Photo Credit: Shelley Mitchell
Plants and Bugs Day Camp, held at Oklahoma State University’s Botanic Garden, is for campers ages 9 to 12. Activities are focused on gardening, nature, and ”bugs.” Since temperatures soar past 100°F during the summer, activities occur both indoors and outdoors, depending upon the heat index. As part of a non-profit that only seeks to recover the actual cost, my colleagues and I search far and wide for a variety of fun and interesting activities that are free or inexpensive.
Here is a look at some of the avenues we pursue to find ideas for programs:
Junior Plant Scientist
Junior Plant Scientist (free at http://jrplantscientist.ath.cx) is a series of explorations kids can do at home, in a garden, and even online, with printable observation sheets covering 10 topics like plants and culture, plants in curious places, and plant explorers. Kids can even leave questions for a botanist to answer, and if all 10 explorations are completed, campers earn a certificate from the U.S. Botanic Garden.