What is a makerspace?

A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build. Simply put, a makerspace is an area with the tools and supplies needed to create.

Maple Key is transforming “crafts” into something much more meaningful. A Makerspace allows campers to have much more choice and control over their creativity – which means a higher level of engagement, more confidence, and the freedom to pursue skills that are most relevant to each individual camper.

We need your help

To have a successful makerspace, we need tons of materials to allow kids to fully and creatively express themselves.
Many of these supplies are common items you may have around your house that we will use in uncommon ways.
If you are interested in donating any of the following, please contact us.

Makerspace Wishlist

• Babyfood jars (cleaned, please!)
• Beads
• Blocks
• Buttons
• Clear plastic storage tubs in a variety of sizes
• Clothes pins
• Cookie cutters
• Craft supplies-paint, glue, scissors, pipe cleaners, googley eyes, puff balls
• Crepe paper
• Egg cartons
• Fabric scraps
• Feathers
• Felt
• Heavier duty materials to build with or glue to (wood scraps, Masonite board, etc.)
• Magazines- both to cut up (camp appropriate, please) and to use as inspiration (anybody subscribe to Make?)
• Marbles
• Mason jars (cleaned, please!)
• Nuts, bolts, and nails
• Old belts, purses, and bags
• Paper -different textures, weights, colors, styles, etc.
• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• Plastic bottles (cleaned, please!)
• Popsicle/craft sticks
• PVC pipe
• Sandpaper
• Scrabble tiles and other board game bits
• Sewing supplies
• Socks (used is okay but not gross, please)
• Stencils
• String, yarn, shoelaces, and rope
• Tin cans (no sharp edges, please)
• Tissue paper
• Tools – especially small hand tools like hacksaws, hammers, and screwdrivers
• Scrapbooking tools such as embossers, punches, etc
• Wire
• Any kind of odd or end that you think might inspire our campers

Come spend a week in a fictional world inspired by the Harry Potter series! During this magical week, attend classes in Potion Making, Charms, Muggle Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against The Dark Arts. Create your own wand, play a non-flying version of Quidditch… and don’t forget to check your daily owl mail!

Whether you’ve read every book & seen every movie, or don’t know a snitch from a bludger, this week of wizardry will spark your imagination!

Castle image By Rstoplabe14 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14572832

Learn To Cook @ MKDC

Our cooking majors are always a huge hit. Heartwood campers love learning to be more self-sufficient and confident about food preparation – and their parents love that they are more willing to help out at home! Recipes change from year to year, but we always keep the focus on healthy ingredients, and safe practices. In order to fully embrace our nature-based location, we also place increased emphasis on planning, preparing and packing ingredients for outdoor cooking, and preparing a meal “in the wild”.

Camp Chef – “Garden-To-Table” Edition: In the garden-to-table variation of this popular program, we focus not only on cooking skills but also on gathering and using farm-fresh ingredients.

Camp Chef – “Nailed It” Edition: In this variation, campers will focus on presentation and decoration. They’ll use materials such as fondant and icing, and use a variety of culinary skills to re-create an edible masterpiece.

Camp Chef – Pioneer Edition: What would you eat if you lived in a covered wagon? Campers will learn to use a dutch oven and cook over open flame with simple ingredients that pioneers would have had available.

Camp Chef – Confections Edition: Not just dessert… FANCY dessert. Campers will explore candymaking and decorating techniques in this SWEET major.

Majors are special programs for our Heartwood campers (aged 9-12) to choose from each week. Read about the rest of our majors here.

2015 Finished Project – Gumball Machine

Woodworking Major @ MKDC

Campers learn woodworking skills such as planning & measuring, sawing, drilling, clamping, and sanding. Under close supervision and guidance, they learn to use age-appropriate handtools while creating a unique project. MKDC’s woodworking major is instructed by our program director, who is also an experienced woodworker.

MishMash Arts Is Back!

2015 campers displaying their artwork

One of our most popular majors is back for a fifth summer! Campers just love working with advanced arts techniques, and they also love Kristy, our guest instructor, who knows exactly how to create the right mix of learning and fun.

The MishMash Arts week gives campers the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of colour, texture and composition, all while creating a collection of quirky original artwork.  Campers will be using acrylic paints and a variety of other mediums to create one-of-a-kind pieces.  Throughout the week, campers will develop artistic skills through a variety of warm ups and technique driven activities, all under the guidance of a professional teacher and mixed media artist.

Instructor: Kristy Tait-Angel is a certified teacher as well as a mixed media artist.  She usually works on canvas using acrylics, sprays, pastels, paper, stencils, stamps, and found and up-cycled materials to create unique, affordable pieces of art. Her artwork has been displayed at several galleries and art shows as well as sold on Etsy. To see more of Kristy’s work visit MishMash Arts’ Facebook page.

The MishMash Arts Major will be offered Week 2 only (July 9 – 13) and usually sells out! Register Now to save your spot.

That’s just the tip o’ the iceberg! Read about the rest of our majors here.

This is exactly the sort of cuteness that has inspired the pre-FIREFLY program!

Offered only during the last week of camp, this special program for 11 & 12 year olds provides a complete preview into the demands of our leadership program. It is highly recommended for campers in their last year who may be interested in becoming FIREFLYs. 

Our Pre-LIT Heartwood major runs during the last week of summer and includes the following components:

• leadership and team-building initiatives
• “day in the life” experience by shadowing a current FIREFLY
• hands-on experience working with our youngest campers (properly supervised of course)
• explanation and guidance on the FIREFLY application process
• an insider look at some of the inner workings of camp
• and more!

Due to the nature of this special program, only campers aged 11 and 12 are permitted to register for this major. (No worries to our younger Heartwood campers – we always have another major offered that week that is equally awesome.)

Majors are special programs for our Heartwood campers (aged 9-12) to choose from each week. Read about the rest of our majors here.

Let us take you on a virtual tour! Request more information and we’ll send you our Virtual Brochure – a visual walkthrough of our entire program. (A great way to talk about camp with your future camper!)

Sewing is a useful life skill but also a limitless and inexpensive creative outlet. Campers will:

• Design clothing and accessories from scratch
• Use sewing patterns
• Create mood boards, sketches, and illustrations
• Learn sewing tips and stitching techniques (both hand & machine)

No prior experience necessary!

We are super excited about the new major selections we have added to our Heartwood program for Summer 2014. We are also very encouraged by the positive feedback we have received, but also understand that sometimes changes can be hard to wrap our heads around! Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers!) about the changes we’ve made to our Heartwood program this year.

Q: What happened to the old “Sports” and “Arts” model?

A: Our campers, staff, and experienced parents know that while the sports and arts distinctions may have been the same for the whole summer, our actual programming from week to week was NOT. We had lots of different things going on each session – however, this may not have been obvious to others who are new to MKDC.

We wanted to make sure that it was clear to prospective campers and parents that they could sign up for the whole summer and be confident in knowing that there would be something new for them to experience each week.

We also wanted to offer more variety in our programming for older campers (not everyone fits into the “sports” or “arts” groupings) so now there’s something available for those kids who are really interested in technology and culinary arts, as well as the “traditional” options.

Q: If my son/daughter wants to participate in sports (or arts), can he/she still do that?

If you take a look at our Majors list you will see that many of our majors are still very much sports or arts based, it’s just that they are now put in a more specific format. If you are looking for recommendations about which week(s) might be the best for your son/daughter to attend based on their interests, please email or call us and we’ll be happy to help.

Q: Can we enroll in a major only in the weeks it is listed?

A: Yes. We are only offering two different majors per week so that our staff and resources can be used most effectively to keep the quality of our programming at its highest. We have done our very best to make sure that the two options available each week will appeal to a range of interests.

Q: How will this effect camper groupings?

It is extremely important to us that our campers feel both comfortable with their peer group, but also free to pursue their own interests. Under our “old” system, we sometimes worried that campers were choosing their major based on their peer group rather than their favorite activities. With our new format for majors, Heartwood campers will be grouped with their peers during all standard camp activities, and split according to their majors ONLY for that portion of the schedule.

Q: Can we register for the same major in more than one week, if it is offered in multiple weeks?

A: YES! A major that occurs more than once will have different programming, so you can do the same major multiple times and still experience something new.

Did I miss your question? E-mail us or comment below!

Leather has played an important role in the development of civilisation. In recorded history, pieces of leather dating as far back as 1300 B.C. have been found in Egypt.

Now Maple Key is bringing back this traditional but often forgotten art form! Campers will learn techniques such as dyeing, tooling, molding, sewing/lacing, and leather stamping to create a variety of projects such as bookmarks, key fobs, coasters, and wristbands.

The Leatherwork Arts Major will be offered Week 6 only (Aug 5 – 8). Register Now to save your spot.