Nature Safari Camp

...otherwise known as Bass Pro Shop Camp, was on our list of things we couldn't miss! Kayli couldn't wait to put on her really cool nature safari vest that she got from Santa this year! The vest has lots of pockets for all her gear, and loops to hook things to, like a lantern, whistle, & compass. The possibilities are endless! She even managed to add a hat to the ensemble just before this outing...

we invited Lily and Graeme to come along the first day we went to check out the "camp". The way the brochure was worded, it appeared that the workshops would be held every 20 minutes for a couple of hours. What really happened was that a different topic was presented every hour, on the hour, from noon to 4:00. Right after listening to a presentation on topics like "bird watching", "camping", "water safety", for about 15 minutes...some presenters were interesting, some, not so much...

the kids were then sent to a particular area of the store to find answers to questions on their scavenger hunt paper...

there were distractions along the way...

But, they were fun distractions, and we still managed to get our papers filled out and back to the "camp counselor" for approval, so the kids could earn their free lanyard and pins, woohoo!!!

in between topic presentations, there was also a craft area, and some archery opportunities...

the girls made necklaces with a compass in the middle, very cool...

we stopped in the restaurant for ice cream treats before calling it a day, around 2:00 (Graeme needed a nap). Since Kayli had only earned half of the available pins for her lanyard, she begged me to let her return on Thursday to earn the rest! I had no problem returning on Thursday, as she is soaking up lots of good information at this fun, but educational camp!

When we returned on Thursday, we stayed from noon to 4:00! Kayli earned the rest of her pins, she got to try out some "real archery" (longer arrows, but still had rubber tips) and she had a ball!

she was asked to volunteer during the water safety talk...

demonstrating what happens when your life jacket is too big...

we stopped here to have a little snack and drink...

before trying out luck at the wide mouth bass station...

ahhh, this sure has been a great way to explore the outdoors without having to swat one single fly or mosquito!!!

Kayli bought a new lantern to hang on her vest...

and I brought home this "surprise" that I'll pull out some night this summer for some magical fun!