Transylvania Trust

Heritage Under the Magnifying Glass – Children’s Camp at Bánffy Castle in Bonțida

This year, we kicked off the summer break with the “Heritage Under the Magnifying Glass” children’s camp, held from June 24-28. During the camp the children had the chance to explore the concepts of built and natural heritage through creative workshops, hikes, excursions, outdoor games, and other STEAM-oriented activities.

On Monday morning, with the help of the Beanbag Animation Studio staff, the children created short animations using the stop motion technique.

After lunch, with the NECC (Nature Education Community Center) staff, they visited the edge of the forest behind the castle’s heritage park, examining the local plants and insects along the way.

Tuesday began with some brain exercises, as the Simplex team used spatial building games to highlight mathematical relations. After lunch, the children also had an excursion with the Necc, visiting the oxbow lake of the Someș River.

The third day of the camp was spent in the castle courtyard, where the Virtus Transsylvanica Association held a traditional weapon demonstration and horse-riding program. After the demonstration, the children could try out the bows and battle crosses, and even get in the saddle. The day concluded with the making of traditional folk instruments.

Ont he fourth day the children could learn about the present and past of the castle. The children participated in a treasure hunt combined with a guided tour, and then created collections from the leaves of trees found in the castle park.

They spent the last day of the camp on an excursion to the Reedbed in Sic Natural Reserve and the nearby forest. After lunch, everybody returned to the castle where, after a short free time activity, they evaluated the camp, with everyone sharing their favorite experiences.

During the 5-day camp, Romanian and Hungarian children explored the historical environment, played, relaxed together, and, most importantly, acquired new knowledge and skills.

Check out our video about the camp:

 

Project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration and the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA).

 

“The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.”

 

During the camp, we collaborated with the NECC (Nature Education Community Center).