The cafeteria inside the Clarkston Community Education Center was transformed into a tea room on July 16 to welcome two very special sets of guests: mothers and American Girl dolls.
Young American Girl enthusiasts enjoyed a week of crafts, history lessons and stories during the American Girl Adventure Camp, a morning camp that allowed the girls to bring their favorite dolls right along with them.
(In case your household doesn’t have a young lady toting an American Girl doll around, the historical dolls are based on book characters from the 1700s to the 20th century that come complete with period clothing and accessories.)
Throughout the week campers created journals based on 1930s-era doll Kit Kittredge. In her story Kit aspires to be a writer when she grows up. Campers wrote down facts about each doll and the era they lived in, providing a small history lesson.
‘It is so wonderful to introduce that to them,? Cynthia Bass, camp instructor, said. ‘For some kids, they don’t even know what the Great Depression or the Victorian era are.?
The writing was especially exciting for Abby Wilson.
‘I liked when we wrote. We learned about a doll and we wrote about her,? Wilson said.
Emily Frasa brought her Kit doll to camp each day and debuted matching outfits, handmade by her grandmother, on the final day’s tea party.
‘I liked making the bonnets because we got to sew it,? Frasa said. Frasa brought another doll enthusiast, Sarah Huttenlocher, as a guest on the final day so both of their dolls could ‘enjoy? the event.
In addition to the Colonial-style bonnets worn by doll Felicity Merriman, campers created picture frames made out of wild flowers, friendship bracelets and headbands.
The camp concluded with a high tea that Victorian-era doll Samantha Parkington would have attended with her grandmother.
In true ‘high tea? style, the party featured pink lemonade, decorated cookies and assorted chocolate treats for the campers and their family members to enjoy.
‘I like the cookies. When you get in the middle, it’s all chocolatey,? Alexa Christensen said.
Learning about history was something each camper took away and processed in their own fashion based on their age.
‘I got to learn about Kit. She was born in the Great Depression,? Alison Haas said.
Although some factual aspects of the time periods represented, such as the cause of the Great Depression, were a little too out of hand for the young campers to understand, their relation to the doll was made.
‘I wanted to do something fun during the summer,? Bass said. Bass is a dance instructor with Dance for Fun and realized her students wanted a summer activity different than dancing.
When all the tea cups had been emptied and the dolls were ready to go home with their campers, Diane Bullen automatically had a favorite aspect of the party.
‘I like the food,? Bullen said.