Bulletin report
The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is offering a variety of summer activities and camps that can be done at home and virtually.
Here are the summer activities:
- Poking Around: Native Desert Plants of the Southwest: May 29-June 1, for ages 9-13, virtual/at-home, recommended $3 donation. Camp materials will provide all the necessary information to become familiar with our unique desert landscape and the flora that inhabits it. Campers will receive: 1) a reference guide to the most common native plants in the area, 2) journal pages to fill out while observing the plants in real life, 3) supplies to recreate desert plants with modelling clay and 4) a live plant to keep. Optional 40-minute June 1 Zoom instruction.
- LEAP into Science Week: June 8 (ages 4-5) and June 10 (ages 6-10), free. Celebrate National LEAP week with online science and literacy programming. Each day, a different story will be read on Zoom and campers will be given activities they can do at home at their own pace. The only requirement is a flashlight. Materials will be given out the week prior. Details will be announced.
- Storytelling Around the Campfire: June 12, all ages, at-home, free. Learn about the art of storytelling and how important it was in cowboy life. Campers will receive recipe cards for “campfire” snacks, stories to read out loud and templates to create their own campfire stories. This camp does not require any virtual instruction and can be used year-round.
- Down on the Farm: June 22-24, ages 5-8, recommended $3 donation. Learn what animals live on a farm and what they need to be able to survive. Campers will learn to identify the source of the food they eat and investigate the processes and people involved in getting food from farm to table. All materials will be provided and can be picked up the week before. Activities can be done at your own pace at home or Zoom sessions will be available.
- Relying on Yourself: July 3-6, ages 9-13, virtual/at home, recommended $3 donation. Learn about the struggles and triumphs of the ranch families of the Tularosa Basin and about self-sufficiency. Campers will be provided the supplies to make homemade butter, playing cards and what is needed to start a small garden. Optional 40-minute July 6 Zoom instruction.
- Exploring Fiber: July 13-15, ages 8-12, recommended $3 donation. Where does wool come from? Campers will learn about different fibers and potential uses. Activities include weaving, finger knitting and felting. All materials and instructional videos provided and can be picked up the week prior.
- Cowboy Camp: July 17-20, ages 5-8, virtual/at-home, recommended $3 donation. Campers will receive materials to help design their own cowboy gear and learn all the tools of the trade, along with information and activities about cattle drives, life on the range and the cattle of New Mexico. This camp will require one 45-minute Zoom instruction, which will be July 20.
- Gardening Fun: July 27-29, ages 5-7 and 8-12, recommended $3 donation. All participants will explore how seeds sprout and what nutrients they need to survive. Younger campers will explore Ag in the Classroom activity “Farming in a Glove.” Older campers will explore hydroponics and seed germination. Materials can be picked up the week prior and Zoom sessions will be available.
The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Face coverings are required indoors and outdoors. During the current phased period of reopening, the museum’s barns and greenhouse are closed, as are the indoor and outdoor play areas for children.
For more information or to register for camps, email FRHM.Education@state.nm.us.
The museum is located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road. Call 575-522-4100. Visit www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
