This year, the students and teachers had a wonderful time learning many new things at our Spring Discovery Camp! With so many topics to choose from, there was excitement every day.

Crystal Science

Our camp started off by learning about crystals, focusing on the questions: “What are crystals?” and “How are crystals formed?” The first step in this inquiry was to look at some crystals and discuss what makes a crystal different from a rock or other minerals. The students were ecstatic to see so many different colors and shapes. Some were fascinated by the sparkling geodes hidden inside plain rocks, while others tried to guess how the different shapes formed.

After making observations, it was time to grow crystals as our first activity. Since spring was in full bloom, we made crystal cherry blossom trees! 🌸 Before mixing our solutions, we made predictions about what the crystal trees would look like—what shapes, sizes, or colors might form. Then it was time to create the trees, and everyone worked carefully to mix their solutions without spilling.

While the crystals were growing, the students created crystal art using watercolors. Inspired by the colors they had observed, they painted beautiful designs. They then cut their artwork into triangles to create crystal mosaics to take home.  

Finally, as the day came to a close, it was time to see how the crystal cherry blossom trees had grown. To everyone’s surprise, the paper trees were covered in crystals! Some had branch-like formations, while others had large, fluffy crystals.

History of Japan and Dinosaurs

Do you know if dinosaurs and people walked the Earth at the same time? How did dinosaurs turn into fossils? How did people and animals first come to Japan? To explore these questions, we went on a field trip to the National Museum of Nature and Science.

When we arrived, the students were full of excitement as they saw the large whale outside, and their excitement only grew as they noticed animals and dinosaurs hanging from the ceiling. Our first stop was to visit animals of the past. Many were familiar—monkeys, bears, fish, crabs, dolphins, and more.

This fish is as big as me!

Moving along, everyone was surprised to see rocks and crystals from Japan. After learning about crystals the day before, the students were able to identify them and share what they knew. The volcanic rocks were especially popular, and their eyes widened as they learned how different types of rocks are formed.

Finally, we reached the highlight: the dinosaurs! A massive fossil greeted us as we turned the corner, causing a burst of laughter. It was exciting not only to see the fossils but also to have opportunities to touch some of them. Some students were amazed to realize they were touching something hundreds of thousands of years old. The biggest surprise was learning that elephants once lived in Japan!

Our final stop explored the history of people in Japan. From the development of poetry to the introduction of rice farming, we learned about the evolution of Japanese society—even getting to pose as part of a modern Japan exhibit.

Flying Robots

Our next adventure brought us to the modern world of robots, planes, and rockets. The students were especially excited about building robots. When they learned they would be able to launch rockets and paper airplanes using them, their excitement grew even more.

Before building, we started with a small experiment to understand how rockets fly. To introduce the concept of “force,” students first tried moving across the floor using only their legs, but quickly realized they didn’t go very far. Then they pushed off from a wall and were able to move much farther—just like a rocket at takeoff.

Next came building time. Working in pairs, the students took turns constructing their rocket launchers. They also made paper airplanes and rockets to test. Then it was time for the race! Everyone lined up, set their creations in the launcher, and pressed the button.

3-2-1-blast off!

Rockets and airplanes soared through the air! Some flew straight, some spun in circles, and some took nose dives—but everyone had a fantastic time.

Beautiful Stained Glass

The next item for the students to discover was Stained Glass.  This inquiry looked into the science of light and color as well as a creative dive into different materials we can use to create our own beautiful stained glass.

We began by investigating how light travels through different materials, such as paper, colored water, and prisms. The students discovered that light passes through some materials more easily than others, and that materials can reflect different colors. They were especially amazed when using prisms to create rainbows, comparing triangular and square prisms and the patterns they produced.

Then we moved on to the art portion. First, students made stained glass stickers by mixing glue and paint, then creating spring-themed designs. Some drew freehand, while others used stencils to make rainbows, rabbits, and eggs.

While the stickers dried, we started another project using lamination sheets, markers, and colored tissue paper. After drawing their designs, students filled them in with vibrant colors. The room quickly filled with colorful rainbows and crystal hearts. When the lights were turned off and flashlights were used, the room came alive with a beautiful light show.

Spring Time Sports Day

Finally, we reached the last day of Discovery Camp: a spectacular sports day! We planned many fun and active events using spring-themed items like Easter eggs and balloons.

The morning started out with some warm up exercises and making decorations for our Sports Day.  The students made medals as prizes for each event and signs to cheer on their friends, adding encouraging messages.  Painting hats and folding origami medals.

Then the games began with an egg hunt and an egg race—because it wouldn’t be spring without one! 🥚 Students demonstrated great balance as they carried eggs on spoons while racing across the room. The balloon race was also a big hit, filling the room with laughter.

To end the day, we took a walk to the Meguro River to receive medals and celebrate a fun day of competition and sportsmanship.

We hope you can join us for Summer Camp and next year’s Spring Camp!