Garden Gurus Day Camp – Paid in Full (April 7-11, 2025)

Description

Garden Gurus Spring Activities:

Session 1: Monday● Soil Shake-Up (Soil in a Jar) – Participants collect soil samples from around the garden
(pathway, bed, woods, etc.) and place them in jars with water and borax. The jars are
sealed and shaken and left to settle. Students predict which soil sample will settle into
the most layers.
● Soil Sponge Test – Kids test soil permeability by pouring water through different soil
types (sand, clay, loam) in clear cups with holes at the bottom, observing which holds or
drains water best.

Session 2: Tuesday
● Life Cycle Scavenger Hunt – Objects or pictures representing different plant life cycle
stages are hidden around the garden. Participants find them and put them in order,
learning about each phase
● Plant Life Cycle Relay – Participants will work together to form a complete plant life cycle
using movement and observation–without speaking! The facilitator hands out cards to
participants who, on the facilitator’s signal, act out their cards altogether. After about 30
seconds the next signal is given for participants to find the stages before and after their
own. Once the participants have a complete plant life cycle in the correct sequence, they
sit down together.

Session 3: Wednesday
● Root to Fruit – Participants sort different plants into categories: roots, leafy greens, fruits,
or herbs. Then, they match them to their health benefits (e.g., carrots are good for
eyesight, spinach, rich in iron, is good for the blood)
● Scent Detectives – A blindfolded herb-smelling game where kids identify herbs based on
scent alone before learning about their uses.

Session 4: Thursday
● Friend or Foe – Participants work in teams to sort laminated images of different garden
insects into beneficial bugs or garden pests before discussing how each affects the
garden.
● Pest Patrol – Each participant gets a magnifying glass and pest ID cards. They check
throughout the garden to look for pests and mark their findings in their field journals

Session 5: Friday
● Pickle It – Participants will learn how to preserve their harvest through canning/pickling
vegetables in the garden
● Herbal Harvest- Participants will learn how to harvest and dry fresh herbs from the
garden.