Jennifer Thayer owns and operates an adventure day camp here in the Nashville area called Camp Brick. Thayer is a single mother of four-year-old, Gunner, who has been diagnosed with autism.
Thayer helping Walker build his LEGOs
Thayer proclaims to be “an entrepreneur at heart,” and started Camp Brick last summer at Lipscomb after her best friend suggested it. It is one of two family businesses she runs. September 4, Lipscomb University hosted Camp Brick’s “Out of This World” LEGO building workshop.
Camp Brick offers hundreds of different LEGO sets for five-to-12 year olds to build and create their own masterpieces during one three and a half hour session. Each camp session has a different theme.
Here at Lipscomb, Star Wars and Mars Mission were very popular sets to build. There are also LEGOs available for free building if children do not want to build a particular set. After children complete their sets, they can put them on display or play with their creations, but every “Brickmaster” gets a special LEGO prize to take home at the end of the day.
Owner Jennifer Thayer believes that every child “needs an educational experience that can stimulate socialization and creativity.” As a mother of child with autism, Thayer strives to “help the special needs community” through Camp Brick.
Christopher and Piers using teamwork to build their LEGO set
Camp Brick helps stimulate both team building skills and motor skills. Many children return because they enjoy building with LEGOs and have made friends with other participants.
Parents always give positive feedback. During the workshops, many children sing songs with each other while laughing and playing with their LEGO creations.
Even though Thayer admits she never played with LEGOs as a child, she has become “obsessed” with building many different LEGO sets since starting Camp Brick. She loves to see the smiles on children’s faces when they build and complete their LEGO sets.
Photo Credits: Whitney Jarreld
Thayer’s plans to double the volume of Camp Brick for 2011, with two locations for summer camps and bi-monthly workshops during the other seasons.
Thayer feeds off of all the positivity that Camp Brick creates
“I get up every day excited to plan the next Camp Brick event,” Thayer said.
To view more photos from Camp Brick, click here.