Kids Camps

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Why send your child to an “ancestral skills” themed camp?

Short answer:

It’s like Nature Camp + Art Camp + Archaeology Camp, all in one… It’s awesome!

Long answer:

We believe that environmental education is important for creating a sustainable future. Humans are tool-making animals. We craft the things we need from the natural world. This is how we have participated in nature for 2.5 million years since the beginning of stone tool technology. For the majority of human history, we have created the things we need for our survival from our neighbors: the sand and mud from the beaches, the stones of the mountains, the sticks from the trees, the bones and skins of animals. Using regenerative methods of harvesting, we lived sustainably for a very long time. If we want to teach sustainability we need to participate in nature again, so that we no longer see the separation between “nature” and “humans.” At our camps children re-integrate the human component of participating in nature by making the things we need to live and survive from the elements of the natural world.

At our camps we integrate three focus areas of nature-based education:

OBSERVATION

Through observation we teach children about the ecology of a place: how to identify wildlife, which direction the sun rises, where and why certain plants like to grow where they do, etc.

PARTICIPATION

Through participation, we connect the children in a fundamentally human way through creating things with our hands out of the natural elements that surround us; cord from plant fiber, knives from stone, containers from animal skin, etc.

STEWARDSHIP

Through stewardship, we learn how to go about participating in a way that is regenerative to the things that we take out of the ecosystem for human use; selective harvesting, removal of invasive species, planting seeds, etc.


Our curriculum for these three focus points of nature education comes in the form of:

Nature-Based Themes

Our camps have nature-based themes: sand & mud, sticks & stones, skin & bones, flint & steel. These themes in and of themselves help to guide the atmosphere of the camp. The theme creates the context of experience. We want the children to experience these elements with human culture in mind, learning about history, prehistory, and archaeology all at the same time. The themes are our way of doing this.


Self-Directed Play

Self-directed play means that children create the kinds of play and the story lines for themselves. In other words, aside from the nature-based themes being a catalyst to direct their play and imagination, we do not make them stick to a certain story or tell them how to play. We let the students do the creating.


Age- and Ability-Specific Activities

With some of the activities that go along with the themes, we make sure they are age-specific to child development. We recognize that there is a wide range of this, so our age guidelines are not strict, but fall in the general category for child development.


Reflection and Story

Through reflection and questioning we draw out the experiences that our students have throughout the week. This helps to solidify the experience and lessons they have learned by interacting with nature in this way. Full integration through reflection is paramount to making sure their experiences “stick” in their hearts and minds. We really want our students to feel the impact of the week, and having them share their thoughts and stories really help with this.


If you think this sounds like it’s a match for your family, check out our themes below and pick the one that suits you best. Don’t hesitate to call and ask us questions! Please share this with any other friends or families who you think would love to have their children participate in our programs. Note: Siblings close in age may attend the same camp together even if they are not in the age groups, however please contact us first to discuss. [CONTACT] Learn more about our educational philosophy [here].


2024-2025 Camp Themes

Winter Break Camp: Flint & Steel (Ages 5-11) || December 30 & 31, January 2 & 3

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday, 9 am–3 pm (Note, there will be no camp on the New Year’s Day holiday, January 1, 2025)
We spend the winter days doing an assortment of crafting with natural materials, keeping cozy tending fire, cooking wild-crafted stew and teas, and discovering the ways of winter living while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors in the winter. Sign up quickly—we have a 16-child limit! This makes for a 1:6 staff-to-student ratio, which we believe is the ideal.
Location: The Mud Hut (6814 N. Saint Louis, N. Portland)
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)

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Spring Break Camp: Thorns & Roses (Ages 5-11) || 2025 Dates TBA

Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm
At our Thorns & Roses camp, we spend the week connecting with the flowers, plants, and bugs of spring. From herbal blends to eat, to rose flower petal perfume and honey infusions, we celebrate the return of life with all the sights, smells, and tastes of spring foods and crafts—along with all of our regular outdoor activities and games, like knife work, fire making, and more.
Location: The Mud Hut (6814 N. Saint Louis, N. Portland)
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)


Sand & Mud (Ages 5–7*) || July 2025, Dates TBA

Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm
At Sand & Mud camp, young children get to explore nature’s softer side and begin to feel comfortable outdoors. We build sandcastles, feel the river on our toes, and play with natural materials. From simply clay pottery to camouflage and paint, we explore the ways clay can become a part of human culture. This camp builds children’s confidence and is a big step to being at home outdoors and in the elements.
Location: Kelley Point Park, N. Portland
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)


Sticks & Stones (Ages 7–9*) || July 2025, Dates TBA

Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm 
At Sticks & Stones camp, children make digging sticks and discoidal flake stone “knives,” throw rabbit sticks in a rabbit stick range, build a stick shelter similar to a wikiup, and other random play with sticks and rocks.
Location: Kelley Point Park, N. Portland
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)


Skin & Bones (Ages 8–10*) || July 2025, Dates TBA

Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm
At Skin & Bones camp, children make bone awls and needles and then stitch together a leather possibilities pouch. Throughout the week we play with bones and skulls. We may make bone jewelry, stew delicious bone broth, play music with a deerskin drum, make glue from a rawhide, spin rope from a tanned skin, or many of the amazing things you can do with skin and bones.
Location: Kelley Point Park, N. Portland
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)


Warp & Weft (Ages 9–11*) || July 2025, Dates TBA

Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm
At Warp & Weft camp, children learn the various ways that humans have woven together baskets and other kinds of weaving for gathering berries, building forts, and trapping fish. We craft baskets from the materials most available to us in the forest: invasive species. We also learn knife safety and basic woodcarving techniques.
Location: Kelley Point Park, N. Portland OR
Cost: $395 for the week (scholarships available)