Monday, June 14, 2021, Monday, July 12, 2021, Monday August 9, 2021
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
(Program activities will be identical for all three.)
$5 per child / $2.50 for Friends of Renfrew Members
New Early Childhood Programming at Renfrew!
Join our interpretive staff for an hour-long program designed especially for little learners! Divided into three 20-minute segments, children will make a craft, enjoy a song and story, then participate in sensory play – all inspired by life on our historic Pennsylvania German farmstead.
Craft: First, children and their accompanying grown-ups will make farm animal hand puppets from paper bags. Cut out and color three different kinds: a pig, a sheep, and a duck.
Song & Story: Next, we’ll use our puppets while we sing “Old Man Royer Had a Farm” and read an interactive storybook together.
Sensory Farm Play: Last, participants will have a chance to act out typical farm chores including “milking” our faux cows, “washing” laundry on a scrub board, carding fluffy “wool”, and “planting and harvesting” pretend veggies in sand.
Grades: K–5 Cost: $5 member, $6 non-member. Location: Pine Hill Recreation Area
The group will go on a hike—a spring scavenger hunt looking for animal tracks, feathers, flowers, butterflies and more. Activities including listening to a nature story, and planting a flower to take home.
Covid safety protocols are in place for this program.Download our waiver/contact form here.The form is fillable online; if you are able to, please print it and bring it along to the program.
Thursdays April 29th & May 27th, 2021 * 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Environmental & Historical Programs
Students will attend a nature-based session and a history-based session, with programs determined by age.
The Institute’s nature program for grades K to 3 is “Sydney’s Wonder Web.” With spider puppet, Sydney, students learn about the parts of nature, how plants and animals depend on each other and on nonliving elements of nature for food, shelter and hiding places, and about predator-prey relationships.
For grades 4 to high school, students will attend “Wetlands.” They learn about the three types of wetlands and examine the plants, animals, and soils of these special ecosystems. Students also learn about the benefits of wetlands and why they are valuable to humans ecologically, aesthetically and economically.
“We look forward to engaging the homeschool community on the Conococheague Institute’s beautiful campus,” said The Institute’s executive director, Tracy Holliday. “In addition to a historic backdrop featuring frontier history interpretation, the wild meadows, woodland trails and wetland areas offer a perfect outdoor classroom for interpreting the natural world. It’s exciting to forge this new educational partnership that brings together exceptional educators in two disciplines, setting the stage for a day of learning and fun.
The program fee is $12 per student, per day. Pre-payment is required. To register for this program, choose your preferred date (April 29 or May 27) and email:
In the Rainforest camp, children will board Chameleon Airlines and head to South America where they will embark on an exciting rainforest adventure!
As we make our way through the rainforest, we will identify the variety of plants and animals that live there as well as learn about the people who live in the rainforest, especially on the Amazon.
Throughout our theme, students will be learning the basics of the Spanish language! We will learn conversation skills as well as vocabulary relating to our theme!
In the Safari Adventure camp, children will board Chameleon Airlines and head to Africa where they will embark on an exciting safari adventure!
As we make our way through the African rain forests and jungles, we will identify the variety of plants and animals that live there as well as learn about the people who live in and around that area.
Throughout our theme, students will be learning the basics of the Spanish language!
We will learn conversation skills as well as vocabulary relating to our theme!
