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Summer Program
2015
General Information
The Darien Nature Center offers children an
excellent opportunity to learn about the natural
world around us by exploring Cherry Lawn Park’s
vast 27 acres of fields, pond, stream and trails. We
get active and get outdoors daily!
Camp Highlights

Camp dates are June 22-July 31

Camp time for age 2 is 9:30 am - 11:30 am

Camp times for ages 3+ are 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Monday-Thursday and 9:00 am - 1:00 pm on
Fridays.

Campers age 3+ bring a bag lunch.

NO NUT PRODUCTS

Wednesday (weather permitting) is water day.
Campers should come prepared for the day.
Bring or wear a bathing suit, towel and change
of clothing.

Camp days are designed by professional Early
Childhood Development Educators.

Your child’s safety and enjoyment are always
first on our list.

Every week features outdoor exploration and
animal encounters.

The Darien Nature Center Summer Camp is
a Connecticut State certified Youth Camp.
Group sizes are smaller to allow for hands-on
learning. 2 year old camper to staff ratio is
4:1 or lower. 3+ camper to staff ratio is 5:1.

Every Friday is family day at the Darien
Nature Center summer program. Campers 3+
will have a wonderful musical concert
prepared for moms, dads, siblings and friends
every Friday beginning at 12:30.
MEMBERSHIP IS MANDATORY FOR ALL
SUMMER PROGRAMS.
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CHECK OUT OUR 6 WEEK DISCOUNT.
Our Staff
Age 2 children are led by our experienced
school year teachers that are skilled at meeting
the needs of such young campers.
Each age 3+ section is led by a Camp Senior
Counselor, Junior Counselor and Counselor in
Training volunteers. These energetic leaders
provide a safe, fun outdoor experience for your
children.
All counselors are First Aid and CPR certified,
are required to pass a background check and
receive intensive training from our certified staff.
T-Shirts
Purchase a camp t-shirt beginning
Saturday, June 1st for $10.
T-shirts will be available in the office
Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
through June 19th.
T-shirts will also be available on the first
Monday of camp each week
throughout the summer.
Fuzzy Wuzzies
Campers will have first hand encounters with
caterpillars, tarantulas and more!
We will discuss what color they are,
what they eat, and where they live.
I
Spy Nature Outside
Campers will use their senses to
discover nature in Cherry Lawn Park.
Seeing nature’s changes, hearing different animal
sounds, smelling flowers, touching trees and plants
and tasting summer berries will teach young
campers about their senses. A unique, interactive World Music
Presentation featuring dozens of instruments from around the
world is planned for week 2.
At The End of The Rainbow
A rainbow awaits campers as they identify the colors of
nature in Cherry Lawn Park. “What color is that big tree?”,
“is that a yellow butterfly?”, “Oh my, a dark, dark gray sky!”.
We will explore all colors of the rainbow and much more
During week 3, At the End of the Rainbow.
My Little Green World
Dig in dirt, plant seeds, watch
them grow! How do plants
grow big and green and how
do they stay that way?
Campers will discover how
plants grow and what they
need to survive. Special visitor to
be announced.
Whooo Is Out At Night?
Not all animals sleep at night. Our young campers
will learn which animals in our zoo room are nocturnal
and what that means. They will also discover that some
animals in the wild are nocturnal just like some of
our zoo room animals. Special visitor to be announced.
Drip Drop
Ponds, rivers, streams and water day! Campers will hike
through Cherry Lawn Park searching the pond and stream
for the little creatures that live there. Young twos will
also have a fun water day extravaganza.
Age Requirement:
Children must be age 2 by
May 1, 2015
Dates:
Week 1 - June 22-June 26
(Fuzzy Wuzzies)
Week 2 - June 29-July 3
(I Spy Nature Outside)
Week 3 - July 6-July 10
(At The End Of The Rainbow)
Week 4 - July 13-July 17
(My Little Green World)
Week 5 - July 20-July 24
(Whooo Is Out At Night?)
Week 6 - July 27-July 31
(Drip Drop)
Children can attend one or more
weeks of the summer program.
They may only attend two or
three days per week.
Days:
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday
or
Thursday/Friday
Times:
9:30 am to 11:30 am
Cost:
$165 (3 days)
$110 (2 days)
Creepy Crawlies
Campers will have first hand encounters with bugs, spiders, worms and more! We will discuss how
they are different, the changes that occur throughout their life cycle
and what they need for survival.
Age Requirement:
I Spy With My Eyes, Ears, Nose
Campers will use their senses to
discover nature in Cherry Lawn Park.
Seeing nature’s changes, hearing different animal sounds,
smelling flowers, touching trees and plants and tasting summer
berries will teach campers about their senses. We will also discuss animal senses, how they compare to ours and how they use them. A
unique, interactive World Music Presentation featuring dozens of
instruments from around the world is planned for week 2.
Colors of Nature
A rainbow awaits campers as they identify the colors of nature
in Cherry Lawn Park. Why are trees green? Which colored
flowers do insects like best? What does a blue sky mean?
Children will explore the magical world of colors all around them.
Our Big GREEN World
Dig in dirt, plant seeds, watch them
grow! Kids will follow the growing
cycle from start to finish and discover
what plants and trees need to survive.
We will also explore keeping our
earth clean, what we can do to help
and how to use “garbage” in other
ways. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Special visitor to be announced.
Creatures of the Night
Not all animals sleep at night. We will discover which animals
in our zoo room are nocturnal and why the sleep during the day.
Exploring the wide array of nocturnal animals will have campers
asking, “what do animals do all night?”, “how do they see?”, “how do
they find food?”, “what do they eat?” We will answer these
questions and more during week 5, Creatures of the Night. Also, a
special visit by Gerri Griswold, a bat expert is planned.
Splish Splash
Ponds, rivers, streams and water day! Campers will hike through
Cherry Lawn Park and discover the different bodies of water and the
amazing creatures that live there. Campers will explore aquatic
themes, catch tadpoles and fish and test the different waters in the
park. We will visit one of our local beaches on Friday.
Children must be age 3 by May 1,
2015 and age 4 by May 1, 2015
Dates:
Week 1 - June 22-June 26
(Creepy Crawlies)
Week 2 - June 29-July 3
(I Spy With My Eyes, Ears, Nose…)
Week 3 - July 6-July 10
(Colors of Nature)
Week 4 - July 13-July 17
(Our Big GREEN World)
Week 5 - July 20-July 24
(Creatures of the Night)
Week 6 - July 27-July 31
(Splish Splash)
Children can attend one or more
weeks of the summer program.
Days:
Monday-Friday
Times:
9:00 am –2:00 pm
Monday -Thursday
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Friday
Cost:
$365 per week
$1,945 six weeks
(includes discount)
EEK!! Scorpions, Spiders & ??
Oh yes... The subphylum Cheliceriformes. There are over 70 thousand species of them. The big thing that sets them apart is
the number of legs-eight. Most of you probably know that spiders have eight legs, so do scorpions and horseshoe crabs.
They usually don't have antennae either. They have complex eyes so they can find prey. Did we mention that many of the
members of this subphylum are predators? We should! Stay tuned for all of this and more when your campers join us for
week #1, EEK!! Scorpions, Spiders & ??. A special field trip will be scheduled for week 1.
I Notice, I Wonder:
Campers will use their senses to discover nature in Cherry Lawn Park. Exploring
nature’s changes, hearing different animal sounds, smelling flowers, touching trees
and plants and tasting summer berries will teach campers about their senses. In
addition to exploring nature in the outdoors we will have a unique, interactive
experience with Darius Kaufmann’s, Journeys with Sound presents: Music of the
Earth. Dozens of authentic traditional instruments from around the World, made
from natural objects, will be featured. Native American drums, flutes & rattles,
Indian snake charmer, Scottish bagpipes, Crystal singing bowls and much more will
have campers singing, clapping and dancing.
Kaleidoscope:
A rainbow awaits campers as they identify the colors of nature around us. Campers
will explore how colors change and what that means in the sky (night, day, stormy,
sunny), in nature (seasons and color), and in animals (camouflage). Discovering yet
another scope of color, we will grow crystals and discuss the lattice that forms in all
directions to create a kaleidoscope of colors. Field trip to be announced.
BIGFOOT:
All creatures impact their environment. Every day,
we make lifestyle choices that have big impacts on our planet.
Knowing your ecological footprint—that is, the number of acres
of natural resources required to support your lifestyle—
and making smart choices protects wildlife,
conserves water, and reduces pollution.
The average American footprint is about 25 acres,
BIGFOOT!
Can we shrink our ecological footprint? Campers will have a
special visitor and/or visit a recycle facility
to explore what they can do to help!
Night Flight:
Not all animals are created equal—or should we say—not all animals sleep at
night. We will discover which animals in our zoo room are nocturnal and why
they sleep during the day. Exploring a wide array of nocturnal animals will
have campers asking, what do animals do all night? how do they see?
If all other animals are sleeping, how do they find food? What do they eat?
Campers will discover the answers to these questions and explore the
oddities of week 5, Night Flight. Also, a special visit by Gerri Griswold, a bat
expert is planned.
Water, Water Everywhere:
Age Requirements:
Campers must be age 5 by
May 1, 2015 and
6 by May 1, 2015
Dates:
Week 1 - June 22-June 26
(EEK!! Scorpions, Spiders, ?)
Week 2 - June 29-July 3
(I Notice, I Wonder)
Week 3 - July 6-July 10
(Kaleidoscope)
Week 4 - July 13-July 17
(BIGFOOT)
Week 5 - July 20-July 24
(Night Flight)
Week 6 - July 27-July 31
(Water, Water Everywhere)
Children can attend one or more
weeks of the summer program.
Days:
Monday-Friday
Times:
9:00 am –2:00 pm
Monday -Thursday
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Friday
Cost:
$365 per week
Ponds, rivers, streams and water day! Campers will hike through Cherry Lawn
$1,945 six weeks
Park and The Bruce Museum’s Seaside Center at Greenwich Point Park in
Greenwich, CT to discover the different bodies of water and the
(includes discount)
amazing creatures that live there. Campers will be exploring aquatic themes,
testing the water, fishing, catching tadpoles and discovering all new
exhibits at the Seaside Center. In addition campers will visit one of our local beaches on Friday.
Cancellation Policy
Registration

Membership fees are non-refundable
Register in the office

No refunds after June 5, 2015


When notified prior to June 5th regarding a
cancellation, program fee will be refunded
as follows:
Registration in person begins on Saturday,
February 7th at the Darien Nature Center, 120
Brookside Road, Darien, CT

50% refund if we cannot fill your space.
75% refund if we can fill your space.
Registration time on Saturday, February 7th is
10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Availability is first come first served.

Please have an on-line account completed before
registration.

A copy of your child’s current state physical form
is required prior to June 19th.

A copy of the Darien Nature Center Emergency
form is required prior to June 19th.

Blank forms are located on our website
www.dariennaturecenter.org or at the Darien Nature
Center daily from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

We will refund 100% of the program fee
for medical reasons with a doctor’s letter.

The Darien Nature Center reserves the right
to cancel a camp session due to nonpayment .
Terms & Conditions
Register online

Campers must meet age requirements for
each group.

Online registration begins Monday, February 9th
at 10:00 am.

Medical and emergency forms must be
completed.

Go to www.dariennaturecenter.org and click on
the link on the lower right-hand corner.

If a child has an allergy that requires
medication of any kind, all doctor’s active
plan forms, medication (please check
expiration date) and color photo of child
must be present in the office on the Friday
prior to start of child’s camp week.

Create family account and completely activate
account before logging out.

Create new membership before registering for
programs.

Please list parents in the guardian section and
children in the children section of the account.

Personalize your username and password.

Payment in full at time of registration is
required.
Registration Checklist
Online family account fully complete
Emergency form for each child complete
Physical forms for each child complete
All forms for child with allergy complete