History and Nature Spring/Summer Camps
2026 Dates
Forest Path Nature Camp: June 29 – July 3
Earth Ways Indigenous Camp: July 6 – 10, and July 13 – 17
Pioneer Homesteading Camp: July 20 – 24
Opal Whiteley Nature Fairies Camp: Aug 3 – 7
Lewis & Clark Explorers Camp: Aug 10 – 14
Learn about teen helper opportunities at our camps here.
We have been doing children’s history-based summer camps since 2008!
Each camp will feature crafts, games, stories, outside exploration, cooking, music and more. Enjoy visits from special guests who will teach us, trade with us, or share stories. Read about the values children learn in our summer camps.
Times are Monday- Friday 9am to 3pm (except where noted.) Children aged 6-10 are welcome (Ages 7 – 11 for Earth Ways). Eleven year olds may also register if they are really into the theme and motivated- they may be asked to help out a bit with the younger ones. Children bring their own lunches and water bottle each day.
Special guest at camp teaches us about the fur trade in the 1790’s- 1840’s.
Indigenous culture-bearers share with campers at Earth Ways summer camp in 2024.
Details
Cost: $250 per week
Siblings in the same camp: $220 each per week.
Native American tribal members: Earth Ways camp is only $40 for tribal members.
Scholarships for low income families are available, see the form below.
Camps are limited to 10 children.
Location
Dorris Ranch Living History Village
205 Dorris Street, Springfield, OR
The park is open dawn to dusk. Pull into the main driveway then turn left and go up the hill to the parking lot by the bathrooms. Follow the bike path a few steps and you will see the sign for the village.
Time: 9am to 3pm each day
(After-care may be available for your child if you need it; contact us for info)
SCROLL DOWN for Registration Details.
Opal’s World: Nature Fairies Camp
Learn about the famous pioneer girl, Opal Whiteley, as you explore nature! Opal was a nature lover who kept a childhood diary relating her adventures in the woods around Cottage Grove, including her “explores” with her animal friends. We will make fairy houses, create a journal and write and sketch in nature, explore around the woods and farm, and discover pioneer life. The village includes historic structures and a working water pump, but no electricity. We will do everything by hand!
Enjoy visits from special guests who teach us about fiber arts and how to take care of the Earth and reduce our waste. Opal would appreciate our lessons on how to be kind to all beings and the Earth. We’ll have lots of fun as we learn to appreciate Opal’s youthful relationship to the natural world.
For ages 6 – 10. Max of ten children. One instructor and a teen helper will lead this program.
All genders/gender expressions welcome at this camp (and all our programs!)
Learn More About Opal Whiteley here:
https://www.storiesbysteve.com
Opal’s childhood nature diary, The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow, is our namesake. Opal is a beloved historical figure in Cottage Grove, OR.
Pioneer Homesteading Summer Camp (and Spring Break)
GIRL SCOUTS: This camp is suitable for earning your “Playing the Past” badge!
In this camp we will do things the old-fashioned way, as in the books Little House on the Prairie. Each day will provide some structured learning activities, arts and crafts, and play time. Some of our favorite activities include sewing, playing school, churning butter, grinding grain, washing clothes on the washboard, making herbal medicines, creating shadow puppet plays and learning pioneer games. See our blog post about the “letter writing” component of camp. After you register you will get a more detailed explanation of our schedule, policies and more.
Camps remain on site, are pre-pay only, and sack lunch must be provided each day for your child. Children ages 6-10 are welcome at this camp. Eleven year olds may also register if they are really into the theme and motivated- they may be asked to help out a bit with the younger ones. Pre-registration is required to attend. If you have any special needs for your child we ask you to let us know in advance. Carpools are often arranged by the participants. Also, if you have an older child (ages 13 and up) who has attended our camp before and would like to attend as a teen helper, talk to us for information. Teen camp helpers do not pay a fee to attend.
At the Living History Village we have a pioneer cabin, trapper’s cabin, indigenous-style plankhouse, covered wagon, water pump, and a “schoolhouse” shed. It is very lifelike and offers an authentic experience.
Spring Break camp will be for Monday to Wednesday (March 23 – 25) and is located at the SMJ House in Eugene, the area’s only Victorian Mansion. Learn more about Spring Break pioneer homesteading camp here.
Earth Ways Summer Camp
Cost is $40 for enrolled members of a Native American Tribe.
All others pay full price or apply for a low-income scholarship.
Learn about indigenous ways of the Kalapuya and other Native tribes in this outdoor camp at the Living History Village. This day camp (9am – 3pm) includes special guest Native people who will share about culture, traditional crafts, and music. Learn some words in the Kalapuya language, make a leather pouch, learn about Pacific Northwest art forms and hear traditional stories. This camp is best for ages 7 – 11 and has a max of ten students.
The 268-acre public park at Dorris Ranch has wooded trails, filbert orchards and historic buildings, and is next to the Willamette River (We won’t go near the river). Our home base at the village includes a pioneer cabin, trapper’s cabin and indigenous-style cedar plankhouse . Students will try out the atlatl (spear throwing tool) and play games of sport. We treat all beings with respect and release back into the wild all creatures we find.
Location: Dorris Ranch Living History Village in Springfield, Oregon
Deitrich Peters (Grand Ronde) shares drumming, flute playing, and Native crafts with the campers.
Forest Path Nature Camp
Come play in nature and learn about habitats, ecosystems and the living beings that shape them. Learn about our role in the web of life and about reciprocity. Using natural science and place-based knowledge and skills, we will get to know the woods, trails, fields, plants and animals of Dorris Ranch. Our home base is the Living History Village, with the pioneer cabin, trapper’s cabin, indigenous-style plankhouse and more! Make ink plant prints, weave a basket, learn to draw a bird and identify common calls, harvest medicinal plants and more! With an experienced instructor and a teen helper, participants will have a fun and enriching camp and come home with more knowledge about the natural world.
Week of June 29th: Join staff from Nearby Nature on an insect safari! Use bug nets and magnifiers to look for cool creepy crawlies in the tall grass and soil nearby.
Campers ages 6 – 10 are welcome. All gender expressions and abilities are welcome.
This program is made possible by generous grants from these organizations (below).
Lewis and Clark: Explorers Camp
Have you wanted to learn more about the Lewis & Clark journey? We will learn about the expedition in 1804 to the West with hands-on crafts, games and activities. Explore the woods and fields around the village and observe the natural world. Write a letter back to Jefferson with a quill pen detailing your discoveries. Learn about the indigenous tribes they encountered and the relationships that ensued- both positive and negative. Learn about Sacagawea and make crafts with leather and natural materials. Using our senses and map making skills, we will get to know the woods, trails, fields, plants and animals of Dorris Ranch. Our home base is the Living History Village, with the pioneer cabin, trapper’s cabin, indigenous-style plankhouse and more! With an experienced instructor and a teen helper, participants will have a fun and enriching camp and come home with more knowledge about this famous expedition and about local nature.
Campers ages 6 – 10 are welcome. All gender expressions and abilities are welcome.
9am – 3pm, Monday through Friday
You provide lunch, water bottle, and clothing your child can get dirty in!
A blind girl (purple shirt) and her helper having fun at summer camp with us.
Does your child need accommodations?
We are happy to work with children needing accommodations and work with you to provide the most inclusive and appropriate experience for your child. Please let us know in advance about your special circumstances so we can discuss how we can adapt our space and curriculum. We are committed to equity and inclusion in our organization and programs.
Non-binary or gender neutral kids are welcome at our camp! We model and teach respect for each other including all the ways we are different.
Junior Camp Helpers
We welcome kids ages 13 and up as helpers to the camps. You must have experience helping with younger kids (such as at our camps or another camp.) Junior helpers are expected to come 15 minutes early and stay 15 minutes late to help with set up and clean up. They assist with crafts, games and activities and are often able to do the activities themselves. This is a really fun way to enjoy the camp but also gain work experience and be part of a team. There is no fee for their participation, as they are doing work trade. After a successful week with us, we can provide a letter of recommendation if requested. Join us and have fun!
Toraja’s Story
Watch videos from past summer camps on our YouTube channel.
Registration Details for Camps
A $40 deposit is required to hold your space when you register. This deposit is subtracted from your final payment for the camp. Please make checks payable to Singing Creek Educational Center. When you register with our form online you will be taken to Paypal to complete your payment. If you prefer to mail a check just cancel out of paypal and we will still get your form submission. Then email us that you are sending a check instead.
More questions? Check out our FAQ’s page.
The remainder of your camp fees are due two weeks before camp starts. We will send out reminders to parents which will include schedule for the week, camp regulations, and checklist. Remember our mailing address is different than our site address!
Please consider adding yourself to the waiting list if a camp is full. Sometimes last minute cancellations happen and we may have a space open. Contact us for more information about waiting lists.
Mailing Address: Singing Creek Ed Center, PO Box 5773, Eugene OR 97405.
Physical Address of Camp: Dorris Ranch: 205 Dorris St. Springfield, OR
Late Pick-up Policy: We understand that sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances which could cause you to be late. We allow 15 minutes after the end of the camp for you to pick up your child without penalty. From 16-25 minutes late, we charge a flat fee of $6.00. For every additional minute after this, we charge $1 per minute. We do this in order to make every effort to support and compensate our instructors for the time they invest. We need our team leaders to be able to go home and be with their own families, rest and return to care for children the next day.
Cancellation policy: In case of severe weather such as wildfire smoke that is hazardous to breathe or increased risk of pandemic diseases we may cancel summer camp. Also if the Dorris Ranch park is undergoing spraying on the filbert trees the park may close for a day and we would have to cancel the camp for that day. If we need to cancel the camp you will receive a refund minus the $30 deposit, which can remain as a credit on your account for a future summer camp or homeschool class (or you can choose to donate that to us.)
Discipline policy
We do not tolerate any kind of bullying, harassment, aggressive or exclusionary behavior. Campers are asked to comply with requests made by staff and abide by all camp rules. Verbal reminders will be given, and if problem or difficult behavior continues, we may ask a camper to sit out (take a break with supervision) from an activity. If behavior continues to be an issue, the camper’s parents may be called to assist with or pick up their child. We reserve the right to expel a camper from the remainder of camp if the camper’s behavior warrants it, without a refund.
Instructors do not physically restrain a child unless it is in the immediate safety interests of the other campers, volunteers, or the child themselves. Our goal is for everyone to feel safe and respected while having fun. Please contact our Executive Director if you have questions about the discipline policy.
Refund Policy:
- Up to 14 days before the first day of the program you may cancel your child’s enrollment and receive a refund.
- Cancellations made less than 14 days before the first day of the program will not be refunded.
- Registrations and fees are non-transferable.
Questions? See our FAQ’s page.
