Introducing Our Brand New Activity Areas for 2021
We’ve been hinting about a fun announcement for weeks, and the day is finally here!
You know that we spend all year long dreaming up new activities and events for the summer ahead, and we usually don’t reveal them until the last possible minute. (What can we say? We love surprises!) But this isn’t a normal year! We could all use something to look forward to right about now, and (let’s be honest), these activities are so great, we just didn’t want to keep the secret to ourselves any longer.
Read on to get the earliest-ever sneak peek at Summer 2021. We think you’ll agree that with these in the works, it really is going to be the best one yet!
The Farm Barn
Our camp Barn has been a beloved, iconic home for our horses since it was built in the early 1990s. With its towering ceilings, rolling pastures, and some of the most beautiful views in camp, the only bummer was that so few campers got to enjoy it on a daily basis! No longer.
Coming in 2021, we are opening up the Barn to all our campers as it transforms into the new activity area that we’re calling the Farm Barn (catchy, right?). It will be a hub for multiple different activities and seminars, a few of which we’re telling you about today!
We hope that every camper will try out a class at the Farm Barn and will get to experience the magic of this area in camp. There’s sure to be something for everyone, and we can’t wait to show it off to you on Opening Day!
Barnyard Class
Come on down to the Farm Barn next summer to meet Greystone’s newest residents: our farm animals! That’s right, coming in 2021 we will have donkeys, sheep, a miniature pony, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and even a Highland cow. (Go ahead and do some Googling - they’re as cute as you think!)
Want to hang out with these new camp personalities? Sign up for Barnyard at your session! You’ll get to learn about, take care of, and play with all the different animals to your heart’s content. Of course, we’ll need names for our Barnyard friends, so we’ll be in touch soon so that you can help as we start brainstorming!
New and Improved Farm and Garden
It just made sense to move Farm and Garden down to the Farm Barn, and with all that space, we have some big plans to make it better than ever! We’re already making room for multiple 100-foot long raised garden beds to cultivate many different kinds of fruits and veggies. The goal is to grow enough produce that we can offset what the Kitchen buys in the summer to feed us all, making our food system more sustainable.
Farm and Garden will also have a beautiful flower and butterfly garden for all of us to enjoy. That means you’ll get to try out flower arranging - something campers in the 1940s used to love! No matter if you take Farm and Garden every year, or have never stuck your hands in the dirt, you’re going to want to put it on your list for 2021. With all the new space and resources, this will not be a class to miss!
Mountain Biking Class
You read that right - after seeing it on camper surveys for many years, we are finally adding a Mountain Biking program at June, Main, and August Camps! Based down at the Farm Barn, this new class will teach you everything you need to know to get out on the trails and feel the wind in your hair. Campers will get to explore our new bike paths and see camp from a brand new perspective: two wheels!
Brand New Waterpark Adventure Element
Just when you thought you’d tried everything down at Waterpark, we’re bringing you a brand new challenge: our Adventure Element! Ever seen American Ninja Warrior? Picture that, camp-style, over Lake Edith!
So bring those High Ropes skills down to Waterpark and see how far you can traverse across the course. If you ask us, falling off might be even more fun than making it across - that’s when you get the biggest splash!
Saddle Up at Thunderhead Ranch
Lastly (and maybe most exciting of all!) we are adjusting our Riding Program for June, Main, and August Camps. Under our new Riding Director, Heidi Dack, we’re taking the most beloved and requested aspects of both English and Western Riding and combining them all into one incredible program: Thunderhead Ranch!
Riders will get to take a trip to our amazing Thunderhead property, where they’ll get their own horse to groom and tack up before exploring our expanded system of trails. Afterward they’ll cool off by tubing on the river, and get to experience a taste of ranch life by cooking a meal over the fire and learning new skills like lassoing, leather-working, teepee building, and even panning for gold!
Thunderhead Ranch will allow you to get your horse fix and enjoy a relaxed day out of camp, without taking up precious space in your daily class schedule. Sign up once to try it out, or take it multiple times to experience all the Ranch has to offer. Whether you’re an experienced equestrian, or just want to get on a horse for the first time, bring those boots next summer. There is a place at the Ranch for you!
So there you have it friends - a peek at some of the new programs we have coming in 2021. With so many good options, it’s hard to choose, but make sure to let us know which one you are most excited to pencil in to your schedule. One thing’s for sure, this is going to be a summer you don’t want to miss!