Forest Friends Camp - Fox Program 4-10 years

Looking for more outdoor time for your children this summer? For play and unhurried days?

Out to Play summer programs offer deep immersive, unstructured play in the forest and meadows. During play some children invent machines with the loose parts, some create fairy villages, some play tag and many create imaginative games. There are often bakeries invented in the mud kitchens, and rock shops open for business down by the river.

Each day includes a morning storytelling circle and a small hike to a play space in the forest. The groups gather together a few times in the day – snack, lunch, and closing circle. Many days offer opportunities for child-led, inquiry-driven skill building – fire building, ropes and pulleys, knot tying and shelter building.

For the child that needs to climb and move in big ways, Out to Play staff are trained in supporting risky play. Some children climb and balance on the slacklines, some ask to climb a tree, others might invent running games in the forest, or want to investigate the shoreline of the creek. Out to Play staff are ready with safety measures for these experiences. They’ll co-create boundaries with their groups, guiding children in the life skill of listening to their gut and developing their own risk assessment skills.

At the end of each day, the children gather to share their learning and favourite moments of the day with each other. Together they shout a rowdy “Thank you Land!” before meeting you for pick up.