Week-Long Programs, 2021
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Welcome to our 12th year of summer camps! All of our programs are designed to keep our kids engaged, exploring, observing, thinking, creating, and having fun. Take a look at these brief videos from previous Dangerous Book and Games, Games, Games camps. All programs are based from Arbaney Park in Basalt. Registration details will be updated April 1 based on current Covid-19 safety protocols. For registration information, contact Brian Passenti and the Basalt Rec. Dept. at Brian.Passenti@basalt.net. For questions about programming, contact garrypfaffmann@hotmail.com.
Staff: Our leadership makes the difference! Lead teachers are all current teachers in the Roaring Fork Valley or have facilitated kids programming for at least ten years. They aren't just fun people, they are experienced, quick-thinking, fun-loving, problem-solving, child-centered professionals. Guiding Principles: Developing social skills through group activities and initiatives. Exploring curiosity through free-choice activities and exploration. Fostering critical thinking through problem solving situations. Engaging in physical play to keep the mind and body engaged. Low-tech, old-fashioned fun! *See more underlying principles under Blog page. |
11-12 Year-Olds: Scroll down to see brand new programming for these older kids who need bigger adventures and bit more room to explore!
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6-10 Year-Old Programs
These programs have been time-tested to be fun, fun, fun! Each includes a mix of repeat activities from past years, along with many new additions. All programming incorporates team games, group initiatives, individual problem solving, exploration, observation, experimentation, and good-ol' fashioned summer fun. While the schedule is set with three repeating themes, each week is designed to be unique with fresh activities, alternating staffing, and new weekly social dynamics to keep each week fresh and exciting. Don't hesitate to sign up for multiple programs of the same title! Afternoon activities of all camps include nature exploration in the shade and near cool, safe-flowing water.
Calendar of Events -- 6-10 year-olds
June 7-11: Games, Games, Games
June 14-18: Science and Cycles
June 21-25: Dangerous Book For Boys and Girls
June 28-July 2: Games, Games, Games
July 5-9: Science and Cycles
July 12-16: Dangerous Book for Boys and Girls
July 19-23: Games, Games, Games
July 26-30: Science and Cycles
August 2-6: Dangerous Book for Boys and Girls
August 9-13: Games, Games, Games
General Information for all 6-10 year-old programs
Ages: 6-10 Years Old
Time: 9:00-3:00 M-Th; 9:00-1:00 Friday
Cost: $285
Registration: Basalt Rec. Dept.
You Bring: Lunch, snack, water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, rain jacket, bike, and helmet
Bikes: Bikes can be locked up at the park overnight
Pick-up/Drop-off Locations: Either Arbaney Park or Basalt Schools parking areas. TBD on a weekly basis.
Games, Games, Games!!!
For those kids who love to play, this is the week for you! Each week will include a different array of traditional sporting games, tag-games, card games, relay events, obstacle courses, and slower-paced strategy games, along with bicycling adventures on the Basalt High School BMX track and an afternoon at Crown Mtn. Bike Park. Spikeball, capture the flag, sardines, Red Fish/Blue Fish, flag football, soccer, tee-ball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, frisbee golf, SPUD, and so much more. Fill your summer with joyful play and laughter among friends, and sleep well at the end of each day! And we'll throw in one afternoon each week at the Basalt Pool for some fun water games. Each of the three sessions will include a mix of repeating favorites and enough new activities to keep the excitement of new learning.
Science and Cycles:
Arbaney Park and the surrounding wild spaces serve as the venue for a week of exploration, experimentation, and cycling adventures. Mornings are a mix of biking activities on dirt trails, BMX track, and the paved bike path, along with hands-on investigations of flight, architecture and design, nature exploration, chemistry experiments, and solar power. Rockets, home-made gliders, chemistry reactions, Lego challenges, egg drops, solar cars, solar ovens, bug hunts, nature explorations, observation journals, popsicle-bombs (they're not dangerous!), and more. Our natural curiosity will find an outlet in physical play, hands-on experimentation, and cool-'n-shady nature exploration once the sun gets hot! One afternoon each week of pool time will help to keep us cool!
Dangerous Book For Boys and Girls
Get ready for a broad spectrum in this week-long adventure as we explore "all of the activities that every child should experience in their youth." Based on the popular books Dangerous Book for Boys and Daring Book for Girls, bring your weekly checklist to count off the new skills you learn each week: unicycling, juggling, graffiti art, fire making, fort building, snapping fingers, blowing bubbles, setting up a tent, spontaneous dramas, Black Jack, yo-yos, story-telling, archery, slingshots, capture the flag, nature explorations, bug hunts, soccer, baseball, paper airplanes, flag football, rockets, origami, Lego construction projects, axe throwing, swimming in Basalt Pool, and more. This is the most popular camp of the summer because it is a Bring a bike and helmet each day, or lock them up at the park, for daily field trips around Basalt.
- Groups are divided by age and friend request, basically falling into the following age groups: 6-7, 8-9, and 9-10 .
- Each group is guided by an adult leader and co-leader throughout the week.
- Activities are designed to be age- and interest-appropriate by group.
- No daily drop-ins; all participants must sign up for the entire week-long session.
Calendar of Events -- 6-10 year-olds
June 7-11: Games, Games, Games
June 14-18: Science and Cycles
June 21-25: Dangerous Book For Boys and Girls
June 28-July 2: Games, Games, Games
July 5-9: Science and Cycles
July 12-16: Dangerous Book for Boys and Girls
July 19-23: Games, Games, Games
July 26-30: Science and Cycles
August 2-6: Dangerous Book for Boys and Girls
August 9-13: Games, Games, Games
General Information for all 6-10 year-old programs
Ages: 6-10 Years Old
Time: 9:00-3:00 M-Th; 9:00-1:00 Friday
Cost: $285
Registration: Basalt Rec. Dept.
You Bring: Lunch, snack, water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, rain jacket, bike, and helmet
Bikes: Bikes can be locked up at the park overnight
Pick-up/Drop-off Locations: Either Arbaney Park or Basalt Schools parking areas. TBD on a weekly basis.
Games, Games, Games!!!
For those kids who love to play, this is the week for you! Each week will include a different array of traditional sporting games, tag-games, card games, relay events, obstacle courses, and slower-paced strategy games, along with bicycling adventures on the Basalt High School BMX track and an afternoon at Crown Mtn. Bike Park. Spikeball, capture the flag, sardines, Red Fish/Blue Fish, flag football, soccer, tee-ball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, frisbee golf, SPUD, and so much more. Fill your summer with joyful play and laughter among friends, and sleep well at the end of each day! And we'll throw in one afternoon each week at the Basalt Pool for some fun water games. Each of the three sessions will include a mix of repeating favorites and enough new activities to keep the excitement of new learning.
Science and Cycles:
Arbaney Park and the surrounding wild spaces serve as the venue for a week of exploration, experimentation, and cycling adventures. Mornings are a mix of biking activities on dirt trails, BMX track, and the paved bike path, along with hands-on investigations of flight, architecture and design, nature exploration, chemistry experiments, and solar power. Rockets, home-made gliders, chemistry reactions, Lego challenges, egg drops, solar cars, solar ovens, bug hunts, nature explorations, observation journals, popsicle-bombs (they're not dangerous!), and more. Our natural curiosity will find an outlet in physical play, hands-on experimentation, and cool-'n-shady nature exploration once the sun gets hot! One afternoon each week of pool time will help to keep us cool!
Dangerous Book For Boys and Girls
Get ready for a broad spectrum in this week-long adventure as we explore "all of the activities that every child should experience in their youth." Based on the popular books Dangerous Book for Boys and Daring Book for Girls, bring your weekly checklist to count off the new skills you learn each week: unicycling, juggling, graffiti art, fire making, fort building, snapping fingers, blowing bubbles, setting up a tent, spontaneous dramas, Black Jack, yo-yos, story-telling, archery, slingshots, capture the flag, nature explorations, bug hunts, soccer, baseball, paper airplanes, flag football, rockets, origami, Lego construction projects, axe throwing, swimming in Basalt Pool, and more. This is the most popular camp of the summer because it is a Bring a bike and helmet each day, or lock them up at the park, for daily field trips around Basalt.
11-12 Year-Old Warriors Program
As our kids progress beyond the 6-10 year old camps, they require more. More space, more adventure, more freedom, and more challenging and purposeful activities to capture their interest. They require all of the socializing of their younger years, and a bit more nuanced guidance and supervision. Our Warriors program caters to this developmental leap by incorporating activities which require a bit more attention and effort along with a sweet mix of good old-fashioned play to highlight the lightness of summer. So where does the name Warriors Program come into play? Discussions, interactions, and performance expectations are grounded in the traits of a modern warrior: determination, inclusion, observation, patience, strategic thinking, leadership, creativity, and celebration. Come and join our Warrior tribe!
Program descriptions are conceptual. Dates are firm, but we are in the process of finalizing permits and staffing.
June 21-25: Ready-Aim-Fire -- A woodworking workshop
Aiming at targets is a primary skill among warriors. Accuracy with bows and arrows, sling-shots, water balloon launchers, potato guns, and blow dart tubes requires skill, collaboration, and persistence. And let’s be honest,... they are all a ton of fun! Meet at the Basalt Middle School parking lot each day, then drive up to Woody Creek to meet with local craftsman, Ric Morrison who will guide participants to make their own hand-crafted blow dart gun. This project is not only fun to use as a final product, but the process of working in a professional woodshop is a rare and rewarding opportunity! In addition, participants will make their own potato launcher, and explore some tribal-adventures on the Aspen Community School campus in Woody Creek. Afternoons will include a playful swim in one of the best swimming spots along the length of the Roaring Fork River!
July 28-July 2: Wheels, Wheels, Wheels
Thank heavens for the invention of the wheel! Participants will meet each day for a sequence of team-building games each morning, before diving into our wheel-based adventures: we'll work each day to build their own go-kart, drive RC Cars, learn to unicycle, ride the Crown Mtn. Bike Park, build and race our own Pinewood Derby cars, ride some or all of Glasier Trail (a cross-country mtn. bike trail), and explore some fun water play along the Rio Grande Trail! Camps will meet at the Basalt Middle School parking lot each morning and build our adventures from there.
July 19-23: Basalt Pentathlon Overnight
Meet at Basalt Middle School each morning, and dive into a sequence of team building games before heading out for each day’s big adventure: A mid-valley Scavenger Hunt, a cross-country mtn. bike ride up Glasier Trail (a 15-mile ride--all abilities welcome!), Nature explorations (and swimming) at Dinkle Lake, and on Thursday, bring your overnight bag for a two-day, one night outing at Chapman Reservoir group site.
August 2-6: Water, Water Everywhere!
The best way to turn a good day into a great day is to just add water! The main goal of this week is to play in as much water as possible in as many ways as we can (inner tubes, paddle boards, ditch walking, wave riding, fishing, etc...). This series of playful and informative adventures will take us to Dinkle Lake, Ruedi Reservoir, Lake Christine, and some of our favorite watering holes along the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan rivers. Along the way we’ll explore water insects, trout habitat, the inner workings of the Ruedi power station, water sanitation projects, irrigation ditch explorations, and, over the course of two days, a bike ride from the top of the Roaring Fork Watershed (Aspen) to the bottom (Glenwood Springs)!
Program descriptions are conceptual. Dates are firm, but we are in the process of finalizing permits and staffing.
June 21-25: Ready-Aim-Fire -- A woodworking workshop
Aiming at targets is a primary skill among warriors. Accuracy with bows and arrows, sling-shots, water balloon launchers, potato guns, and blow dart tubes requires skill, collaboration, and persistence. And let’s be honest,... they are all a ton of fun! Meet at the Basalt Middle School parking lot each day, then drive up to Woody Creek to meet with local craftsman, Ric Morrison who will guide participants to make their own hand-crafted blow dart gun. This project is not only fun to use as a final product, but the process of working in a professional woodshop is a rare and rewarding opportunity! In addition, participants will make their own potato launcher, and explore some tribal-adventures on the Aspen Community School campus in Woody Creek. Afternoons will include a playful swim in one of the best swimming spots along the length of the Roaring Fork River!
July 28-July 2: Wheels, Wheels, Wheels
Thank heavens for the invention of the wheel! Participants will meet each day for a sequence of team-building games each morning, before diving into our wheel-based adventures: we'll work each day to build their own go-kart, drive RC Cars, learn to unicycle, ride the Crown Mtn. Bike Park, build and race our own Pinewood Derby cars, ride some or all of Glasier Trail (a cross-country mtn. bike trail), and explore some fun water play along the Rio Grande Trail! Camps will meet at the Basalt Middle School parking lot each morning and build our adventures from there.
July 19-23: Basalt Pentathlon Overnight
Meet at Basalt Middle School each morning, and dive into a sequence of team building games before heading out for each day’s big adventure: A mid-valley Scavenger Hunt, a cross-country mtn. bike ride up Glasier Trail (a 15-mile ride--all abilities welcome!), Nature explorations (and swimming) at Dinkle Lake, and on Thursday, bring your overnight bag for a two-day, one night outing at Chapman Reservoir group site.
August 2-6: Water, Water Everywhere!
The best way to turn a good day into a great day is to just add water! The main goal of this week is to play in as much water as possible in as many ways as we can (inner tubes, paddle boards, ditch walking, wave riding, fishing, etc...). This series of playful and informative adventures will take us to Dinkle Lake, Ruedi Reservoir, Lake Christine, and some of our favorite watering holes along the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan rivers. Along the way we’ll explore water insects, trout habitat, the inner workings of the Ruedi power station, water sanitation projects, irrigation ditch explorations, and, over the course of two days, a bike ride from the top of the Roaring Fork Watershed (Aspen) to the bottom (Glenwood Springs)!
Coronavirus Procedures and Protocols
In an effort to maintain safety, maximum fun, and healthy interaction, summer camps will use the following procedures. This is a working document, and will be updated as recommendations change:
Group Size: Maximum of 44 children total, divided into 4 groups no larger than 11.
Adult Supervision: Each group will be facilitated by a group leader and an assistant. Leaders will remain consistent with their group throughout the week.
Age Groupings: Three groups will be created based loosely around age; 6-7 years-old, 8-9 years-old, and 10-11 years old. If your child wants to participate with a friend and their ages do not match up (example: a 7 year-old wants to be in a group with an 8 year-old), please note the names of the participants during registration and which age group they prefer to be placed.
Minimizing Human Exposure: The three groups will not intermingle throughout the day, the groupings will remain the same throughout the week, and each group will have the same two counselors throughout the week. While we will share the same philosophy, and will participate in similar activities, we will work to minimize exposure to more people than necessary.
Personal Toys: Each participant will receive their own bag of "personal gear" to be used during downtime each day. Personal items will include Rubics cubes, Rubics Snake, Etcha Sketch, Bop-it, fidget spinners, tops, and other fun gadgets to entertain during downtime. These items will be labeled with the participant's name, will remain enclosed in their own personal container throughout each day (stuff sack), and will not be shared.
Group Games: Each group will have access to stilts, frisbees, pogo sticks, various balls, and other shared toys during downtime. These items will be sprayed with an approved alcohol/bleach spray and will rest for a period of five minutes before being shared.
Whole Group Activities: Each group will rotate through three primary activity stations throughout the day. Activities will be selected which minimize personal contact and sharing of materials. All shared materials at these stations will be disinfected or replaced before the next group uses these items.
Group Size: Maximum of 44 children total, divided into 4 groups no larger than 11.
Adult Supervision: Each group will be facilitated by a group leader and an assistant. Leaders will remain consistent with their group throughout the week.
Age Groupings: Three groups will be created based loosely around age; 6-7 years-old, 8-9 years-old, and 10-11 years old. If your child wants to participate with a friend and their ages do not match up (example: a 7 year-old wants to be in a group with an 8 year-old), please note the names of the participants during registration and which age group they prefer to be placed.
Minimizing Human Exposure: The three groups will not intermingle throughout the day, the groupings will remain the same throughout the week, and each group will have the same two counselors throughout the week. While we will share the same philosophy, and will participate in similar activities, we will work to minimize exposure to more people than necessary.
Personal Toys: Each participant will receive their own bag of "personal gear" to be used during downtime each day. Personal items will include Rubics cubes, Rubics Snake, Etcha Sketch, Bop-it, fidget spinners, tops, and other fun gadgets to entertain during downtime. These items will be labeled with the participant's name, will remain enclosed in their own personal container throughout each day (stuff sack), and will not be shared.
Group Games: Each group will have access to stilts, frisbees, pogo sticks, various balls, and other shared toys during downtime. These items will be sprayed with an approved alcohol/bleach spray and will rest for a period of five minutes before being shared.
Whole Group Activities: Each group will rotate through three primary activity stations throughout the day. Activities will be selected which minimize personal contact and sharing of materials. All shared materials at these stations will be disinfected or replaced before the next group uses these items.