Summer Camp {Invention}

For my whole life, getting ready for summer camp has meant sunscreen, bug spray, and swimsuits.

Not a one of those came in to play while getting my kids ready for Summer Camp this past weekend.

We did, however, poll the neighbors asking if they had any electronics that the kids could cut the cords off of and dismantle, all in the name of science, of course.

That was after they scoured our house for all the upcycle-able items they could put into the gallon size baggies I gave them (Camp Invention didn’t give any limit, this mama did).  Princess and Monkey bounded downstairs and proudly showed off their fabric building-block-sequin-thread-crayon-ribbon-paper scrap filled  baggies.

Camp Invention is a different kind of summer camp, and for the first time, my little DIY MacGyver kids are in a camp that doesn’t have them sweating in the sun, fighting bugs, building campfires, making bracelets, or putting their s’mores making skills to the test.  This camp has my kids stretching their brains, building their skills, and firing off new synapses.

We were given a list of acceptable upcycle items and acceptable take apart items that they were to bring to camp the first day.  The kids will use these items to create something new.

Being me, I skimmed the packet that came in the mail.

got it.

Being me, the night before camp started, I pulled out the paperwork to fill it out and make sure we had everything we needed.

oops

Sitting around the patio with the neighbors, I threw out the question: “Do y’all have any old electronics the kids can have, take to camp, take apart, put back together in a new way, and you don’t care about ever seeing again?”  {coughcough}

Two different neighbors each had a keyboard (one still in the original box!) – we checked the acceptable list – SCORE!!!!  {Thank you times INFINITY, Heather and Laura!}

Princess being Princess, wrote their names on bags and put their acceptable items into properly labeled bags, and placed those bags into a larger back pack.  Upon arrival at the Camp Invention location, she scoped out the area, and within minutes of arrival already knew where the lunch boxes, backpacks, upcycled materials, and take apart items belonged.  {this kid, y’all}

Big kisses and hugs and I left them.

6.75 hours later, I picked them up.

Here’s the day in their words:

 

Me to Princess:  “Best part of your day at Camp Invention?”

Princess to Me: “Learning how to take apart a keyboard!!!”

Me to Monkey: “Best part of your day at Camp Invention?”

Monkey to Me: “Taking apart the keyboard!!!!!”

“and learning the eye has some little round thing called a pupil inside it. yeah, that was cool, too”

 

Stay tuned, y’all… this can only get better.

 

Thank you Camp Invention for sponsoring my kids’ adventure with Camp Invention this summer, introducing them to destruction with a constructive purpose, and for providing me with compensation, free time to work (oxymoron what?), and for sponsoring this post (and a few others, also properly documented)