Summer of Go Go Go

October 4th, 2015 in About Me, Love of Local in Utah

Summer is full of so many experiences for my girls. Experiences that I care a lot about because they are homeschooled. I have found that at a summer camp the learning on a certain subject is much more intense and detailed than when they would focus on a subject in school. These museums have top notch educators, supplies, data, displays, etc. And they have MONEY to put towards things! When my girls come away from a week’s worth of physics I am in awe of what they have learned and the information they retain. I wish that classes and camps like this were held all year long. So in the summer, we sign up for a lot of these intense weeks of learning. So our summers are busy, but very fun and enriching.

This is what the girls got to attend this past summer…

#1 Theater Camp at Utah’s Children Theatre

As I’m typing this I am remembering that we need to go to one of their productions soon! It is a theatre that sits about 100 and puts on the best plays that the kids can have a blast at. For summer camp Abby, Cameron, and Shae were in a superhero & villan camp. Then Abby & Cameron did a musical camp later on in the day.

Can you tell which superheros or villans my girls were? We have an abominable snow monster, a wonder woman, and a super girl. It was fun to watch their little play at the end of the week. When the older girls gave their musical presentation it was too fun to hear them sing Yellow submarine and a few other classic songs. Video for grandparents here.

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#2 Natural History Museum of Utah & Bad Dog Arts Camp

The Natural History Museum I can honestly say is our favorite place to go in Utah. We have a family pass here and visit it quite a bit. When I drive up the hill and park our car it has a homey feel to us. A little bit like when you drive up to your Grandma’s house after being away for awhile. My girls have been going to camps here for a long time, when they were in their old building even! I am indebted to this museum because it has helped my girls grow such a strong love of science. As the girls grow older the camp options are more partnered camps with other local places. The one that worked for our summer was partnered with Bad Dog Arts which I had never taken the girls to. I was a little worried they would do the same art projects that they have younger kids do that they have done so many times. I was so impressed after each day and I asked them what they were working on. So many different techniques, supplies, paper, etc. We will definitely go there again and again.

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#3 Peterson Farm Camp & Puddle Jumpers

Peterson Farm is a farm about 5 minutes from us that is a favorite place that I wish we could spend more time at! They hold fun family nights, have a great shop to pick up fresh produce, and have food trucks every week there. Abby & Cameron did a fun camp that included farming, weeding, cooking, taking care of animals, and cleaning. It is HARD work but fun, I don’t get complaints at all but they sure are tired at the end of the day.

Puddle Jumpers is a place where my girls have only spent probably a total of 10 hours in their life but they talk about it nonstop. When you feel loved, have a blast, and are in a safe & warm environment, you remember! They had such a fun time at their summer camp there this year.

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#4 University of Utah Preschool Cooking Camp & Club U Space Camp

Ok check out these pictures of Shae, she was in heaven was she not? She is my daughter who asks for baking things for presents and talks about baking non stop. How perfect was it that this lined up for her to go to? They made so many things every day and at the end of the week had the cutest little cookbook. Boy just wait till this girl gets older, I will be signing her up for the coolest cooking classes. This is just the beginning!

These Club U camps are very team summer camp style. You get on buses, go to new locations, have to work as a team, and one of my girls has a hard time. When she goes to these camps they can be hard for her but I know they help her grow. I know that she has to overcome some of her hang ups to participate which is why I send her back every year. This year they got to swim, go the Clark planetarium, AND dissect A COW’S EYE!

 

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#5 Leonardo Science in the Kitchen

This is another place in Utah that feels like home to us. Boy do I love this place, so much learning and creativity going on in here. My girls did a science in the kitchen week that I need to give them more money for. I need to give them more money because they got my daughter who won’t eat anything to eat salsa, guacamole, and mashed potatoes. Once she understood the science behind them, cooked them, and worked hard on the items she LOVED to eat them. It was cracking me up, I owe them more money.

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#6 JoAnns Craft Classes

I have always wanted to try the JoAnns classes for my girls. Let me say signing up for these was painful for myself and the poor woman who had to do it. They really need to streamline their process. My girls signed up for a crochet class, a cupcake decorating class, and a friendship bracelet class. I’m not sure if I will do these again. The supply list for the classes is quite long and cost a lot to buy all the things. I would rather them up the class fee to cover supplies. It was fun to watch them practice the new things they had learned at home. Cameron got really into the hand crocheting and the younger ones were taught how to do friendship bracelets as well.

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#8 Utah Dance Artists Tap Classes

Utah Dance Artists is where my girls have done dance for…well a long time! All four of my girls take dance here and there is a reason why I invest so much time and money into them and this studio. The studio is very organized, out of probably having 12-18 teachers we have never had a sub par one, they are kind to the girls, but make the girls work hard. The end of year recital is gorgeous and my girls have a blast and learn and grow.

I’ve never done a summer class though because we do need time off from dance in the summer! But for Abby to get into a higher level of tap she needed to do a summer class. When Abby & Cameron did a classroom routine for the parents at the end of the week I became a fan of summer classes. I don’t know how they learned so many types of tap in one month! Actually just about 3 weeks. The teacher had them practice at home and we did it wherever we were to get it in. They really grew a lot in tap. Video for grandmas here.

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#10 Zaniac Computer Programing and Physics Camp is where my older girls went while I was away one week. This is where they also go for their math and part of their science learning during the year. If you want to raise girls that enjoy computers, enginering, science, and math this is the place for you. I’m always so impressed by what they come away learning after spending time here.

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We also went on a few field trips, had a lot of visitors, AND I threw a “Mom Camp” for them that I decided will be an annual tradition. I’ll post about all of that in our next post. It was such a fun and fulfilling summer. My girls are so lucky to have all of these opportunities to meet new people and learn new things.

One Response to “Summer of Go Go Go”

  • Linda
    October 14th, 2015 at 4:51 am

    Your girls are so blessed. They will grow up with so many experiences and they will be well rounded. Thanks for the videos. I always wanted to do tap.