Dropped the ball on registering for summer camps? There are still slots open in many Dakota County day camps — with activities ranging from songwriting at the zoo to building solar-powered robots, and from mountain biking to rock picking on a 1940s farm.
Diane Klinefelter, director of environmental education at Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul, said the center has incorporated more opportunities for middle-school kids. From June 23-26, during the "Nature Lost and Found" and "Get Muddy!" camps, naturalists will lead 6th- to 8th-graders in activities including geocaching and nature journaling.
Kids in grades 1-2 can register for camps including "The Science of Fire" (June 23-26) and "Soil, Dig This!" (July 14-17), and kids in grades 3-4 can sign up for topics such as "Nature Drawing and Journaling" (July 14-17) and "Recycled Rockets" (July 28-31).
During a camp June 9-13, children on the autism spectrum ages 8-12 can explore the center's wetlands, woods, prairies and farm. See www.dodgenaturecenter.org.
Life on the farm in Eagan
Holz Farm Camp, July 28-30, focuses on 1940s farm life. According to Paula Nowariak, Eagan recreation program manager, kids ages 5 to 10 will have gunny sack races, visit farm animals, make ropes, grind corn for chickens and make strawberry jam.
"They'll pick eggs, if the chickens are laying eggs," Nowariak said. "There's always rock picking that has to be done. It's actually a favorite activity with the kids."
See www.cityofeagan.com.
Inspiration from animals
MacPhail Center for Music and the Minnesota Zoo team up for two new music-based camps. During the one-week "Creature Beats" songwriting camps at the zoo (June 9-13, 23-27, July 7-11, Aug. 18-22), kids ages 6 to 8 will study lyric writing and write songs about animals. During "Create a Zoo-sical" one-week camps (July 14-18, July 21-25, July 28-Aug. 1, Aug. 11-15), kids ages 4 to 6 will use a portable recording studio, instruments and audio loops to compose songs.
