At Camp Galileo, we’re in the business of teaching and inspiring our campers to become innovators, channeling the five Innovator’s Mindsets: Visionary, Courageous, Collaborative, Determined and Reflective.

We bring these mindsets to our summer camp curriculum—whether it’s reflecting on why a homemade catapult didn’t successfully fire or envisioning exactly what superpowers to include on a superhero vehicle—and believe they should be honed year-round.

That’s why curated a list of classic year-end activities with an innovative twist! Read on and get inspired.

 

We’ve all got our stash of holiday ornaments that go up every year, but why not add some flair this year with some homemade deco? We love this list of kid-friendly holiday decoration projects from Good Housekeeping.

Have your child pick 2-3 favorites and envision how to make them your own; maybe it’s choosing a different animal for the Pine Cone tree ornament or creating a new mascot for the Advent Calendar.

When it comes to a truly VISIONARY design, the only limit is your kids’ imaginations—all you have to do is remind them that they have what it takes to create beautiful decorations!

 

Being COURAGEOUS means embracing new challenges and trying new things with gusto. That’s where our Choose Your Own Adventure Muffins come in! Baking doesn’t have to mean blindly following a recipe.

In fact, there are plenty of ways to get creative in the kitchen. In this Design-it-Yourself challenge, your child will start with a simple base recipe, experimenting with flavors and toppings to make a totally unique, totally tasty treat! Check out the Choose Your Own Adventure Muffins Design-it-Yourself challenge!

 

Gifting is a big part of the holiday season and an opportunity to be DETERMINED with homemade gifts for loved ones. For this activity, we encourage kids to think about the person they want to create a gift for and their characteristics. What would make a unique gift for them—something sentimental? Something more functional?

Once they have some ideas in mind, have them gather the materials they’ll need and outline what they’ll be making, breaking it down into a step-by-step process. Need some inspiration? Here are two great homemade gift guides:

While they’re working, remind them to persevere until they’ve reached their goal of creating a special gift. Make sure they understand that setbacks are just an opportunity to learn—being DETERMINED isn’t always easy, but it’s so rewarding to work hard to accomplish a goal.

 

 

Part of being collaborative is valuing other people’s perspectives and ideas as well as building on other people’s ideas. What better way to do that than with a new friend? Join the Peaceful Pen Pals Project to get matched to a domestic or international penpal. Once you get a match, it’s time to start writing!

Need ideas on what to write?

  • Swap book lists.
  • Create a story prompt that the two of you can pass back and forth.
  • Color a coloring page together or, create an entirely new drawing to collaborate on!

 

Reflection and the New Year go hand-in hand. Channel back-to-school excitement by shopping for a new notebook and writing materials and have your kids reflect on their year with these questions (and any more you think of!)

  • What were the highlights of your year? What made them so great?
  • What were the low points of the year, and how did you get through them? Is there room for improvement in 2024?
  • What’s a goal you accomplished this year?
  • Who and what were you most grateful for this year?
  • What are your goals for 2024?