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As I stood on the edge of the cliff, breathtaking mountains before me and ice-cold glacial runoff serenely waiting in the lake below me, I almost backed out. We had hiked for hours to get to this cliff, to jump off and let the bone-chilling Alaskan water take our breaths away. But I was so scared-for the long fall to the water, the climbing back up, the exceedingly low water temperature-until one of my leaders told me something I'll never forget. "When you're old like me," he said, "and you look back on your best moments in life, you'll find that so many of them took place outdoors. Just jump-this could be one of them." So I did. And he was right.
For years before and years after my high school cliff-jumping adventure, I either went to, worked at or volunteered at summer camps, where being outdoors is the inspiration and lifeblood of your experience. The open air, I believe, releases in kids and adults a sense of adventure, imagination and exploration like nothing else can.
I may spend much of my time in a cubicle these days, but I'm also lucky enough to work at a place where the outdoors is a critical part of what we do-and where summer camp is, too! Our summer day camps run weekly from June 7 through July 30 and let kids get outside, where they can start making those "best moments in life" right now. Choose Art Camp or Adventure Camp -in either case, Conner Prairie's 800 acres of outdoor area will challenge and inspire your kids, and they'll experience new adventures every day, just like I did during all those years of summer camp fun.
Whether at Art Camp or Adventure Camp, and whether it's learning pinch pottery, taking on our challenge course, drawing with cold coals from a fire pit or sliding full-speed down our new Water Whoosh (you can bet I'll find a reason to test that one out before the summer is over), kids can be themselves and let the great outdoors be their muse.
Registration isn't open yet, but keep these dates on your calendar: plus-level Conner Prairie members can begin registering on February 26, then open registration for the general public begins March 5. Find details and register online, and check out some Adventure Camp and Art Camp fun on our Flickr site.