Woodside day camp teaches kids about homesteading

Welcome to Camp Funtier. This summer, a small corner of Huddart Park in Woodside transformed into a makeshift town with a waterslide, arcade, casino and witch hut — all made out of wooden wine boxes, binder clips and string.

The new summer camp concluded its inaugural year at the end of July, wrapping up a vision that founder and Woodside parent Katie Johnson had held for decades. 

At Camp Funtier, children between the ages of 6 and 12 led their own homesteads, with the freedom to build and design their own town. The campers even held elections and campaigns for key roles such as mayor, sheriff and town crier.

The camp was designed to encourage creativity and imagination while helping children stay engaged academically and socially during the summer. Johnson said the theme of the program was inspired by the Oregon Trail game and the Anne of Green Gables books. Some campers also have described it as being like the video game Minecraft, but in real life.

The program is child-led, said Johnson, who teaches special education. During each one-week camp session, she said she was surprised by the unique focus each group gravitated toward in developing their makeshift town.

The first week, campers showed interest in entrepreneurship, economics and figuring out how to capitalize on goods and services. The next week, it was governance, code of conduct and appointing elected officials. The last week was about imagination and pretend play.

Johnson said she had to refresh herself on socialism, communism and governance — topics that came up in the campers’ discussions. 

“The fact that we were able to adapt and change the curriculum on a dime based on the kids’ interests, I think that’s really what set the camp experience apart,” she said. 

With her background in special education, Johnson aimed to create a space that was comfortable for neurodivergent children to interact with neurotypical campers. 

“I think it’s really important that all of these different thinkers are able to work together, communicate together, celebrate together and form friendships together,” Johnson said. 

In the last hour of the final day of camp, a clanging bell rang through the park. 

“Town Hall meeting,” yelled a young camper. Everyone made their way up the picnic shelter to gather in a corner decorated with a stone-like arch, couches and hay bales. The town ratification ceremony was about to begin.

Parents of the homesteaders attended the ceremony to see the newly ratified town their children built. The mayor led the camp song to the tune of “Home on the Range,” before each camper was presented with a land certificate and a small vial of dirt, a reminder of the land they worked on as town founders.

“Even though it contains only a few specks of dirt, it represents belonging, perseverance and collaboration,” Johnson said. 

“I wanted to teach kids that they have the power to create a better world and do that through their values, like community, stewardship of the land and hard work,” she added. “That was my utopian goal, but to see it actually play out more perfectly than I could imagine was incredibly rewarding.”

The camp was able to partner with the Woodside Community Foundation to provide 18 scholarships, making the program accessible to more families. With the help of the foundation’s matching grant of $6,000, Johnson was able to raise about $13,500 for Camp Funtier. 

She said she is already brainstorming ways to increase scholarship offerings. Plans are in the works to bring the camp back for next summer and, potentially, as an after school program. 

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