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Outdoor Education

Mindfulness Activities (Chilly Edition)

admin Mindfulness, Outdoor Education, Social Emotional Learning ,
Mindfulness Activities (Chilly Edition)

It’s starting to get colder here at Wildwood, and we love doing outdoor mindfulness activities for when the temp drops.

This week, Wildwood experienced its first frost of the fall season. Shorter days and colder temperatures are upon the summer camp world. 

For some of us, the colder months can prove to be more stressful and difficult than the summer months. Days are shorter and nights are colder. The cold outside can make us feel anxious, stuck, or even depressed. As advocates that kids (and grown ups) grow better outside, we want to share just how you can keep up with some outside mindfulness activities this chilly season! 

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Camp Wildwood–A Ten Year Program

Jane Camp Barriers, Outdoor Education, Social Emotional Learning, Summer Camp , , , ,
Camp Wildwood–A Ten Year Program

A camp session at Wildwood lasts just 5 days, but we often talk about Camp Wildwood being a 10-year program.

Why? We focus on having campers come back each year because the research shows increased benefits for campers each year they return, culminating in long-term benefits that will impact campers into adulthood.

What are these benefits? We’re glad you asked!

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Welcome, Americorps VISTAs!

Jane Outdoor Education, Summer Camp ,
Welcome, Americorps VISTAs!

This year, Wildwood has been lucky to welcome two excellent Americorps VISTA members, Shannon and Katie! Shannon and Katie will be with Wildwood for the next 12 months, increasing Wildwood’s fundraising, volunteering, programming, and camp recruitment and retention capacity.

More specifically, Shannon will be building new camp programs, leveling up our staff training, and planning new ways to recruit and retain camp staff and campers. Katie will be re-building Wildwood’s volunteer program, supporting individual fundraising through community events, and crafting new PR strategy for Wildwood.

They are both making a huge difference at Wildwood already, and we are so excited to have them on board! Welcome to the team!

(You can send a digital welcome to Shannon and Katie here: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/fMYnTOzu)

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The Wild Robot in the Woods

Jane Outdoor Education, Reading, Summer Camp
The Wild Robot in the Woods

Wildwood loves summer reading. Research says that kids who read during the summer retain more school-year learning and enjoy reading more.

At camp, kids read everywhere–on rules for fishing, in directions for sunblock and insect repellant, on signs in the cabins.

Reading at camp is more fun and engaging when we add a sense of community to our reading program. That’s why we are so excited to introduce a common read this year, The Wild Robot written by Peter Brown.

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Outdoor Mindfulness Activities

Jane Outdoor Education, Social Emotional Learning
mindfulness activity: nature art

I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed just existing in the world. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s critical that we take care of both our mental and physical wellbeing. Keeping mentally healthy during this time is particularly important for kids, whose brains are still growing and developing.

At Wildwood, one of our favorite strategies to keep kids’ (and adults’) minds healthy is by engaging in mindfulness. Not only are mindfulness practices usually quick and simple, but they can have an impressive positive effect on mood.

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What’s In A Friendship Bracelet?

Jane Outdoor Education, Social Emotional Learning, Summer Camp
What’s In A Friendship Bracelet?

Making friends is a huge feature of the camp experience. It’s easy to bond in five short days. Campers eat, sleep, and try new activities together. They participate in unique traditions and are encouraged to be their most authentic selves. 

As much as we’d like to believe that the most salient parts of camp are the carefully thought out, academically rich activities we construct, it’s the new friends with whom campers complete these activities that they remember most. 

So when a pandemic came knocking on our door, we decided to do something to keep friendships bright. Specifically, we decided to create a friendship bracelet kit designed to increase campers’ social-emotional learning, and feelings of connection.

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Camp Tricks for A Happier Homeschool Experience

Jane Outdoor Education, Summer Camp
happy campers at a campfire with their counselor

For many parents–maybe even you–this fall will include some degree of homeschooling. Whether it’s full virtual school, a part virtual schedule, or parents leading full homeschool lessons, being tasked with managing a student’s needs can be daunting and stressful.

So, while we might not be able to stay at home with your child, we’d like to offer a few camp tricks to make homeschooling just a little easier.

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The Art of Unstructured Play

Jane Outdoor Education, Summer Camp
Kids engaging in Unstructured Play

As a kid, I made “quicksand” out of dirt and hose water; I picked dandelions and made houses for roly-polies; I played “spy” with my brother and two neighbor boys. Little of this play was directly supervised, and none of it was directed by adults.

As an adult however, un-planned play time with kids leaves me with a deep anxiety. I worry that they will be bored. I’m terrified that they will be hurt. I hear myself reflexively cry out “Be careful!” and watch their every step.

I think, “I must be doing this wrong. Don’t kids need structure?”

But they probably need less regiment than I think. Despite my anxiety, kids thrive on unstructured play.

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