall trees, short trees, fallen trees, bark, twigs, and stumps– each play an important part in the forest ecosystem! During this week, we'll get to know the quiet giants of the forest through up-close examination, sensory learning, and
stealth games. Come join us for a "tree-mendous" week!
Week 4 (July 24th - July 28th)
Enchanted by Plants
Traditional lore says that certain plants attract fairies and that while these impish creatures were both mischievous and prankful, they also came to take care of the garden. This week, we nurture the imagination by indulging in the fantastical while also learning about how ground plants, mosses, and ferns turn sugar into a source of water, shelter, food, or in some cases – delicious teas and medicine! We'll build fairy and gnome homes, craft with plants and flowers, and make tea with herbs from our garden.
Week 5 (July 31st - August 4th)
Habitats are Hip
How would you become invisible in your own backyard? Come think like an animal and discover the critters hiding in plain sight!
This week is all about our animal friends - their habitats, what they eat, and how all the living things around us are
connected in the web of life.
Week 6 (August 7th - August 11th)
Marvelous Mammals
I am warm, fuzzy, and always on the lookout for food. What am I?
Become a crafty coyote, a restless rodent, or a burrowing bunny
and try to survive the food chain.
During this week, your child will learn all about the remarkable traits and adaptations that make mammals the
masters of their environment.
Week 7 (August 14th - August 18th)
Rock and Roll / Marvelous Mud
Let the mess begin! Real dirt, real mud and a real lot of good sensory play!
Children spend this week of camp investigating volcanoes and rocks, sand and soil, as well as gems, crystals, metals and minerals.
Week 8 (August 21st - August 25th)
Wonders of Water
Join us for our last week of camp as we experiment with sand and water to learn about salmon, water insects, and frogs and salamanders and the water habitats they call home - some species live in and are protected by the vernal pools by our very school! (Water exploration is optional and takes place in shallow water.)