Letting your IMAGINATION run wild

By Staff
Students put creativity to work at Camp Invention
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
Creative kids from Hartselle and surrounding areas recently spent a week making cars safer, building roller coasters and amusements parks, exploring a planet prone to scattered acid rain showers, and tearing apart household appliances to develop new inventions.
Barkley Bridge Elementary School hosted Hartselle's first Camp Invention July 24-28 with 76 students entering first through sixth grades attending. The nationwide summer day camp encourages children to develop their innate creative abilities through hands-on, interactive activities and creative problem solving.
Kelly Meadows, camp director and BBES fourth grade teacher, has served as a Camp Invention counselor and teacher one summer in Cullman and two summers at Danville-Neel Elementary School.
"I did my best to get Camp Invention here because I knew our kids would love it," Meadows explained. "I haven't heard one complaint this entire week."
Hartselle Camp Invention teachers were Rhonda Russell, Beverly Spurlin, John Mark Waynick and Maxine Hembree. Counselors were Christen Hines, Sarah Hyatt, Hope Wallace and Brittni Russell. Earline Lee was assistant director.
"There are students here from all three Hartselle elementary schools as well as from Falkville, Priceville, Decatur and other areas," Meadows said. "I'm so appreciative of our Hartselle area businesses for their support which allowed 15 children to attend Camp Invention on full or partial scholarships."
The campers were divided into four teams–Crazy Yeller Nanners, Team Masterminds, Smurf Turf, and Oompa Loompas.
Jace Johnson, 7, a member of the Yeller Nanners, attended Camp Invention as a birthday present from his family. He said he most enjoyed the "I Can Invent/Take Apart" activity and even carried ideas home to share with his dad so they could make an invention together.
He used a toaster and a VCR at Camp Invention to create "The Scare-O-Nator."
"It sits in my room and has a sensor that makes a monster pop out when my little sister comes in," Jace explained. "It's to keep her from hiding my things. She's the reason why I don't have a harmonica now."
Encouraged by campers' creativity and enthusiasm, Meadows hopes to make Camp Invention an annual Hartselle event.
"I've had so many kids tell me that they're coming back next year," Meadows said. "This has really been a success."
Registration, which includes daily snacks, a camp T-shirt and supplies, is $199. For more information on next year's Hartselle Camp Invention, visit www.campinvention.org or call 1-800-968-4332.