Welcome to
Farm Camps

4341 Pecan Valley Road Nashville 37218

overview

The farm camps at Pip and Pickles Farm

  • For Ages 4 to 14 years

  • 4341 Pecan Valley Road Nashville 37218

  • Hours

    • 8am to 3:00 pm

    • Pick-up window is 3:00 to 3:20

    • Late fee of $15 charged to your account if arriving after 3:20pm.

  • cost:

    • $370 per week

    • Offering 8 weeks of engaging themes

🌾 Summer at the Farm: 8 Weeks of Wonder, Discovery, and Play! 

At our farm location, summer is all about choice, discovery, and joyful connection with the natural world. Campers spend their days immersed in the rhythms of farm life and the magic of the outdoors—caring for animals, exploring ecosystems, creating within studios, designed for arts and theater, playing games, and building friendships that last.

Each day, children can choose from a wide range of activities

 🎨 The Light Lab and Art Studio

🎭Dramatic play, Playwriting and Theater Production

🐐 Animal Husbandry and Goat Herding

🧪 Ecological Investigations (frogs, salamanders, turtles, insects)

🎲🃏♟️ Board Games and card games 

🧱 Block Construction, and more

New this summer

🍳 A pretend outdoor kitchen & garden restaurant, complete with herbs and tools for all your wildest imaginative culinary creations!

🏺 A Real Archaeological Dig Site, designed in collaboration with university students

🧗‍♀️ A rotating Obstacle Survival Course, with weekly riddles, surprises, and challenges!

Lot’s to choose

Campers will explore the field, forest, and pond, share hammock stories in the breeze, and relax with puzzles or create in the art studio and light lab. They can tend gardens, collect eggs, and prepare for the Friday Farmers Market, where they proudly share their work and harvest with the community.

Each week has a special theme focus and different games are emphasized. Read below for details!

Week 1
What’s Going On in the Chicken Yard?

June 2 to 6

We’re starting summer with a deep dive into the daily drama of the chicken yard! Campers will become chicken detectives, observing flock behavior, identifying breeds, caring for chicks, and tracking the hens-to-roosters ratio.

  • Help raise chicks, care for hens and pullets, and collect eggs for the market. Learn to tell a rooster from a hen and decode their communication: clucks and cackles, what did you say?

  • Badminton, ping pong, pickleball, and mini racquetball.

  • Prepare eggs and stories for the Farmer’s Market!

Week 2
June 9 to June 13: Installation & Visual Art

June 9 to 13

Let nature be your canvas! We’ll draw, paint, print, and build art installations using local flora and farm finds.

  • Make stunning bouquets, nature prints, and collaborative sculptures. Come discover your inner Goldsworthy!

  • Inspired from our artist teachers you will explore painting anddrawing on various materials including the art of face paint and henna tattoo. We will end the week with an art show.

  • Learn cool soccer and kickball tricks on the field.

Through planting, digging, crafting, and exploring, children will experience the joy of growing, the beauty of nature, and the satisfaction of working with their hands. This week is all about curiosity, creativity, and connection to the earth, to each other, and to the incredible world of plants!

Week 3
Improv Theater & Creative Expression

June 16 to June 20 (closed June 19th)

A great week of expression with a chance to share with a wider audience. You are all invited to join us for a night of camping at the Overall Creek Arboretum. We are celebrating 20 years of nature programming. Join us for a fun time!

  • This week is all about the stage—with improv games, poetry, wordplay, and original performances. Campers will write and perform plays, experiment with costumes, and explore what it means to tell a story.

  • It’s time to dance! Try out modern, jazz, hip hop, and contra dance, plus a little gymnastics to stretch those expressive muscles.

  • Bring families and friends at the Overall Creek Arboretum to showcase the week’s games and productions. Prepare to stay for a special camping night at the Arboretum! Seatils to follow.

By the end of the week, campers will have a deeper understanding of the incredible world of mammals and their role in the ecosystem—plus plenty of muddy footprints, goat hugs, and fun memories to take home!

Week 4
Marvelous Mammals

June 23 to 27

This week, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of mammals—from stealthy wild creatures roaming the forest to the barnyard companions we care for every day!

  • Discover the secret lives of our local wild mammals—who’s been leaving tracks near the pond? What do foxes, raccoons, and deer need to survive in our forests? We’ll use tracking skills, field guides, and observation to uncover their hidden stories. Learn about farm predators and how we protect our animals. We’ll explore real-life strategies farmers use, from guardian animals to protective structures. How can we also support the needs of a healthy ecosystem?

  • Get to know our resident goats—what makes them different from other mammals on the farm?
    Learn about their social behavior, intelligence, and communication—do goats have best friends? How do they show excitement or annoyance? Explore how goats help with land management by clearing invasive plants and keeping the landscape in balance. Let’s go goat herding. Have you had goat milk before or made goat cheese? Learn how these animals have provided food for humans for centuries.

  • Explore mammal adaptations in areas of the globe, and explore the lives of diverse species. Why do some mammals hibernate while others migrate? How do camels thrive in deserts while polar bears survive Arctic ice? We’ll compare fur, feet, and food sources to understand how mammals conquer their environments.

  • Practice your volleyball skills and bump your way through the week!

    Animal Tracking Challenge – Follow real and simulated tracks to uncover hidden clues in the wild!
    Furry Friend Role-Play – Try moving, hunting, or hiding like different mammals! Goat Obstacle Course! Can you guide a goat through a mini-agility course? Learn how these clever climbers navigate tricky terrain.

  • What does it mean when an animal is at risk of disappearing? From tigers to bats, we’ll learn about the threats they face and take action by creating conservation awareness projects to share with our community.

Week 5
The Magic of Water

June 30 to July 3 (no camp Friday)

Water is life—and this week, we’ll dive deep into its wonders through science, movement, exploration, and art! Whether we’re scooping up pond critters, following the path of a creek, or discovering the story of ancient aquatic fossils, we’ll uncover the secrets of water and its role in our world.

  • Use nets, magnifying glasses, and microscopes to investigate the tiny creatures that call our ponds and creeks home. What does the presence of frogs, dragonfly larvae, or salamanders tell us about water quality?

  • Discover how aquatic life has changed over time by examining real fossils of ancient sea creatures. What do shells, shark teeth, and imprints of prehistoric fish tell us about the past?

  • Conduct hands-on experiments to see how water moves, shapes the land, and carves out valleys, streams, and waterfalls. Try to redirect the flow of water using rocks and sand—can you change the course of a miniature river? Experiment with density, salinity, and buoyancy—why does saltwater help us float? Can freshwater and saltwater mix? Build miniature boats, create floating gardens, and test what sinks and floats!

  • Watercolor Magic – Use water and pigments to create flowing, abstract art inspired by rivers and waves. Drip Sculptures – Experiment with water tension by making sculptures out of bubbles, drips, and ice!

  • Water Yoga & Balance Games – Stretch, breathe, and flow like a river! We’ll practice water-inspired yoga poses and balancing challenges that test strength, coordination, and patience—just like standing on a floating log!  Gaga Ball Tournament – Dive into the fast-paced fun of Gaga Ball!  Splash & Dash Relay Races – Team up for a water-carrying challenge using sponges, cups, and buckets. The goal? Move water from one point to another without spilling a drop! The Great Water Cycle Tag – We will play a giant outdoor tag game where campers become parts of the water cycle—evaporating, condensing, and raining down as they race across the field!

By week’s end, campers will have a whole new appreciation for the creatures who work alongside us in the garden—and the knowledge to tell their stories!

Week 6
Birds, Bugs & Backyard Biodiversity

July 7 to July 11

Who’s buzzing, fluttering, pecking, and chirping? This week, campers will become garden ecologists, observing birds and insects,helping document visitors, and discovering the hidden stories of our feathered and six-legged neighbors for our veggie podcast.

  • We’ll spend time closely observing garden visitors, from butterflies and hummingbirds to ladybugs, bees, wasps, and beetles. Campers will learn to identify common species, spot nests and cocoons, and track movement patterns. Together we’ll ask: Who is pollinating our squashes? Which bugs help our garden grow, and which might be nibbling where they shouldn't? How do birds help with pest control?

  •  Get ready to report from the field! Campers will join the Veggie Voices podcast crew, taking turns as reporters, interviewers, and sound engineers. We'll create short audio episodes sharing our findings, garden tales, and even a few bird calls or bee buzzes captured in real time.

  • Create insect puppets and act out garden dramas: "The Bee and the Beetle" or "A Day in the Life of a Wren." Paint pollinator portraits on stones and tuck them into the garden beds.

  • Farm-Style Frisbee Golf Grab a disc and head to the field and forest for a fun twist on a classic game!

By the end of the week, campers will leave with new kitchen skills, a deeper connection to where food comes from, and plenty of inspiration to help out at home with cooking! Bon appétit! 🥬👩‍🍳

Week 7
Cooking from the Garden: Harvest, Create, and Share!

July 14 to July 18

This week, campers will become young chefs and garden stewards, exploring how food grows—and how delicious it can be when harvested with care and prepared with creativity! From morning garden strolls to afternoon taste tests, this is a flavorful week full of hands-on learning and teamwork. A dream come true for those who love the language of plants!

  •  Each day we’ll harvest veggies and herbs from our garden and learn how to transform them into simple, nutritious, and delicious snacks or meals. Campers will pick and wash fresh produce and practice safe knife skills with friendly tools. We will talk about composting food scraps. They will develop and test garden-based recipes like veggie tacos, salads, chips, skewers, and more.

  •  We’ll plant trays of fast-growing microgreens and check on their growth daily. What do different greens taste like? What nutrients do they contain? We’ll compare flavors like spicy radish, sweet pea shoots, and earthy arugula, and include them in our recipes.

  • Make your own chef’s hat or apron. Design a recipe book with drawings and favorite garden meals. Create botanical prints with fruits and vegetables as stamps.

  • Join the Great Camp Four Square Tournament—sharpen your reflexes and teamwork as we play friendly matches throughout the week. In the Chef Relay Challenge, teams will race to “harvest,” “chop,” “mix,” and “plate” imaginary meals using obstacle course-style stations. Laughter guaranteed!

  • We'll read picture books about gardens and food traditions from around the world, and talk about how different cultures use herbs and veggies in their cuisine.

  • Campers will prep and serve what they’ve made at our Friday Farmers Market Café Stand—offering samples, describing ingredients to visitors, and showing off their culinary confidence. They’ll also design signs, create a menu, and take pride in feeding our camp community.

This week is a beautiful blend of rest and radiance, a chance to celebrate each camper’s voice, body, and spirit while soaking up the last golden days of summer. We will close the season glowing inside and out until we meet again✨

Week 8
Garden Apothecary, Spa Week & Talent Show

July 21 to July 25

🌼We close out the summer season with a week of nurturing rituals, joyful expression, and festive celebration. Campers will explore the healing power of nature, express themselves through talent and artistry, and reflect on a summer full of growth and wonder.

  • Campers will harvest herbs and flowers from the garden and learn about their healing and calming properties. We’ll make herbal teas to soothe and refresh. We will blend plant-based salves and balms for bug bites, scrapes, or dry skin.

  • We will create flower sachets, bath salts, and natural face masks while learning plant identification for wellness and safety.

  •  We’ll create a peaceful spa space where campers can: Try yoga and mindfulness exercises. Practice braiding, gentle massage, and hair styling (including our beloved Goat Hair Salon—yes, the goats get pampered too!)
    Enjoy facials, hand soaks, and pedicures using natural, garden-inspired ingredients.
    Reflect on what makes them feel strong, calm, and joyful.

  • Throughout the week, campers will prepare skits, songs, jokes, dances, puppet acts, or magic tricks to share with each other. We’ll rehearse each day, decorate the stage, and plan a grand finale celebration! The Friday afternoon garden party will feature frozen treats, music, and dancing!