Camp Dates

Ice Gardening...faster than growing beans!

Happy New Year!  We hope everyone had wonderful, outdoor adventures during the holiday break…a number of the year-round staff took to the hills to do some skiing, sledding, running, and snow-cave building while others travelled but made time for wintry botanic gardens, walks around the local lake, feeding the geese, and much more.

Now that school is back in session, we need fun, fast, engaging activities to continue to connect our kids, and ourselves, to the outdoors.  One of our favorites is Ice Gardening.

All you need is a variety of water holding containers, sub-zero temperatures, and a surface on which to arrange your garden.  If your temperatures are REALLY cold (like they are at camp right now), you can fill up the containers at night, pop your ice shapes out in the morning, and refill them before you head to school….and they may be frozen again by the time you get home!

So many possibilities!

Experiment with different sizes and shapes, and remember that you don’t have to fill the containers to the very top!  If you want the ice to stick together, pour a bit of water on one piece, then hold it firmly against the piece you want to attach it to for a few moments…then VOILA!…the two will freeze together.

Once you have your ice garden, make sure you upload a photo of it to our Facebook page…and if it isn’t cold enough where you live to make an ice garden, then send us photos of a favorite outdoor winter activity in your neighborhood (and if it is surfing or beachcombing…expect us to be jealous).

Happy gardening!