Preschool • Ages 3 to 5

There are few things quite as exciting as the anticipation of flipping that shaded, odd shaped and slightly wet stone in the corner of your backyard. Cool to the touch, it’s like uncovering hidden treasure, except this kind has legs...lots and lots of legs. We dedicate one week each year to the study of all things creepy crawly. This delicate yet hardy sub-section of our ecosystem provides the foundation for the food we eat and the plants we grow. 

We’ll spend part of each morning outside conducting our own field research into what scuttles around the neighbourhood. Armed with magnifying glasses and bug catchers, we’ll examine our 6 legged friends and maybe some of their garden associates up close and personal before using them as the inspiration for our own multimedia art projects. Campers will use textured paper and Sculpey figures to create natural scenes that will be impossible for our creepy crawlies to resist. 

This program is catch and release. 

What could be better than witnessing your preschooler’s eyes widen in awe following the progress of various organic creations across the week? We’ll learn about our incredible natural ecosystems through Christianne’s carefully curated library of literature. As a nostalgic throwback, children will use egg shells and coloured markers to make windowsill friends with grassy heads of hair. We’ll make sure to check in each day to measure the progress of our tiny indoor gardens. Children will plant chia seeds, cress, parsley, sedum and microgreens to celebrate the bountiful diversity of deliciousness that we’re able to grow here in B.C. Though there are only four mornings to this camp, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your preschoolers “green their thumbs” as they bring a varied palette of greens home to your kitchen.

Much like our Insects in the City camp, the prehistoric era is a firm favourite and a Lyceum staple each and every summer. We’ll raise the excitement level by taking your paleontologists-in-training on their very first dig. Armed with spade, brush, and bucket, campers will delve deep into Jericho sands to see what treasure they can uncover. 

Christianne will draw from her extensive collection of dinosaur literature to see how different authors have created captivating stories and mesmerizing illustrations about these Triassic dwellers. Instead of treating our finds as purely ornamental, we’ll help campers to turn their bones into something functional. Last year we unearthed knuckle join pen holders and vertebrae jewelry, but what will we find this year? Using gold and silver to adorn our creations, you’ll be absolutely gobsmacked to see what your preschoolers have the scope to imagine. A passion for dinosaurs is not mandatory...but it certainly helps.

Many will tell you that imagination is key in negotiating new possibilities outside the lines. We stand alongside them in this belief and it is never too early to plant the seeds of imagination! 

During this camp, we’ll spend four mornings exploring seminal works by authors from Jon Agee to Nancy Willard, Cybele Young to Sarah L. Thomson, all the while encouraging your preschool that the sky truly is the limit.  Each day students will have an art provocation that requires they use their imagination to create something spectacular. Some days it will be more art-focused and others it will be based around the magic of science. 

We’ll use Young’s Ten Birds as our first inspiration, giving children a number of materials in a box and asking them to build the strongest bridge they can muster. Moving on to Marie-Louise Gay’s Any Question?, we’ll do a collaborative project with each person adding their own ideas into a collective whole. One idea begets another idea and before you know it, the end result is something totally different, but equally mind blowing.

On the last day we’ll use our fully exercised imaginations to create a final art piece.

Another staple in the Lyceum’s summer schedule, this camp will arm your preschooler with stories from the most influential children’s authors/illustrators. We’ll cover everyone from Oliver Jeffers to Mo Willems, Julia Donaldson to Linda Bailey, with Christianne highlighting their different styles and artistic sensibilities. We’ll take the style of their illustrations and explore what defines each authorstrator and then campers will try their hand at creating images in the same style. Campers will get to decide which style resonates with them, as they leave at the end of the week ready to practice from home. 

Whether your child identifies with the stick-legged creatures of Oliver Jeffers or the collage images of Eric Carle, they will feed a love of story (both text and image)

Exposing your child to timeless classics and introducing new names into their canon is an investment now that will magnify rewards in the years to come.

Taking inspiration from Junk Kouture, a television fashion competition that has run in Ireland since 2010, we’ll use this class to reinforce the importance of contributing to the circular economy. It was started as a creative way for students to become involved in active climate change initiatives, “empowering them to lasting behavioural change”. We’ll examine designs that have won in the past, using them as inspiration for our own creations. 

Weaving together the concepts of renewal and revival, we’ll also examine the Zero Point art exhibition that uses Istanbul airport’s waste materials to create portraits with exceptional depth.

As a group, we’ll spend the first couple of days sourcing materials (though you’re welcome to bring in your own from home), working to upcycle and upscale our castaway materials. 

The group will dictate which direction we go in, but both graphic art and fashion options will be available to explore. Of course Christianne will enrich our crafting practices with specially selected books, all based around the importance of sustainable practices. This class is both timely and culturally significant, and we think, one not to be missed.

One of our most loved staples, we couldn’t imagine a summer roster without this as a feature. In 2023 we want to focus on spreading the joy and what better place to start than the foundation and anchor of our food supply. You could say that the Lyceum’s extensive catalogue of bee books is unrivaled in the city, and we’d have to agree with you there. Christianne will take the group on a deep dive into a world we very rarely catch a glimpse of. The closer you look, the cuter these insects become, and as we learn more about their complex societies, we’ll see just how much they contribute to our ecosystem.
 

By planting non-invasive flowers (cornflower, lavender and calendula to name but a few) in individual plants we will bring the bees to our backyards and balconies to pollinate, and propel our flora into a sustainable future. Next we’ll try our skill at painting a canvas from a “bee-eye” view. Of course, we’lll also have our usual demonstration at Christianne’s house, meeting bee experts Ian and Karim Hayward for an up close taste from the hive, rounds of bee trivia and a special rendition of bee pictionary to truly test the knowledge that we’ve garnered across the week. Of course, snack will be honey-themed (vegan alternatives available). 

*This can be paired with our Motherin’ Lore and Poultices camp for a full day offering.

If you’re just too excited to go home after investigating the secret life of bees, why not stick around for another quintessential Lyceum offering. Whether you’re new to us in a new place in a new neighbourhood or you’ve been part of the family for years, you’ll quickly come to know that we take our faerie and gnome lore very seriously. 

A pillar of her community, the Motherin’ Gnome has been creating her famous poultices for generations; her most famous was for Melinda, a Lyceum seamstress faerie, after she was sighted by humans and her leg turned to stone. A soft, moist mass made from natural ingredients, was heated and spread across Melinda’s malady with rather miraculous effects. She now walks with only a small limp, evidence that her life has been transformed exponentially by the talents of an ally and friend. We’ll spend our week together making many different salves (to be applied as poultices), and putting together a comprehensive natural remedy gnome healing kit that can be taken anywhere and used by young enthusiasts to save the day. 

*This can be paired with our How to Keep Honey Bees Happy Camp for a full day offering.

The one you’ve all been waiting for…our annual full day Hogwarts extravaganza. This year’s offering promises to be more magical than ever before. We’ll ease ourselves into each morning by reading excerpts from Ian Kay’s beautifully illustrated editions and invite the group to enter into whatever discussions excite them. We’ll do everything from making our own brooms, to spell trivia and house sorting, making sure that every witch and wizard is catered for. 

Christianne will introduce and guide students through making their own miniature ‘storefront’ interpretations of either Honeydukes or Diagon Alley, using a variety of construction materials, embellishments and a shadow box foundation. Students will have the opportunity to make tiny accompaniments that will bring their scenes to life. Taking just the right amount of inspiration from both the books and the people around them will allow the full scope of creativity to come to the fore. 

Every afternoon, magical modes of transport in hand, after strategy training at the Lyceum (and a rule refresher cheat sheet) we’ll head to the quidditch pitch for a truly thrilling game…to be rewarded of course with an end of week visit to Honeydukes.

There are some people who say that you can never have too much of a good thing, and in this instance we tend to agree. We’ll spend more time with our good friends at Hogwarts, this time taking a slightly different approach to our magical education. In this particular camp, we are choosing to focus on the art of writing itself and will guide students as they develop their own Hogwarts characters along with unique storylines.

Don’t worry though, we’ll still have time for a game or two of Quidditch, whether you’d like to bring in your own broom, or have one tailor made for you by us. Though this might seem like a departure from regularly scheduled Potter programming, we have a feeling that the owner of Honeyduke’s might still be willing to open the doors for us.

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Patricia Polacco is famous for heart-rending stories, it is difficult to read one of her tales from start to finish with a happy tear escaping the eye. She has taken real life stories and rendered messages for youth that breed hope in the ways we connect with others in this world.  

Polacco’s stories involve meaningful interactions between diverse groups of people; people from different generations, different races, different cultures and religions and it remains clear through her work that she is not afraid to bring together multiple streams of thought. Patricia’s true gift is that she can take a family story and share it with such detail that almost anyone can connect to it. As always, Christianne will encourage participants to create meaning by sharing their own family experiences. One story always begets another. 

We’ll channel the common thread of kindness in humanity and make a variety of heart inspired crafts. Students will use stiff felt to make Swedish woven heart baskets, try their hand at heart quilling and create one-of-a-kind, heart-shaped vinyl prints. 

We believe that this is one very special offering, so make sure to secure your spot now.

The Lyceum Faerie Fan Club grows exponentially each and every year and we are so excited to revisit this particular offering in 2023. Guarantees are few and far between in life, but we can absolutely assure you that your child will go home spellbound at the end of this week. 

Clothes are so much more than material coverings, they are expressions of character, a way to communicate with others, a living moodboard. 

After settling down and finding a cozy spot, tiny tea cups in hand, Christianne will regale the group with the latest comings and goings of the Fae and how they are doing after the big move. We’ll learn the practice of pressing delicate flowers to use as miniature garments after working on watercolour silhouettes to dress. All of our masterpieces will be nestled safely in handmade accordion books to take with us as outfit inspiration. 

The week will culminate in a famous faerie tea with all the delicious treats your faerie lover’s heart could desire. This one fills up fast, so make sure your foot is the first through the door.

The opportunity to curate your own works of art is a privilege often reserved for those with access to a gallery (and the right connections). Art in miniature is inherently impressive by virtue of the precision and patience demanded by its very creation and the invitation to the viewer to reimagine the world of a different scale. We wanted to use this week in summer to create a display case of art pieces in miniature.

These cases will serve as a window into the artists’ minds allowing viewers to enjoy tiny artworks that have been honed throughout the camp. There’ll be miniscule canvases and sculptures of clay or felted wool, as students are encouraged to explore the spectrum of art mediums. In accompaniment, Christianne will read inspirational stories about some of the world’s most recognized creatives. We’ll focus on how they found their muses, before moving on to search for our own that will act as inspiration for each portable gallery. This workshop provides the perfect environment in which to explore all parts of the spectrum using the vast array of materials available to each student. Supporting the notion of ‘free creation’ is truly priceless, so make sure your child doesn’t miss this special opportunity.

The allure of comics is age defying and all encompassing; it doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80, there is so much that lies in the gutters between the panels of a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. At the Lyceum, we aim to recognise and celebrate new literacies, like reading graphic novels, reading stories in nature, reading stories in opera and ballet, or reading paintings in an art gallery. All forms of literacy can be understood as exercises in decoding and encoding symbols. The importance of literacy across different mediums cannot be overestimated and this week we’ll celebrate the comic.

The first half hour of each day will be spent learning how to draw your favourite comic icon, focusing on specificity like the different muscle groups and how body shape can really bring your character to life. Christianne is a strong believer that learning the basic elements of a figure first allows the illustrator to incorporate action and change of expression more easily.. 

We’ll craft our own comics from start to finish, binding them by hand at the end of the week  including an ‘after section’ of earlier drawings so we can witness our progress over the course of the week.

Adding to our meditation collective, this series of classes focuses on uncovering and unfolding the secrets of paper craft. We’ll read stories that involve the craft of working with paper, either through illustration or storyline. Inspired, we will then turn to our own creations. For this, we will work as a team, guided by Christianne and putting our patience into practice, we’ll work on everything from folded cups, to paper cranes and revolving puzzles. Sometimes we’ll use beautiful origami papers and other times we’ll decorate white paper-art with intricate ink images.

We’ll save one day (perhaps our last) to put together a paper laser-cut lantern designed by Ben Hayward. Once you’re finished acquiring the necessary skills, you’ll come to realize that idle hands are a thing of the past…all you’ll need is a napkin or receipt and wondrous things will follow.

In every human being there is a hero waiting to emerge, and we want to use these four afternoons in August to acknowledge and celebrate this. Each day we’ll read books about people who have inspired change on both small and large scales in all corners of the globe.

We’ll work to create a new piece of art every day, centered around an inspirational quote that resonates with us the most. Of course at the Lyceum, we’ll employ beautiful stationary and pens to create a saying that captures the teachings of the people we study. 

We will draw from Christianne’s rich bank of resources to transform these sayings into art pieces that will make you and your child want to hang them pride of place in your study, bedroom, or anywhere else they’ll catch your eye and serve as inspirational reminders.

We know that you’re not supposed to have favourites, but this is definitely one of ours and we have run it each year since 2007. Journaling is deeply rooted in the Lyceum’s philosophy; we begin all of our writers’ workshops with this practice, a quiet period of reflection that centers the thoughts and channels our creative attention. Our query? “What does it take to build community?”

We’ll spend the week getting to know our new neighbours through a series of interviews for which we’ll craft curious and investigative questions. With this journalistic format in place, we’ll collate our knowledge at the end of each day, printing off responses and matching to the photographs we’ve taken to commemorate the experience. Once we’ve made all the new connections we can, we’ll work together on the ideal format for an online newspaper chronicle that we’ll pass on to the local business association - the sky's the limit when it comes to creatively presenting our findings. 

Note: This is not a class exclusively for the seasoned writer; at the Lyceum, there is a wealth of support for all abilities, even if your child is just looking to dip their toe into the literary pool.

This is not Penny’s first time as a camp designer and we think you’ll be able to tell. After walking through the door on day 1, you’ll have an immediate and overwhelming sense that this is a carefully considered exercise in pure creativity. 

In preparation, Penny and Christianne will hand craft a one-of-a-kind drawstring bag from which students will pull characters to act as the basis for the week’s stories. Using eco-friendly materials, we’ll create intricate storyboards, allowing visions to spring from the page and really come to life. After reaching out to our extensive network, we’ll find a rising film star to capture our students as they guide viewers through the waves of their tall tales (for YouTube and beyond). Not forgetting that all authors need fuel, we’ll feed everyone a feast of purple treats…Penny believes that any purple is bound to be delicious!. Once we’ve put pen to paper, we’ll round out the week, binding our own stories by hand, and sending home a keepsake that will hopefully be passed down through the generations.

So much inspiration lies in nature, and all we have to do is stop, look and listen…we’ll spend four evenings doing just that. As we walk amidst the towering trees of our local forests, through carefully maintained parks and under the weeping willows at Jericho beach, we’ll stop to take creative stock and listen, really listen, with our imagination to the stories the trees have to tell of everything they’ve borne witness to. As the group ventures out, under the expert guidance of Christianne, each student will produce one piece of writing per evening to accompany a sketch or photograph of its natural subject. At the end of the week, we’ll have enough material to comprise a curated collection of work that we’ll coil bind and top with a stunning hand made cover. 

For those who seek refuge from the busyness of everyday life, take this camp as your opportunity  to stop and smell the roses, both literally and figuratively.

These geometric configurations of symbols are undeniably mesmerizing. As a symbol of the universe in its ideal form, we’ll explore the depth of meaning, looking at the different symbols in mandalas around the world (including those used in meditation). The group will be invited to create mandalas using many different mediums. Students will design one using paint and another  using polymer clay. As a final representation of their learning, our students will create a striking garden tile or table trivet using cut tile in a mandala pattern that will last for many years to come. Christianne will facilitate a deep reading of short stories from around the world and how mandalas as sacred tools for focus came to be widely recognized across the globe. 

We can’t explore the full canon of Horcruxes without looking into Rowling’s darker side. During this week, we’ll put all of our energy into the last 3 volumes and examine the idea of a horcrux, what it really is and what it means to destroy one.  

Each evening will begin with an owl-delivered envelope filled with documents that direct us to carefully hidden clues around the neighbourhood. Over the course of four evenings, we will search for four of seven objects that hold soul fragments from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. These stand between the Dark Lord and his immortality, so they must be destroyed - completely. 

To solve this puzzle, you’ll need to use everything you ever learned from the Harry Potter books. Teamwork? Yes. Perseverance? Yes. A healthy distrust of people named Draco? Absolutely. You’ll also think critically about the novels, debate their underlying themes, and create everything from basilisk venom to wands. And if you can apparate or speak parseltongue? Even better.

What could be better than getting together with a group of people who are just as fanatical about Harry Potter as you are?! There is something truly magical about shared experiences like these, and we feel passionate that they’re not something to miss out on. 

You can drop your witch or wizard off as the clock strikes 6:00 PM then officially switch into ‘do not disturb mode’. We’ll make sure there’s enough food to feast on (with intermittent treat breaks as the night progresses), and enough materials to build castle nooks that would rival the ones in Hogwarts. Each camper will be invited to make their own broom, complete with flashlight, for an epic game of night Quidditch. 

We’ll be watching the later movies, diving into the deeper meaning behind friendships, trust and the internal battles that often take place between what is easy, and what is right.

In the morning, bleary eyed, but still in possession of their powers, we’ll invite campers to tuck into a waffle breakfast before handing them back to you.

Details coming soon!

Details coming soon!

Details coming soon!

This is another offering that will aim to curate a sense of calm amidst the chaos of modern life. lIt is well recognized that puzzling is one of the best training practices we can do for our brains and is an important prerequisite to logic and lateral thinking exercises.

Christianne will talk about the significance of the puzzle walls in our reading nook, as we puzzle ourselves while listening to influential and thought provoking podcast episodes. Of course we won’t let you leave empty-handed as you’ll use the finest of brushes to paint your own laser cut infinity puzzle. Banking on the popularity of our Spring Break Camp butterfly infinity puzzle making, we are confident that you will love our new summer offering. We will have a variety of themes to choose from  for our infinity puzzles. 

There is something almost meditative about the act of creating something with your hands. You become connected to the physicality of what is in front of you, focusing your attention on the here and now - sounds like just what the doctor ordered. 

This is a class where we’ll take the time to slow down, centre ourselves and channel our vision into lotus lantern making. Each student will practice delicate folding techniques in order to bring forth bountiful blooms that will be just big enough to nestle a tea light in.  

As a symbol of peace, Christianne will strengthen this connection by guiding the group in a deep dive through world peacemakers and the initiatives they put in place to improve the core of humanity. We’ll look at acts of peace around the world, through stories such as the Christmas Truce, and The Angel of Burgen-Belson and discuss the impact they have had around the world. On the final day we’ll take our lanterns down to Jericho and float them on the water sending our intentions out into the universe.

During this week, we’ll take advantage of the late setting summer sun, getting outside and using nature as our literary inspiration. On our first evening together, we’ll wander the Lyceum’s new neighbourhood and find sources of insight that get the creative juices flowing. Next we’ll write our way to the beach and collect poetry/stories brought in by the tide. Whether that’s a free form poem or an epic of Odyssey proportions, it's the dealer's choice. 

Wednesday we’ll stay rooted in-house, before moving things to a local park on Thursday for eavesdropping, with each student supplying lines they’ve overheard for the collective to use as we render a “found poem.” On our final evening, we’ll spend time bringing everything together in a compendium of creativity, before sending it home to be shared with loved ones. 

The magic for this series of evenings lies in the collaboration with classmates in a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, surrounded by others who have the same passion for writing. This is one to be captured.

This is an equally magical, if slightly less wizarding, weekend offering. Fans of the Hunger Games trilogy are just as committed to spreading the word about this entrancing dystopia, as Potterheads are about the history of Hogwarts. 

Like our Harry Potter sleepover though, campers will only need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow. They can come dressed in character, the more detailed the better, or wear their comfiest clothes and use materials from the Lyceum stores to make their own. We will have pizza and do a themed craft before delving into the three engrossing books that inspired three feats of cinematic brilliance, though campers can nod off as they are ready. Parents can pick up their survivors at 10:00 AM the next morning after we enjoy a sustaining breakfast of waffles, berries and lashings of maple syrup.

Just before school starts up again, the Lyceum offers to take teens through the art of essay writing. A feature in our summer camp calendar every year, this camp is one not to be missed. What exactly is a thesis statement and how do you write supporting paragraphs that build interest rather than come across as formulaic? What’s all this stuff about citing sources? We’ll walk you through it step by step, providing you with no-fail techniques for tackling any essay that might be thrown your way. Using the strangest topics you’ll ever come across, we’ll write two essays in the course of the workshop, giving you the chance to try out everything you’ve learned and receive one-on-one feedback from Lyceum staff.