Splat Camp is in full swing for the summer! Now in its third year at its downtown City Point location, staff can be seen bringing in gallon size jugs of glue, innumerable markers, and bins with all manner of creative toys to fully decorated rooms with regularity. There are faint sounds of music and enthusiastic conversation coming from every space with groups of campers huddled around tables engaging with each other and playing with their creations. Everywhere there is a sense of play and fun, so much so that campers are hesitant to leave at the end of the day!
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Splat Lab began as a company focused on STEAM enrichment in 2016, and Founder Taylor Vecchio has seen it grow from select After School programs in Downtown Brooklyn to After School programs, School Day Workshops, School Break Camps, and other Special Events throughout Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Splat Camp, their summer camp with weekly AND daily enrollment options for kids 3-10 (through August 25 this year), has been in operation since 2020 and has been located at BASIS Independent School (405 Gold Street, Brooklyn) since 2021. While Splat Lab still focuses broadly on STEAM enrichment, many of the activities offered center on creative thinking and expression through experiential learning and student choice activities.
Each day at Splat Camp, campers are warmly greeted before being taken up to the pristine classrooms that are hubs of learning during the school year, but become centers of fun (and also learning) during the summer. Once in their age-leveled groups, campers are encouraged to take part in Chill Centers which can be anything from creative building toys, games, or other imaginative play activities that focus on relaxing play and destressing. “People don’t realize how stressful a kid’s morning can be,” said Bob Tarushka, Director of Auxiliary Programs and Special Events. “You get shaken out of bed, stuffed in some clothes, crammed full of breakfast, and marched down the sidewalk to arrive at a place that you may or may not be familiar with. Chill Centers let kids spend a little time first thing on something to help soothe and engage with during what may have been a chaotic morning.”
After Chill Centers and a morning meeting, campers participate in an Anthropology Arts lesson, a culturally-specific lesson followed by a making activity inspired by what they’ve just learned. Campers are encouraged to have an Anthropologist’s mindset that is non-judgemental and inquisitive when learning about cultures around the world and throughout history. How different cultures express themselves and understand their lives is the central focus in Anthro Arts. Lessons range in scope from Ancient Egypt to Afro-Futuristic Architecture and camp exclusive lessons present Japanese Mermaids and the Axolotl and its role in the Aztec Empire to name a few.
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Campers conclude a busy morning with a Splat Lab, an activity period itself, in addition to being the name of the company. Campers self-select through 4 wildly different activities through which they can showcase their creativity and ingenuity. Campers are free to linger at each station as long as they’d like (provided there is still room for everyone) and are empowered to move at their own pace where they can try a little of everything. They might invent their own Splat Magic Wand or create a Stick People family or engineer a Funky Flying Machines. Campers also get to really sink their hands into something messy and tactile while making Cloud Clay, Splat Ooze, Moon Sand, or even Spider Web Slime! Campers are delighted and excited to show off to caregivers and siblings what they’ve created, invented, and experimented with that day.
Afternoons are filled with Group Games where campers play structured movement games, or can opt for a nap or quiet time for younger campers, followed by an end of day visit to the local playground to finish off the day. Campers are brought to dismissal sometimes a little tired from a day of activity but at the same time enthused to show and tell about everything they got to do.
For parents who need a little more time after the 3pm dismissal, After Care is available every day of camp until 6pm. After Care functions like a microcosm of the camp day with new projects and opportunities for loosely-structured play time with the friends they made that day.
If you are interested in learning more about Splat Camp, visit splatcamps.com or register on Sawyer. All dates are currently available, but not for long! We hope to see you and your fun-loving kid this summer!
Camp runs through August 25, 2023 from 8:30am-3pm, Monday-Friday. After Care is available until 6pm all days. Open to fun-loving kids ages 3-10. Pickup and Drop-off from 405 Gold St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. $595 per week, $129 per day. After Care is an additional $29 per day. Follow Splat Lab on Instagram!
