Summer Camp and Nursery Kindergarten Summer Program
Outdoor explorers and budding artists alike will enjoy inspiring adventures throughout our Moraine Farm campus. Hands-on experiences help strengthen a personal connection to the earth and foster a sense of stewardship. We will enjoy a balance of activities including outdoor exploration, nature walks, creative arts, cooking, team building exercises, sports, games, water play, songs, music, and much more.
Waldorf Summer Camp with Coleen Ryan
For children age 7 to 11.
July 29 – August 2
August 5 – August 9
August 12 – August 16
Lead by professional adult staff, with over 15 years of experience. Cost of camp is $350 per camper per week (plus registration fee of $5.95 per week.) A deposit of $100 is due at the time of registration. Camp times are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Daily registrations are not available. We are a nut free facility. Campers bring their own lunch, a substantial afternoon snack is provided.
Nursery Kindergarten Summer Program
For children age approximately 3 1/2 to 6.
Our summer program aims to provide developmentally appropriate experience for the young child. Seasonally oriented, these sessions will provide the children with a practical immersion into the work and wisdom offered by the land. Lead by a Waldorf-trained adult staff, the Nursery Kindergarten Summer Program will allow the child to experience the dream-like and imaginative quality of their inner social/emotional development in an artistic and joy filled way. Each session will be a complete offering in itself, but the four will be a cohesive experience as well.
The two-week session allows younger children to fully arrive in this emotionally secure and predictable setting, and experience the wonderful atmosphere of beauty and warmth here on Moraine Farm. Thoughtful building of trust and confidence ensures a smooth transition to the summer preschool, and creates an ongoing experience that supports each child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
The cost of this program is $750/ two-week. 8:30am to 1:30 pm with aftercare options available. Please note that a minimum of 8 children are required to hold a session. Capacity for each session is 22.
Below is more information on each two-week session.
Sowing the seeds (Gardening) June 24 – July 5*
The first weeks of summer we play with soil and pretend to be farmers, planting seeds that need warm soil and lots of sun. In this session the children will tend the garden beds and all of the life within them. The bug-life is abundant in a garden bed, and the gentle and respectful way a gardener plants their seeds harmoniously with the bug-life, will be a focus of this session. We will also learn what plants eat and the joy that comes from seeing a seed sprout up bright and green out of the rich brown soil. This session cost is prorated ($675) due to the holiday.
Woodland Wonders (Hiking/exploration) July 8 – 19
We embark on the path to discovery through our senses. In this session, the children will use their senses to discover hidden wonders of the Moraine Farm woods. Through hiking, observation, and STEAM based activities, we will find out what signs animals leave as they work and travel through the farm. Following some of these signs, we will find animal homes and patterns of survival. Along the way, we will discover our own abilities to move, balance, navigate, and regulate our levels of exertion.
Water is Life! (Shoreline adventure/water activities) July 22 – August 2
Water has a way of bringing joy and enthusiasm to the child’s summer. It is also the basis for all life. In this session the children will learn about the life that thrives in water around Wenham lake. Bugs, plants, amphibians and many other creatures await to be seen and appreciated in this session. We will also experience the joy that water brings us through activities and games.The vitalizing force of cool water on a hot day will be a focus of this session.
Harvest the Joy (Gardening/homesteading) August 5 – 16
Good work and good intentions allows us to experience a harmony with our surroundings and find joy in each other. In this session the children will learn how to tell when a vegetable is ready to harvest, and how to carefully and kindly gather the delicious food that comes from the earth. We will also learn what to do with the food we gather, and how to keep the garden happy in the later weeks of summer. Useful crafts and pieces of art made from the land will also be a focus of this session.
Specialty Summer Camps
Introduction to Arabic Language and Culture
The Middle East is the land of charm and magic, where famous stories like “One Thousand and One Nights,” “Sindbad the Sailor,” and “Aladdin” originated. Middle Eastern cuisine is one of a kind, with exquisite recipes and plenty of colors to tingle taste buds. This program will take campers on a journey into the Middle East through stories, art, music, food and language. Campers will learn the Arabic alphabet, how to introduce themselves, and basic everyday phrases. They will experiment with writing Arabic, from right to left, and will learn how to script their full name in Arabic. They will also hear stories, learn songs and cook Middle Eastern food throughout this week long program.
August 5-9
For ages 7-11 years old
with Syonara Tomoum
Syonara Tomoum teaches all levels of Arabic, from beginners to advanced. She has an MA in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, and has moved to the US from Egypt in 2016. She teaches Arabic at the Five College in Western Mass. In addition, She is a vocalist at the Pioneer Valley Arabic Music Ensemble, and a freelance writer for a literary Egyptian publication.
Animal Detectives
What do the creatures of the forest do when we aren’t looking? Throughout this week long program campers will use tools like their senses, camera traps, footprint traps, bait and exploration to find answers to this question. They will then create a museum of the clues found from all of the animals discovered along the way. This camp is perfect for the curious budding scientist who enjoys being outside and on an adventure!
August 12-16
For ages 7-11 years old
with Clay Kern
Clay Kern is a true adventurer and kid at heart, and comes with a broad multidisciplinary background in the sciences and education. He graduated with a BS in Environmental Bio from Unity College, and a MS in Marine and Environmental Bio from Nicholls State University. Clayton loves being a part of the natural world by foraging, hunting, fishing, and gardening. Over the years he has worked for the Catalina Island Marine Institute, Kestrel Educational Adventures, NOAA, and once owned his own fossil expedition company.
Want to be a Camp Volunteer?
Gain experience working as a camp counselor and assist with the day-to-day runnings of the camp. This opportunity is for eighth graders or older. If this sounds like an opportunity that you would enjoy, please send a letter of interest. Let me know why you are interested in the position and when you are available. Also, include skills you have to share with camp (for instance, songs, games, activities, gardening).
For more information email Coleen Ryan at cryan @ waldorfmoraine.org or call (978) 927-8811 ext .17
Summer Camp Counselor Position Open
Waldorf School at Moraine Farm is looking for enthusiastic educators to help teach our summer camp program.
Cancelations
The fees become non-refundable for cancellation 5 weeks prior to camp start date. Any cancellation before that will receive a refund less a $45.95 administration fee per camp week. Waldorf School at Moraine Farm reserves the right to cancel any camp due to insufficient enrollment, this would happen no later than one month prior to camp start date. Should this become necessary, all fees will be refunded.
Summer Camp at Waldorf Moraine Farm is licensed through the Beverly Board of Health and is a member of the Association of Independent Schools of New England.
This camp must comply with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and be licensed by the local board of health.
