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Since 2003, Frogwarts School of Wizardry has been a one-of-a-kind haven for young people to grow in imagination, self-determination, acceptance and compassion -- within a drama framework inspired by mythic story themes. 

 

Frogwarts is a role-play creativity camp originally inspired by the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. With a literacy and character development core curriculum, the camp invites all participants to play in-role, sustaining a fantasy character for an entire week. All attendees, staff included, take on a role-playing wizard persona.

 

Wizarding Names and Houses

Campers must select a "Wizarding name" to use throughout the week. On the first day of camp, they are sorted into one of the four mixed-age houses of Frogwarts: Morningstar, Dragon Wing, Terra Tribe or Selkie Clan. 

Classes

Frogwarts students take classes in real-world subjects taught by excellent teachers who make learning exciting and fun by relating the coursework to the unfolding drama.

Examples: 
 

  • “Care of Magical Creatures" is Biology

  • "Arithmagic and Codebreaking" is Mathematics

  • "Defense Against Darkness" is Stage Combat and Positive Psychology

  • "Hobbitat and Hobbitology" is Economics and Social Studies; 

  • "Potions" and "Divination" is Creative Drama and Creative Writing

 

Whenever possible, course topics are woven into the role-play scenario, referred to by the campers as the "Big Drama."  For example, the theme-related science lab once revealed werewolf DNA that was a central part of the drama, wizards used their newly-honed stage combat skills to fight off a marauding band of invisible river trolls, and another class used a hobbit village as an example of how community economics works. Kids learn how to compose music, create puppets, choreograph stage fights and mock battles, improvise characters, tell stories – the list goes on.  They are having so much fun, they don’t realize they are learning! 

Big Drama

A magical aspect of Frogwarts, and what sets it apart from other summer camps, is the development of a story, dramatized in real time by the campers, staff and guest artists.  ("Big Drama.")  Together we create an original, interactive, improvisational drama that provides the opportunity to make creative choices and give meaning to experience. Students use their critical thinking, imagination, and role-play skills to take action in the drama, which is designed to guide students through a process of questioning good versus evil, right versus wrong, to the triumph of courageous compassion, creativity, empathy, and fun. 

Friendships

An important aspect of the camp experience is the close relationships developed. Many campers make such great friends that they stay in contact throughout the year, until they can meet up again at Frogwarts the next summer. Over 92% of Frogwarts students return for more than one summer. 

 

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"Frogwarts is like a big family reunion. Everyone is in absolute support of one another. There are a lot of returning students, but the new students are welcomed and included right away. At the end of the week, there isn't really one student that anyone isn't friends with," says one returning student, after her 9th consecutive year. "Frogwarts has been a huge part of my childhood and my own character development. I've made so many memories and learned so many invaluable life lessons. I wouldn't trade my experience of Frogwarts for anything."

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More Questions: 

Here's a recent email exchange with a new camper's parent:

Q: Do the kids stay in small cabins? 

A: The kids stay in dorms, not cabins. Here's a link to the actual campus they are at, and we primarily use the two biggest dorms for the 3-8th grade campers (one for boys, one for girls) and the smaller ones which are further from the center of camp for the high school campers. https://www.girlscoutstoday.org/en/outdoor/facility-rental.html (We are at Camp Little Cloud.) The other buildings are used for various classes so we always have places to bring the kids in out of the heat if needed.

 

Q: Can they choose which house to be in?  my son has a good friend who will be at camp and they'd like to stay together.

A: Technically, the sorting hat chooses the house, but you can make a request if you want them to be together. Keep in mind that kids in the same grade will be in the same classes, and kids of the same gender will be in the same dorm, so they would be together 24/7 if they are in the same HOUSE. House sorting is different from classes. Every day, there is usually one "House" activity, and the houses are mixed-age groups (like Quidditch). Even the very best of friends sometimes need a break from each other. Also, sorting two buddies who are in the same grade and dorm into different houses encourages them to make other friends so they're not only hanging out with just one person they already knew. The camp is small enough that by the end of the week, pretty much everybody knows pretty much everybody else! But I have seen it happen occasionally that two friends who come together, are in the same dorm and the same classes and the same House try to isolate themselves from everybody else. I think it depends on the kids. Again, this is a small camp and there are all-camp games and activities that engage all campers. 

 

Q: How much of each day is spent on the academic sessions you offer? 

A: Most of the "academic" sessions are part of the wizarding world, and contextualized as such. By that, I mean, for example, that the creative writing class might be working on letters to a fantasy creature that has invaded the camp, or writing dream poetry to appease a sleepless force, or writing a story that a ghost (like nearly-headless Nick) whispers to them. The "Potions" class might be using simple chemistry to create a potion that reacts with a magical solution to calm a forest spirit, or devising a truth serum for a (guest artist) thief who has stolen a mojo bag, or a Prefect who brought a Boggart in a box, etc. (These are all real examples from past dramas.) Hour-long classes typically go from 9:30 am to noon, and 1-3, and from 4-5:30. Those classes are attended by age group "grades" and then in the evening we typically have a "Wizard's choice" activity which is a group of special classes that the kids sign up for. 

 

Q: Can kids choose which ones they participate in?

A: The campers sign up for Wizard's Choice, otherwise they attend classes on a class schedule. No one is forced to participate, however. 

 

Q: Are there any other expenses other than registration for the week, such as snacks, extra activities, calls home?

A: Everything is included in the fee except for optional things: camp T-shirt, camp yearbook, joke shop funds. We provide healthy snacks that are available free to all campers at all times, so it is not necessary to send snacks, although some kids do bring snacks. We have found that having snacks in the dorms encourages mice (camp is in the woods, after all) so we strictly lock up snacks in a plastic bin. The healthy snacks are available in the great hall (Singing Bird) and typically include granola bars, carrots/celery/ranch dip, fruit, chex mix, etc. Candy is available in the joke shop but we try not to hand out candy as a snack. Besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, we also schedule and provide an afternoon snack "cauldron", and a late evening snack "bed lunch".  If that seems like the kids are eating all day, please believe me that they are busy enough during the day to work up an appetite pretty much any time. 

Any child can call home any time, using the camp phone. Electronic devices, including cell phones, are not allowed at camp. There is no charge to call home, of course, and parents can call their child at any time. Meals tend to be the best time to call (or to request that a child call home) because campers are otherwise in classes at a variety of locations on campus. 

 

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information! Thanks for your interest and your excellent questions.

Magically yours,

Professor Bumblebone, 

Frogwarts School of Wizardry headmistress

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