Camp Invention

Peter spent a week at one of the local elementary schools, participating in Camp Invention (5 days of 9am-3:30pm).  He was very tired at the end of each day, but he loved "inventing stuff" and playing.  They brought in stuff to take apart.  We got an old walkman-style cassette player for Peter to tinker with.

Each day they learned about a different area of the world and what problems that area has.  Then they had the task of trying to come up with solutions to the problems.

Peter came home one day saying that they learned about hurricanes or volcanos in Hawaii (he couldn't remember which it was).  They had to come up with a way to get people to safety.  Peter was a little upset because his group didn't agree with his solution.  He thought they should be able to make "House Copters" for these people.  The rest of the group decided Jet Packs would be better.  "But mom, how is the guy going to sleep and eat?!  If he had a house copter, he'd be able to do both."

We had some rain during that week, but on the sunny days Peter was happy that they went outside and played games of tag or something with wet sponges.  The kids big project of the week was making a "Duck Chucker".  Something that can throw a rubber ducky across the room and into a bucket.  Peter had two other kids in his group, so one kid took home the Duck Chucker and Peter got to bring home the rubber ducky.

He also made a volcano sensor.  (I'm pretty sure he means an earthquake sensor, but I don't belabor the point.)  It has a hanging popsicle stick that shakes if the volcano/earthquake starts.

On the first day of camp, Peter wasn't sure if he'd want to do it again next year, but by the end of the week he was super excited for next time.


Grady was at gymnastics camp a few of the days that Peter was busy.  He had a great time there and seems perfectly happy spending the whole day at gymnastics.  I signed him up to spend two half days and one full day.  On the half days, he was a little disturbed that I got there too early.  He wasn't done playing.

On Friday, Grady was home with me and exhausted from the busy week.  He took a nap and ended up sleeping through the car ride to go to Peter's end-of-camp showcase and barely being awake for the first part of the presentations.  So, all of my pictures of that last day are pretty bad.  When Grady finally woke up, he insisted on staying in my lap but snapping pictures himself.