Mad Science Camp: Let’s Get Organized!

This summer, our family is hosting a week-long science camp for eight children.  I have organized many camps, events, and VBS programs.  I am comfortable planning camps for 50 kids.  Let’s talk about how to plan for a camp.  Let’s start with a small scale camp for ten kids.  Break your plans into steps.

Step 1: Pick a theme.  This summer our theme is Chemistry and Physics.  Here are a few ideas: Anatomy Academy, Nature Camp, CSI, or Earth, Wind, and Water.  Earth, Wind, and Water could include rock identification, weather activities, and water quality tests.

Step 2: What ages are the participants?  This summer, most of the kids are ten.  We will have a few teens and one or two younger kids.  The teens are helpers.  As we plan, we want to make sure the activities are fun for everyone, like slime.  We need extra activities for the younger campers when they lose interest.  Ten year olds can make different potions for 30-45 minutes.  Four year olds will make potions for about ten minutes.

Step 3: Determine the week and times.  We plan to host a camp in June from 9-12.  We may have a picnic lunch and go swimming after camp one or two days that week.

Step 4: Start locating activities.  I try to locate one dozen different labs and activities for each morning.  We also have games and songs planned.  I find the kids need a break and snack mid-morning.

Step 5:  Make a spreadsheet schedule of all the activities, materials, and time required.

Step 6: Organize materials.  Look at each day and write down each event with the supplies needed.  Next, inventory your science equipment: craft stir sticks, pipettes, cups, funnels,cylinders, etc.  I use boxes to separate different activities.  For example, I have a polymer box with borax, glue, liquid starch, pigments, etc. for slime.  I keep a box of general lab equipment: cups, plastic baggies, craft sticks, pipettes, etc.  Separate each activity in a different box.  Label it.  Compare the materials on hand with the materials needed for each activity.

Step 7: Now that you have your existing materials organized, start saving recycled goods useful for camp.  We have several boxes with plastic yogurt cups, Pringle cans, coffee cans, etc.  These items are clean and sorted.  We will be making chalk, slime, clubbed, and potions.  I will need loads of yogurt cups.  I can use plastic coffee cans for home-made science kits.

Step 8: Try to sort all of the materials by day. Mark a big box Monday.  Put smaller boxes with materials labeled by the experiment.   I did science camp at our church for several years.  We had 50 kids.  I had to haul all of the materials to church from home.  I stored as much as possible in the supply closet at church.  The day before camp, I hauled everything into the social hall at church.  I set up 12-15 tables.  The kids started camp in teams of six at a table.  I put my boxes with materials under long tables according to the day.  One table was dedicated to basic lab materials.  Before each day, I pulled the relevant boxes, checked to see that I had all of the materials, and set up.  I set up each day ahead of time.  I hate to set up the morning of an event.

Start now!  If you decide on your labs and experiments now, there is time to save egg cartons and cups.  You can look for bargains.  You can ask people to save materials you know you will need.  I live by my box filing system.  Things will go much more smoothly.