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SPRING INTO LEARNING

Day Camps at the Farm!

Ballyntyne Learning Farm is so thrilled to announce that we will be offering day spring, summer and fall camps at the farm! These day camps are intended for your curious kids who want to learn from the outdoors, play, be creative, and build friendships with other kiddos. 

Activities: Get ready for lots of fun activities, projects and experiments this spring. See below for some of the things that kids may partake in: 

 *Please note that the below lists are not a complete list and specific activities may be tweaked or adapted but the camps will certainly be filled with fun things for your kids to learn and take part in!

 

Throughout the camps, we will focus on safety, working in teams, fostering positive and encouraging communication between the kiddos, and having a great time!  

 

Details: These 1-day camps are intended for children ages 6-9 years old. The camps will run from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm with a mid-morning snack break, time for lunch, and an afternoon snack. Parents are encouraged to drop their kids off for the morning with pickup starting at 2:30 pm. 

Attire and Food: Please dress kids in layers as we can always count on Oregon weather to change a bit throughout the course of one day. Layers, closed-toed shoes, as well as rubber boots, are encouraged. Please bring a mid-morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack for your child. *Extra snacks will be available just in case there are some extra hungry kiddos! Most importantly, arrive with the expectation of having a fun, engaging, and memorable day!  :)

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March 29, 2024

The first camp of the season will focus on migration! What animals make seasonal migratory trips? How do creatures adapt to seasonal changes?

 

How did scientists discover migration? Tell stories of various beliefs about where animals went before migration was fully understood. 
 

How do the seasonal changes impact food acquisition? Learn how light pollution affects migration. 

Enjoy charting a variety of bird migration patterns on physical maps! Learn about a few heartwarming stories of migratory animals who have adopted other animals or people as their new families. 


Get an early jump on celebrating World Migratory Bird Day!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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April 12, 2024

Join us for a day of adventuring and tracking and begin the day by learning about animal tracking throughout history. 


Learn about animal calls and sounds and discuss their purposes. Explore camouflage and mimicry and how it aids animals in the wild. 

Learn to recognize a variety of common tracks and scat that live in the forest habitat surrounding the farm. Investigate the difference between stride and straddle, and recognize walking, waddling, and galloping in tracks. Once we've identified a well-intact print, we'll make casts and other artwork!  

Enjoy using a map, and compass during a scavenger hunt at the farm will lead us around the acreage of the farm. Through play, kids will work as teams, and will practice problem-solving. Come for fun! 

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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April 26, 2024

Sign up for a captivating day dedicated to the fascinating world of birds, spanning from majestic birds of prey to songbirds.

 

Discover the diverse habitats of various bird species around the farm, delve into their dietary preferences, and practice recognizing different bird calls. Enjoy learning about bird anatomy through x-rays. 

 

Explore the unique advantages of various beak, wing, and feet types, while gaining insights into the myriad physical adaptations that different bird species have developed.

 

Uncover the traits inherited by modern birds from their prehistoric ancestors. Enjoy hearing stories and myths from various cultures related to birds. How are birds significant in various cultures and folklore? 

 

Engage in hands-on activities such as crafting and decorating a wooden birdhouse to take home. If time permits, enjoy creating your own bird nest or bird feeder inspired by natural items gathered from around the farm.

 

Join us for a day filled with education, exploration, and the joy of connecting with our feathered friends!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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May 10, 2024

Discover the physical adaptations of creatures that thrive in the cover of darkness, and how nocturnal animals have evolved to navigate in low light. Delve into the distinctions between circular and slit pupils, exploring the unique advantages each offers. Explore different sounds that can be heard in the forest at night. 

 

Embark on hands-on activities such as experimenting with echolocation, dissecting owl pellets, and engaging in theme-inspired crafts. Enjoy a forest hike to spot the various habitats of nocturnal animals, gaining a deeper understanding of their nighttime dwellings. 

Share stories and myths related to the night sky, stars, and nocturnal animals. Learn about how nocturnal animals use camouflage and mimicry to blend into their surroundings. 

Explore how plants adapt to the night as well as night-pollinating insects. 

And to wrap up the day, discuss bioluminescent organisms that glow in the dark like fireflies and certain fungi. What role do these creatures play in the ecosystem? 

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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May 24, 2024

Learn about the key things that engineers must take into consideration when solving problems and constructing. Apply engineering concepts like the design and structure of your dream playground using paper and drawing materials.  Using various materials, experiment with bridge-building.

Through hands-on play, test the best methods to construct with cardboard - experimenting with a variety of shapes and structures. Explore simple machines (levers, pulleys, etc). 

 

Learn about a handful of different renewable energy sources. Elect between constructing a waterwheel or a windmill to get hands-on design practice with renewable energy systems. 

Come for fun and a full day of learning through play, building, and experiments!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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June 28, 2024

Learn about water scarcity in current and ancient times. How did ancient Romans create inventions to move water? 

Enjoy creating and building your own aqueduct from a handful of materials. Gather in groups to strategize and execute a plan! Learn about how different cultures are able to slow down evaporation to conserve water in arid environments. 
 

Learn about the importance of clean water and how various communities filter water. Build a simple water filtration system using natural materials. What plants can help with water filtration?  

What is rainwater harvesting and how are these implemented in the community? 

Learn about the science of Archimedes' Screw. Kiddos will build a simple version to understand how this ancient invention was used to lift water and its application in irrigation. If time allows, learn about ancient and modern irrigation techniques. 

Come for building, design, creativity, exploration and lots of learning!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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July 12, 2024

Dive in to learning about water with explorations of the creek and pond. Collect water samples and enjoy peering at microscopic life through the microscope. Collect minnows, water boatmen, nymphs, and get a close look at their adaptations which make living in ponds and creeks ideal for them. 

Learn about the process of sedimentation by taking samples and observing the particles. Stimulate river formation, erosion and delta creation. Kiddos will enjoy adjusting slope, introducing obstacles, and observing how water flow changes, learning about river dynamics and sediment transport. 

Learn about water pollution and miniature watershed building. Simulate rain and understand concepts like runoff, drainage, and the impact of human activities on watersheds.

Build a simple water filter using natural materials. Test the effectiveness of their filters by comparing water clarity and quality before and after filtration.

Get ready for a fun, hands-on camp!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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July 26, 2024

Put your creative caps on and enjoy hands-on learning about inertia through wind-powered car building. Create a vehicle that can travel the farthest distance or fastest speed using wind energy. Get a kick out of designing, testing, and iterating! 

Learn about a handful of different renewable energy sources. Enjoy creating a waterwheel to get hands-on experience with hydropower. 

Discover solar energy by building a simple solar oven and cooking a s'more! What is the greenhouse effect and solar energy's potential for cooking and heating? 

Come for fun and a full day of learning through play, building, and experiments!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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August 2,  2024

This camp will focus on all things weather - extreme weather patterns, wind, sun, and air! How do weather patterns affect ecosystems and biodiversity? How does acit rain affect plants or wind affect pollination? 

Explore what makes up a weather station - an anemometer for wind speed, a barometer for atmospheric pressure, and a thermometer for temperature. 

 

Learn about the power of wind, and a fighter pilot who survived parachuting through a cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud. Enjoy creating homemade parachutes from recycled materials to then do egg-drop tests! 

How can we harness the power of wind? Kiddos will put on their design hats and will construct small wind turbines.  Discuss how wind energy is converted and the importance of renewable energy sources. Come for a day of fun!

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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September 27, 2024

This farm favorite camp will focus on forest life. Learn about the complexities of a forest food web and keystone species.

Learn the basics of animal tracking, including looking for footprints, scat, and other signs of animal presence. 

What is selection within a forest habitat? Explore the balance of nature and the carrying capacity of a forest. Hear about unique animal adaptations within forest habitats and predators versus prey.

Enjoy identifying various tree species and estimate their age by measuring the circumference of their trunks. 

 

The kiddos will enjoy playing forest games and leading their own skits. Enjoy gathering natural items to create their own forest theater. Create stories about mythical or real forest creatures, their unique adaptations, and their role in the food web. 

Learn about the role that fires play in both the destruction and life of forests.

Learn about the role of decomposers in a forest. 

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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October 11, 2024

Spend the day learning about plate tectonics and how the movement of Earth's plates leads to the formation of volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountains.

 

What is the difference between lava and magma? How do scientists manage to learn about and monitor volcanoes? What are the effects of landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on the surface of the Earth? What is a Rickter scale and a seismograph? 

Forms teams and collect natural materials around the farm and then assemble your own erupting volcano! Enjoy learning about the difference between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.

 

How do volcanic eruptions impact the climate, including the "year without a summer."  

Explore erosion and weathering through the purple sand at Pfeiffer beach, play with erosion trays and learn how farmers and others can work to slow erosion down. Get ready for a fun, hands-on camp!

 

Duration: 8:30am to 2:30pm

Ages 6-9 years old

Cost: $70

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