what are school's out camps?

School's Out Camps at Clapping Hands Farm are designed to be a perfect "day off" – an exiting array of art projects, nature explorations, group games, with good company, COMBINED with a relaxed pace, and lots of room to choose what you feel like doing. Campers are welcome to sign up for the week or by the day.

School's out for a variety of reasons. . . teacher work days, conferences, holidays, and spring break. . . we have a schedule of times that we are planning "School's Out" fun at Clapping Hands Farm. I know that track out and vacation schedules vary, and I am happy to consider additional dates for your convenience, JUST ASK!

HOMESCHOOLERS are always welcome at our School's Out Camps, which work wonderfully as a "teacher work day" for parents and a fun day of art, games, outdoor explorations and other fun for the young people.

upcoming

APRIL 6-10 SPRING BREAK CAMP!
(Spring Break for Community Independent School, River Rock School, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and Lee County, Chatham County on april 10)

APRIL 13-17 SPRING BREAK CAMP!
(Spring Break for Chatham County, Lee County, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro, CIS on April 13)

MAY 1, School's Out Camp
(teacher work day River Rock School, Community Independent School)

SCHOOL'S OUT CAMPS AT CLAPPING HANDS FARM . . .

I plan our School's Out camps to be the best combination of RICH opportunity for ART AND NATURE EXPLORATION, cooperative GAMES, in GOOD COMPANY with a RELAXED pace with no particular schedule. I offer projects and excursions that I'm excited about, and respond to the interests and inclinations of the group gathered.

Some POSSIBLE PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

• building home made stomp rockets that honest to gosh fly MUCH higher than anything you can buy at the store
• painting with acrylics
• creating the people and furniture for a large doll house all from scratch
• dipping bees wax candles
• crocheting rag rugs
• weaving dolls and pouches
• printmaking
• making forts in the woods (we already have a few started and we want more!)
• making fairy houses
• canoeing on the pond
• helping in our garden (Holmes is working on the fence for a NEW family/camp/small scale commercial garden!)
• creating new trail systems over our 100 acres of woods, fields and ponds
• buiding forts
• carpentry (I have plans for some play houses that I'm eager to build with the help of some campers)
• and many, many more!

We have run art and nature focused summer camps here for 10 years and have the tools and supplies for MANY different kinds of projects!

GUEST ARTISTS

If we have a group bigger than 10 kids on any particular day I'll ask a guest artist to join us. . . Guest artists in the past have included:
• percussionist Beverly Botsford
• felting teacher Candace King
• african dance teacher Aya Hope
• visual artist Erick Davis
• naturalist gumby Montgomery
• archery teacher and bow maker Johnny Waken
• painter James Gadson
and many many more!

CAMP DIRECTOR AND OTHER STAFF

Louise Omoto Kessel is the camp director at Clapping Hands Farm. She is a professional storyteller, a printmaker (woodblocks), an environmental educator (founder of the Haw River Festival, former Park Naturalist for a NC State Park, former caretaker for the Nature Conservancy, worked on the Hudson River Clearwater "flag ship of the environmental movement), and the homeschooling mom to Jabu age 7 and Makayla age 4.

Holmes Graybeal is the farmer, the builder and the Dad of Clapping Hands Farm. Much of what's wonderful about this place is here because of Holmes and he assists in many ways with the smooth functioning and fun at our camps.

Camp Counselors will assist Louise with each day of School's Out Camp at Clapping Hands Farm. We aim to keep the staff-camper ratio at 1-5 or better (and it's usually more like 1-3).

AGE OF CAMPERS

Camps are for ages 7-13. Contact me if you would like your 5- or 6-year old to come, I will consider them on a case by case basis.

AGES 14 and UP can be considered as counselors. Contact Louise Omoto Kessel at 919-542-5599 or louiseok@mindspring.com

CAMP DAY

Our camp day runs 9-5. Before/After care can sometimes be arranged at an additional cost of $5/hour/child.

REGISTRATION AND COST

School's Out Camp fees are $50/day. $5/day discount when you register for 5 or more days. You can register for Spring Break Camps by the day or by the week.

NOTE: Space is limited for February School's Out Camps and priority will be given to RETURNING CAMPERS.

TO REGISTER please send an email with your child/ren's full name, date of birth and WHICH DAYS you wish to register for.

This will put your children on the roster TEMPORARILY. To CONFIRM their registration, please send payment in full and and send in our camp forms. Camp Forms can be found on the "REGISTRATION" page of our Camp Website: ClappingHandsFarm.com

CLAPPING HANDS FARM is set 3/4 of mile back from the paved road. We are "off the grid" with solar powered electricity, a hand pump at the well, and no public utilities. There are acres and acres of field, forest and ponds to explore here. Our "facility" includes a large open camp shelter, outhouses, and gravity powered hand washing sinks.

A FEW MORE DETAILS

Campers should bring a water bottle with their name on it, a hearty lunch, and a complete change of clothes (just in case we get soaked or incredibly dirty). DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!

Campers should NOT bring electronic toys or other things that would distract from engaging in creative activities with our merry group!