Children's author Jenny Cote helps the campers with their stories.

Kids aged 9-12 who are interested in history, the great outdoors, and/or creative writing will be treated to an amazing opportunity with the "Epic Patriot Camp" -- a creative writing day camp that will take place at the Kings Mountain National Military Park (KMNMP) Wednesday, July 12 - Saturday, July 15, 2017 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. each day. The cost is free.
"The goal of the camp is for participants to learn about the Battle of Kings Mountain by researching a soldier and crafting a story about the soldier's battle experience," says Leah Taber, a ranger at KMNMP. "Participants will spend time each day with children's author Jenny Cote to learn ways of improving their writing skills."
But creative writing is only one component of this summer camp.
"Participants will also put themselves in the shoes of those who fought in the battle through hands-on activities: weapons
demonstrations, militia drills, colonial trades and crafts, and spending time on the battlefield," says Taber.
The climactic event of the four-day experience will be an overnight camp on Friday, July 14, 2017.
"The kids will camp in the colonial style - with canvas tents, colonial clothes, and open-fire cooking," says Taber. "They will eat on wooden dishes and use tin cups for their drinks, and then they will help wash the dishes using straw scrubbers and water heated over the fire. It's a real learning experience to see how colonial-era people actually lived."
At noon on Saturday, July 15, 2017, participants will present their stories and reenact the battle from their soldiers' points of view for family and friends. The camp will end following the presentation.
For more information or to register your child, email Katherine Lynn at
katherine_lynn@nps.gov or Leah Taber at leah_taber@nps.gov, or call 864-936-7921.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media