The camp program this year will be fantastic. As always, we base our camp around the BC Summer Reading Club. This year’s theme ‘World of Curiosities,’ is AWESOME, because it’s full of myths, imagination, magic, science, geology, archaeology, arts, technology, and wonder. It’s a calendar of fun with something for everyone!
It is with sadness, however, that the Library is also announcing that this year will be the final year of offering it’s Literacy-based multi-week camp program. This too-good-to-be true offering is ending for a few reasons, including reduced funding and regular camp staffing challenges. But all is not lost! Beginning next year the Library will offer more drop-in style programs for assorted age-groups in the summer. Some will be one-off events, while others will be once-weekly morning or afternoon events. We hope that this year is a wonderful end of an era for Salt Spring families, and we plan to celebrate the summer days we have together.
SUMMER LIBRARY CAMPS
All summer library camps are now full and wait-listed. There are still spaces available in the Added Events.
Library Summer Day Camp Programs, FAQs
6 Weeks, 6 Themes, Ages 6-12
Our Camp program this year runs Tuesday-Friday, 10AM-3PM, excluding any holidays. Sign up is for one week at a time, though we understand if you may not be able to attend all 4 days of the week on occasion. Please only sign up for the weeks you are sure your child can attend, as late cancellations do not tend to get filled. NOTE 1: This camp is mainly geared towards kids 6-10, with registered kids aged 11-12 learning to be camp assistants and helping facilitators run programs and support younger participants. NOTE 2: Before you sign up in the Summer Camps, check out our “Added Events” as these overlap with the camps and children CAN NOT do both. Please pick one or the other accordingly, and plot them on your calendar. Please note that filling these forms does not ensure your registration. Registration will be confirmed by email in the coming days. If you do not receive an email, your child is not registered in your selected week(s) or other event(s).
FULL Week 1: Mysterious Creatures – either real animals or mythical/imaginary
There are some WEIRD and WILD things that animals do in nature… and we’ll explore some of these facts and things in this week of camp. Also: What’s your favourite mythical animal? Unicorns and dragons come to mind but what about a manticore or a basilisk? Or a hydra? Or a tiger bat? For that matter, if you could combine three animals to create an all new one – what would it be? If your answer is something aside from a Zebra-pottamu-bee, you might enjoy making YOUR unique creature come to life in this program.
Tuesday July 9 – Friday July 12, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Week 2: Depths of the Earth – rocks, volcanoes, and deep time
Rocks, crystals, geodes, gems, minerals, plates, fossils and VOLCANOES. Yes, there will be a volcanoes! But also: rock identification, mineral scavenger hunts, a search for crystal treasures, absorbing some knowledge and perhaps an indoor intro to spelunking too. Get ready to journey towards the centre of the earth, layer by layer.
Tuesday July 16 – Friday July 19, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Week 3: Precious Mysteries – magic and mysteries
How did that happen, what did I even just see? Slight-of-hand? Optical Illusion? Something mysterious and unknowable, for certain! We’ll practise some magic tricks to bring home, and even have our own Magic show ready for parent viewing by the end of the week! We’ll learn about some famous magicians and some of the most famous magic tricks out there.
Tuesday July 23 – Friday July 26, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Week 4: Natural Curiosities – plants and nature
Let’s discover all the weird and fascinating little things and big things that make up nature and plants. Plant craft, plant study, micro-presentations with prizes, and plenty of forest and outdoor play, weather depending.
Tuesday July 30 – Friday August 2, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Week 5: Beyond Our World – space and exploration
Up, up, and way! Let’s explore rockets, space and motion through paper crafts, propulsion, and possibly some water balloons (weather depending). Participants should bring sun block and bathing suits, sunblock and sunhats as needed.
Tuesday August 6 – Friday August 9, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Week 6: Work of Art, Collections and Memories – show-and-tell, ephemera, arts and crafts, and personal collections
Get nostalgic get creative! Make some old-timey crafts that you’ll want to keep forever. Show us your coolest doo-dads, knick-knacks and creations, and use some new and interesting methods and technologies to create something unique, too.
Tuesday August 13 – Friday August 19, 2024
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: 6-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
ADDED EVENTS!
See below for an assortment of mini camps running 4-5 days per week over the summer.
Comic Camp with Sean Karemaker
2 age-groups, 2 timeslots, same week. Every summer the Library has offered Comic Camp Workshops in a mini-camp format. This year, our artist workshop features Sean Karemaker. A mentor, an artist, an author, and a TED Talk giver, Sean Karemaker is known for his unique sequential art stories, including graphic novels, paintings, dioramas and virtual reality. Informed by an extensive background in 3D Video Games Production and Graphic Design, his work is an intersection of personal expression in storytelling and cutting-edge technology.
Sean’s work has been recognized by The Shuster Awards 2018, Best American Comics 2018, CBC’s Best Canadian Comics 2018, and the Alcuin Society Book Design Awards. His art projects have been commissioned by the Vancouver Opera, Vancouver General Hospital and the Vancouver Airport. Sean lectures at Universities and schools in Europe, North America, Europe and Asia and uses his art to connect with and inspire the next generations of artists.
Monday July 29 – Friday August 2
10am – Noon
Ages 7-9
Salt Spring Island Public Library
Monday July 29 – Friday August 2
1pm – 3pm
Ages 10-12
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL 3Doodler STEM Challenge Mini Camp
Facilitated by Callum O’Neill. Join us in the Children’s Area of the Library for this interesting fusion of art, technology, and engineering! Over 5 sessions you will use 3Doodler pens to create 3-dimensional shapes and objects that will THEN be used to complete an engineering challenge. This thoroughly engaging program offers a little something for everyone and is sure to catch interest spark ideas in young minds.
Monday July 15 – Friday July 19
10am – Noon
Ages 7-10
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Mini Lego Camps 1 & 2
Because if there were no LEGO Camps over the summer, people would be sad.
2 age groups, 1 time slot for each, same week.
Lego 1: Quirky Science Connections
Facilitated by Callum O’Neill. In celebration of the BC Summer Reading Clubs ‘World of Curiosities,’ we hope this Lego mini camp makes your little ones curious about the Earth and Physical and Life Science topics! Over 5 days, registrants will explore the ways people and animals make sense of the world around them. They’ll learn how light reflects from objects and enters the eyes, which allows an object to be seen. They’ll explore how animals use internal and external structures to live, grow, and survive in the world. They’ll learn about energy from natural resources and how their use affects the environment. They’ll also research ways to decrease the impact of natural Earth processes on humans. Finally, they’ll design and compare multiple solutions that show how patterns can be used to transfer information. Young ones will also practice their social and emotional learning, such as self-regulation, persistence, empathy, self-awareness, and mindfulness with the main characters in the lesson stories.
Monday July 22 – Friday July 26
10am – Noon
Ages 6-9
Salt Spring Island Public Library
Lego 2: Science We cannot See
Facilitated by Callum O’Neill. In celebration of the BC Summer Reading Clubs ‘World of Curiosities,’ we hope this Lego mini camp about ‘Science We Cannot See’ sparks your child’s interest in Physical Science and Earth and Space Science! They’ll explore evidence that matter is made of particles too small to see. They’ll learn about gravitational forces on Earth, investigate how the number of daylight hours varies during the year, and research ways to use science ideas to protect Earth’s environment. Finally, they’ll create a model to show that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the sun. Participants will also practice their social and emotional learning, such as self-regulation, persistence, empathy, self-awareness, and mindfulness with the main characters in the lesson stories.
Monday July 22 – Friday July 26
1pm – 3pm
Ages 10-13
Salt Spring Island Public Library
FULL Drones at the Farmer’s Institute
Facilitated by Callum O’Neill, join us at the Farmer’s Institute for this rain-or-shine mini-course. Drop-off and program start is at 10AM sharp in the Main Building. Get there early if you’re not familiar! This 4-day (Mon-Thurs) intensive class is designed to introduce young people to the world of drone piloting. If you have little or no experience with drones, but would like a safe indoor environment and the support of an experience drone flyer and STEM program facilitator, then this is the class for you! Drones are provided. Program Limit 8 students, parents or caregivers are welcome to attend for support if they choose to do so.
Monday August 5 – Thursday August 8
10am – Noon
Ages 8-12
Salt Spring Island Farmer’s Institute
PRIVACY NOTICE:
For Program Sign Ups
The information collected through these forms by the Salt Spring Island Public Library under the authority of BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, s.26, and the BC Library Act, will be used to provide you with library services and/or information.
A signed Photo Consent and Liability Form will be required of parents on behalf of their children upon successful program registration. These records will be destroyed when no longer needed. Should you have any questions about the collection of this personal information please contact SSIPL Privacy Officer, privacy@saltspringlibrary.com, 250-537-4666.