BLYTHEWOOD – A new kind of kids camp has been trending in recent years in Blythewood. It’s called granny camp or cousins camp. As might be imagined, these camps are family-organized and directed camps that generally follow the same pattern of outdoor activities.
Minge Wiseman has for years conducted a weeklong Granny Camp for her grandchildren on her horse farm off Blythewood Road. She arranged field trips, horseback rides, crafts and other nature-oriented activities.
For the last two years, Great-Grandmother Grace Hamrick and her daughters, Fran Wise, Sandra Snipes and Debbi Hamrick have conducted a cousins’ camp in which Grace’s seven great-grandchildren come together one long weekend during the summer for organized but casual outdoor activities.
Last month, the cousins campers spent one morning of their weekend camp visiting Wisemans’ farm off Blythewood Road where they visited with a squirrel that Wiseman is raising, fed treats to horses and took a stroll down Fairytale Lane – a trip through the woods on Wiseman’s property where the cousins found hidden treasures on tree limbs, at the base of trees, in leaf piles and on bushes.
Before leaving Fairytale Lane, each of the campers leaves a treasure for other campers to find when they visit Wiseman’s farm.
“The kids have a great time doing things they don’t usually do,” Wiseman said, “and it’s also time well spent for the cousins to be together.”
Macie Snipes, Hosanna Wise, Sadie Snipes, Addie Powell, Rutledge Snipes, Haven Wise, Harper Powell.
