Summer Camp 2022
Summer Camp at wBees is one of our favorite times of the year! For 7 weeks, we get to cool off in the sprinklers, get messy in the dirt, explore in sensory bins, and engage in a plethora of activities both inside the classroom and at our local parks. During these sunny weeks we get to make new friendships as children from all of our classrooms and from our community come together. We benefit from learning and interacting with different teachers each week that bring their most fascinating projects, songs, and games to camp.
During summer camp, we spend extra time outdoors, exploring our green-spaces and engaging in nature. Our exploration can take many different forms, such as solar prints with items found in nature or discovering textures, patterns, and colors in all of the wonderful plants and trees. We’re thankful for the trees that give us shade during our daily outdoor snack picnics and the wind that provides a cooling breeze as we run around outside.
Summertime in Ridgewood is particularly special since our local parks provide sprinklers and plenty of opportunities for water play. We love cooling off in the water and using our imagination to create games! Another favorite this year has been our spray bottles which have provided the perfect opportunity to practice consent. Before we spray another camper, we ask, “May I spray you?” or “Where can I spray you?” By respecting others’ space, we make sure everyone feels comfortable, allowing for more fun!
While outside, we exercise our gross motor skills by climbing, hanging, swinging, and sliding. We safely explore our limits and observe how our bodies move in all sorts of ways as we run, jump, and play!
Inside the classroom, we keep our imagination and creativity going with a variety of art projects, block building, and sensory bins. Our shelves are filled with ocean-themed works. Our art shelves have an exciting spread of materials that allow us to explore texture, color, space, and composition. We put on our builder hats while carefully constructing buildings and houses with blocks. We get our hands messy while feeling the unique materials in the sensory bins.
On days when it is too hot to be outside, we practice some mindful movement inside the classroom with some yoga. After a busy day of exploring, you can find us snuggling up with a great book in the library or taking care of our environment by watering plants and making sure our class is clean and tidy.
As summer camp comes to a close, we’re so grateful for all of the wonderful memories and joyful time together! It’s been such a special summer to spend some extra time with our students who are moving on to new schools and to welcome some of our new students that will be starting with us in the fall. We wish everyone a wonderful end to their summer break and we’re looking forward to connecting in the fall for the new school year!
