Camp Little Feet, a camping program for toddlers and parents
In the same way that Camp Wonder came into being, the creation of Camp Little Feet is a response to parents who wish there was a nature based sensory awareness experience for their toddlers, ages 2 1/2 to 4. In keeping with NC's philosophy, Camp Little Feet encourages families to be at Nature Camps as much as possible.
Early childhood outdoor educators will take toddlers, with an accompanying parent, on remarkable adventures in the woods, fields, streams, swimming pool, toddler swings, and more!
Camp Little Feet will be a morning program. Parents will have the option of staying the whole day, as they wait for their older children to return from their NC adventures. In addition to parent-toddler nature experiences, parents will have time to be with other parents while their toddlers are resting.
It is a delight to create an atmosphere in which parents can be with other parents, on the porch swings, around the sand box, at the shallow end of the pool, and in a cozy spot nearby in the woods, having their own time -- either watching their youngest children, knowing they are in the hands of experienced early childhood outdoor educators.
In Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman wrote:
There Was a Child Went Forth
There was a child every day;
And the first object he look'd upon,
that object he became; And that
object became part of him for the day,
or a certain part of the day, or for many
years, or stretching cycles of years.
- Walt Whitman
We hope many parents from past summers, and new NC families, will be able to make the time to be at Nature Camps, sharing mutual footprints in Camp Little Feet. Look for details of Camp Little Feet in the upcoming months. We welcome and encourage suggestions or questions. Parents: What would you like to see in Camp Little Feet?
Add a Week! One Week Extensions Now Available
Meeting the needs of parents last summer, we offered one week extensions. We will again make this option available in 2010 -- providing you with increased flexibility in planning your child's summer schedule. Through our thirty five years of experience, we've learned that children easily become acclimated to Nature Camps by the way we structure our two-week sessions. Children feel comfortable and everything is easily understood. The option to extend one's stay at NC by a week enhances these valuable experiences -- further nurturing children's inborn sense of wonder through continued remarkable adventures.
The Add-a-Week option will only be available to children who have previously completed a full two-week session, adding either week one or week two of the following session. Look for more of this new option in our 2009 flyer.
New NC Brochure
Nature Camps has gone even more green! Our new brochure is printed on 100% recycled paper, and with environmentally safe inks. The previous twenty-three page catalog has been reduced to a family friendly brochure, highlighting essential information. Additional key descriptions can be found as usual, at www.naturecamps.com. We welcome feedback about the new format.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2010!
FAMILY OVERNIGHTS & CONCERTS
We will again enjoy relaxing evening concerts, following our traditional
biweekly Family Outdoor Dinners and all-Family games. Children, parents,
local musicians, and parents delightfully share the many talents they
possess. Evening activities (night walks, magical wish boats in the
pool, swimming, tie-dying, camp fire songs) are followed by an early
morning outside breakfast. 
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS FOR CAMPERS
Following NC's philosophy of engaging teens in service learning, campers will engage in service learning projects including wildflower and gardening projects, stream restoration, trail maintenance, composting, and other ecological best practices. Now campers can actively participate in the Community Service - Giving Back - that they have witnessed teens experiencing, learning to become responsible problem solvers, and ultimately stewards of their environment.
TEEN ADVENTURE AT THE O'NEILL FARM
During one of the two Teen Adventure Trips, teens live and work on the O'neill Family Farm in Northern Baltimore County. Teens become part of the farm family and assume farm responsibilities. Days are spent harvesting, cooking, completing chores, and working on projects. The O'neills have worked hard to create an intentional life of green sustainable living for themselves and their children.
BUTTERFLIES ABOUND IN NEW SECRET GARDENS!
An endless number of butterfly species have found new places to visit in the many “secret gardens” that were constructed and planted by the 2003 Teen Adventure Teens, Campers, Parents, and NC Staff.
SAFETY: RAISING THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
NC’s approach to safety and risk management is entwined with
competence, sound judgement, and purposeful, substantial programming.
Our staff implicitly guides every action and interaction to reduce accident
potential.
