Pre/Post Camp Activity Ideas!

Preparing your students for their trip to LMC is an important part of an quality experience. Below are some activity suggestions to do with your students before their resident experience - or after your visit as a follow up to build upon the experiences that happened during the trip. Expanding the students' experiences makes the trip more meaningful than an intense, but isolated few days. Please let us know how these suggestions work out for your group and any additional ideas you may have.

Journal Writing: Journals are an effective way for students to process and evaluate their experience before, during, and after the resident camp. The students can make and decorate their journals before the trip and complete a few entries about their expectations, hopes, and fears. You may want to include worksheets or questions that they will work on during their trip in the journal. Include a page or two for each activity they will be doing, plus space for them to react to meals, cabin, and free time. A scavenger hunt that goes on throughout the entire trip is also a fun addition (collecting information, not wildlife or endangered plant species).

Photo board or Collage: Set up a bulletin board or large sheet of paper where the students can display images of their trip. Plan to include drawings or photos of all aspects of the experience. Also include schedules, rules and "what-to-bring" lists for the students to refer to as they help plan the next project.

Scrap Books: One book can be made for the whole group or each students can make their own. Photos or drawings that describe planning and expectations can be the first entries. During the trip students can add more images, plus natural objects such as pressed leaves or flowers, poems from a creative writing exercise, schedules, etc. Students can make captions to explain the sequence of events, telling the story of their trip.

News Reporting: Give each student an aspect of the trip to report on for the entire trip. The information collected can be compiled into a school newspaper or video news show. Some examples of topics to report on could be learning blocks, meals, the bus ride, teachers, or the LMC staff.

Skits: Divide the students into groups and have them create skits showing what they think the trip will be like. If possible, put them in the groups they will be in for learning blocks during the trip. This will help students work on community building skills.

Badges/Tags: Have the students design name tags or badges, decorate them and wear them during the visit. Tags or badges should be made of sturdy, water resistant materials and contain the student's name, learning block group, cabin, and supervising teacher or parent whenever possible.

Behavior Contracts: Go over rules and policies at LMC with your students. As a group you may want to come up with additional rules such as no fighting, no swearing, time limit in the bathroom, respecting each other, etc. Decide as a group what the consequences should be if rules are broken. Write everything on a big sheet of paper and have all the students sign it. Individual behavior contracts that can go home and get signed by the parents, as well as the students, can also be helpful.