Day camp fun: Kids can learn survival skills at camp outside Moscow

MOSCOW — The Phillips Farm Pioneer Day Camp gives kids a chance to play in the pond, hunt for food growing in the wild and learn what it takes to survive in the wilderness.

During the first session, July 14-18, and again during the second, July 21-25, kids explore nature and experience pioneer life. Participants will learn how to purify water, what wild plants are edible, how to build a shelter to stay dry, along with pioneer skills like churning butter and making pouches for collecting plants. Besides these skills, there’s time to catch and identify pond critters, hike, sing and play games.

Led by experienced outdoor educators, the camp is open to kids going into second through sixth grades. Kids can attend one or both sessions of the camp, which takes place at the Phillips Farm County Park, located approximately 5 miles north of Moscow off of U.S. Highway 95. The day begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.; parents drop off and pick up participants at the park each day.

The camp is offered at a cost of $150/session. (Non-Moscow residents pay an extra $1 fee.) Registration with Moscow Parks and Recreation can be done online at moscowrecreation.sportsites.com or by calling (208) 883-7084. Registration deadline is Wednesday for the first session and July 16 for the second.

More information about the camp is available by contacting Nicole Campbell at nicole.campbell.berkeley@gmail.com.

— Michelle Schmidt