Ketcha Outdoors

Summer Camps | Pre-K | Preschool | After School | Event Rental | Wedding Venue | Scarborough, Maine

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Traditional Camp

Offered each week from June 10 – August 27, 2024

Our co-ed Traditional Day Camp is designed to provide fun and growth through a series of exciting experiences in a beautiful setting. We offer a range of activities from climbing on our challenge course to learning about ground cherries in our garden. Campers rotate with their group throughout the many activities we have at Ketcha over the week. We also have ‘free time’ set aside on our schedules for all camp activities & old camp favorite games like ‘Gaga’.

Our traditional camp age groups are named after animals in our Maine Woods: Cottontails, Woodchucks, Chipmunks, Bobcats, and Black Bears. Campers ages 4-14 are grouped appropriately with low camper-to-staff ratios.

Traditional Day Camp Sample Day
9:10 – 9:20 Opening Circle
9:30-10:20 Drama & Music
10:20-10:40 Snack/Sunscreen
10:40-11:40 Ropes Course
11:40-12:10 Lunch/Sunscreen
12:15-1:10 Arts & Crafts
1:10- 2:20 Outdoor Living Skills
1:20-2:20 Swimming
2:20-2:30 Snack/Sunscreen
2:30-3:30 Environmental Education
3:45-4:00 Closing Circle/Dismissal

Campers will rotate through all of our Traditional Day Camp activities throughout the week.

2024 Summer Camp Handbook

SWIMMING

Campers swim at least once a day (weather permitting) in our pool or the pond. Campers will be swim tested on their first day and are able to re-test throughout summer as they progress. Swim skills lessons will happen weekly for traditional campers aged 4-9.

ARCHERY

Basics of bow and arrow safety, care and function with lots of target practice and archery games.

OUTDOOR LIVING SKILLS

Survival skills from fire building and knot tying to map and compass or shelter building. Campers will focus on outdoor skills like fire building, hiking, shelter building, and orienteering and make sure to leave no trace while they explore our Camp Ketcha woods.

Learning Outcomes:

  • How to minimize impact in the outdoors using Leave No Trace principles
  • Plant Identification and uses in survival situations
  • Understand importance of 4 survival priorities: Shelter, Water, Fire, Food
  • Build trust, reliance and connections with the peers in your group

ARTS & CRAFTS

Campers discover their artistic side and let their imagination soar.  Children will create through various projects such as making clay sculptures, sketching, watercolors and paints, nature collages, tie-dyeing, making picture frames, necklaces, bracelets, and more. We will have art projects to complete daily and extra time in our art cabin each day.  Campers will create masterpieces to take home and enjoy! 

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Hands-on lessons that may include tracking animals, plants and tree identification, weather, birds, insects and conservation.

GARDEN & FARM

Learn about planting vegetables and flowers. Help manage the feeding, care and watering of a garden. Learn basic goat care including feeding and grooming. Observe behavior of our chickens, collect eggs and feed on a schedule. Spend time in our outdoor kitchen, making mud pies and soups. Hike through the forest observing plants and flowers. Spend time in the barn and participating in art projects and crafts.

Learning Outcomes

  • Campers will learn about our garden’s ecosystems, including plants and animals, pollinators and pests, and things campers can do to help gardens grow.
  • Campers will develop their planting skills and learn how to use common gardening tools and equipment.
  • Campers will visit another farm on a field trip, and learn about their animals!

SPORTS

Soccer, kickball, frisbee, pirate ball, and much more! Campers will play traditional sports as well as some uncommon and camper-made sports all week. Every day they will play a different sport, and will have extra sports time allotted during the week! 

  • Play traditional sports such as soccer and baseball, and have the opportunity to make up their own games
  • Develop teamwork and practice positive sportsmanship
  • Be encouraged to wear jersey’s from their favorite teams and share their fan experience
  • Understand rules and practices for safely playing each sport

Learning Outcomes:

  • Lower rates of anxiety and depression
  • Experience less stress
  • Higher self-esteem and confidence
  • Increased cognitive performance
  • Increased cardiorespiratory and muscular ftness
  • Stronger ability to self regulate
  • Improved ability to overcome hardship, persevere, be resilient, and think critically

ROPES COURSE

For for adventurous campers who enjoy our ropes course. High and low rope elements and initiatives challenge campers both individually and in teams. They work through team and individual challenges on high and low ropes, learn knot tying and how to belay fellow campers, review equipment safety, and maintenance, and improve teamwork and communication skills.

Campers will:

  • Work through team and individual challenges on high and low ropes
  • Learn knot tying and belaying skills
  • Review equipment safety, and maintenance
  • Visit the Salt Pump in Scarborough for a day of climbing *Senior campers will spend an overnight at Salt Pump*

Learning Outcomes:

  • Campers will learn how to tie a variety of commonly used knots
  • Able to demonstrate their skills in a series of outdoor challenges
  • Develop their teamwork and communication skills
  • Learn to develop trust with their training partners
  • Introduction to basic climbing techniques and how to safely climb on a variety of different elements

ART AND DRAMA

Activities may include theater improvisation games, skits, physical activities, and group challenges. Singing, dancing, music games, bucket drumming, and world music.

Campers will:

  • Use our Art Cabin as their home base for daily project creation
  • Tap into their imagination and artistic skills
  • Use paints, glue and markers to complete individual as well as group projects
  • Work with different mediums such as clay, charcoal, watercolors and will make natural collages and learn tie-dye
  • Collect natural materials while observing plants and wildlife
  • *Junior and Senior Campers will go on a field trip to the Portland Museum of Art

Learning Outcomes:

  • Campers will develop a sense of their own style and will learn to respect other diverse forms of artistic expression
  • Using their hands to create art helps campers develop fine motor skills that they need later for writing
  • Art activities help develop brain capacity in early childhood
  • Art engages children’s senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional and multisensory skills