How to Make Wheel-Thrown Ceramics

wheel-thrown ceramics at camp

“Can you learn how to use the potter’s wheel?”

Yes, you can! The Rockbrook ceramics camp activities let campers improve their pottery skills so they can learn to throw pots on the wheel.  After practicing other ceramics techniques, specifically hand-building methods like pinch, coil and slab pottery, it’s exciting to learn about the potter’s wheel. 

Like any skill, this takes practice, but to get started you’ll work on 4 key steps:

  1. Centering the clay on the wheel.
  2. Opening up the center of the clay.
  3. Pulling up the walls and shaping the piece.
  4. Trimming the base of the piece.

Of course there’s lots of detail to each of these steps, but this brief outline gives you a sense of what’s involved in learning to throw ceramics on the potter’s wheel. Real art! Over a few weeks at camp, you’ll be surprised how good you can get and be amazed at the cool things you can make.  Maybe next summer, you can finish a whole set of matching mugs!

P.S. If you want to read more about it, check out the book Wheel-Thrown Ceramics, by our friend Don Davis.  It’s the best one around.

Loom Weaving at Summer Camp

Craft Weaving Summer Camp

One of the most traditional arts and crafts activities at Rockbrook is weaving. It’s been something girls have done at camp since the very beginning back in 1921. In the craft cabin we call Curosty (which even pre-dates camp!), there are several table-top and floor looms we use to teach basic weaving techniques. It takes some time to set things up and to learn how to operate the looms, but you can make really cool designs. Bits of yarn and string, even natural fibers you gather around camp, all come together to create fabrics, place mats, belts, and other straps. Weaving is a lot of fun, and if you really enjoy it, it’s something you can do at home too.

Kids Craft Camp

Kids Craft Camp Activities

We found this great photo from last summer and it reminded us of how much fun it is to tie-dye t-shirts at camp. It’s always exciting to see what your shirt looks like when it’s done, and so difficult to wait overnight while the dye sets! And like all the craft activities at camp, getting to bring home all of your creations makes it even better.

How many tie-dye shirts do you have? Let’s see…. one every summer at camp, at least!

Girls Camps Activities

Summer camp girl activities

Here’s a question that people ask frequently. “What are the different activities offered at Rockbrook Camp?” Or, “How many different activities can the girls do at camp?” It’s really quite a list, but if you can imagine all the fun things girls would like to do at camp, Rockbrook covers the bases. Here’s the list.

Sports

  • Archery
  • Riflery
  • Gymnastics
  • Sports (basketball, soccer, group games)
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Drama/Play
  • Nature Discovery
  • Dance
  • Yoga

Crafts

  • Curosty (basket weaving, loom weaving, knitting, cross stitch)
  • Hobby Nook (batik, candle making, leather working, woodcraft)
  • Hodge Podge (tie dying, fabric painting, misc. decorations)
  • Pottery (wheel-thrown, hand-built)
  • Jewelry Making
  • Journalism & Creative Writing
  • Papercrafts & Scrapbooking

Outdoor Adventure

  • Backpacking
  • Day Hiking
  • Whitewater Kayaking
  • Whitewater Rafting
  • Whitewater Canoeing
  • Alpine Tower Ropes Course Climbing
  • Indoor Climbing Wall Climbing
  • Rock Climbing
  • Ziplining

Equestrian

  • Horseback Riding
  • Barn Club (Horse Grooming & Care)

Four different general categories— Skill-based, Creativity-based, Adventure-based, and Equestrian-related— that’s 28 in all! There’s certainly a lot going on. Lots of action! And this doesn’t count any of the extra special events! Learn more about these camp activities.