Ages 3-5
Inspired by fairies, elves, gnomes, unicorns and pixies, campers will visit forest groves where magical creatures create their homes. But first! Campers must follow the hints left by Ariel, the very same Shakespearean sprite rescued by Prospero from the mean witch in The Tempest! Ariel, who happens to be a male sprite, shows his eternal gratitude for his rescue by creating magic for children everywhere in the world. Along the way, Ariel shares stories from his wondrous life with Prospero (can't hurt to throw a little Shakespeare in while they are young!). The campers grow to trust Ariel to create quests and adventures for them each day of camp, and to lead them safely into the enchanted forest for adventure and magic.
Ariel visits camp at least once per day to share his hints and to give the children a magical "building" task - the magical creatures often need human assistance to construct their houses and kitchens to be winter-ready! Of course, the campers will need their own wands, wings, unicorn horns, magical totes for transporting treasure and more. Music is a must when adventuring and questing, as are plenty of fairy dust and bubbles!
Ages 6-11
Older campers yearn to believe in fairies and gnomes once again (if they have lost their magic a bit), and BVF offers them a chance to rekindle their belief in all things enchanted! Our magical week includes adventuring in the forest in search of treasure, creating an Enchanted Forest Map for future campers showing the fairy villages, underground gnome homes and sand fairy spots, learning how to build a nature home in the forest and more. We will hear an abridged audio version (1 hour) of E. Nesbit's Five Children and It, a delightful story of five English children on holiday who discovery the Psammead, a brown, furry, fat and shaped like a spider who just so happens to grant wishes...ANY wishes. The children's adventures teach them much about being careful what one wishes for!
Campers will create wands and use them to search for clues left underground by the gnomes living underneath the forest on Belle Vie Farm. The clues just might lead to a fabulous treasure box that has a lock - and the lock requires that all of the campers work together to find the key. The gnomes are very adamant that only those who can kindly work together may enjoy their treasure!