The campfires were virtual, but the fun was real.

First-graders at Highlands Elementary School in Tarentum celebrated the approaching end of the school year Thursday with some fun and games that were part of the school’s annual “Camp Day.”

“They worked really, really hard this year and we wanted to do something special for them that also involved a little bit of learning,” said first-grade teacher Sarah Robinson, who started Camp Day with other teachers last year when first grade was housed at the district’s school in Fawn.

The nearly 180 students wore matching T-shirts just for the day’s activities. Some parents were on hand to help teachers as the students went from room to room.

Campfires crackled on LCD displays in 4K as students sang songs and took part in other activities including making bird feeders and binoculars, reading in tents and making “fishing cup” snacks with Goldfish crackers, pretzels and Twizzlers.

Marshmallows were central to several activities, including using them as brushes to paint campfire scenes and tossing them into buckets. Some were eaten, too — as s’mores, of course.

“We’re doing some measuring and adding some math and reading into it,” Robinson said. “We’re doing lots of fun activities.”

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