A favorite t-shirt, sweat-clung to your back. The rasping breath of a child who’s been running, playing, laughing. A Popsicle, half melting onto your hand. How could we forget the joys of summer? Beautiful weeks, free of expectation except for the sparse chores that break up playdates, sleepovers, and days spent out in the world.
Days spent out in the world—is that the way children still play?
It’s a phrase you hear all the time; the kids today are different. Back in my day, we used to… And yet, kids are never to blame for the world in front of them. It isn’t their world, it’s ours. We control the gears that turn society, turn our children into the adults they inevitably become. That is why it is important to get them outside at every opportunity. At the Rewilding School, we offer eight weeks of awesome natural learning and play to keep kids engaged, excited, and learning—all summer long.
How do you want your child to spend their summer? Ours spend their mornings hiking through the brush in the woods, eat their lunches while they make their own leather pouches, shell necklaces and clay figures, and their afternoons fishing, making campfires and playing games. Our summer is Wild, and our programming is too.
We started the Rewilding School in 2017, with a focus on bringing kids outdoors and teaching them all the awesome things the natural world has to teach them. Every session, be it preschool, nature club, or our summer program, is based around the concept that learning comes through play, puzzling, imagination, and freedom. Our students are given space to learn as they move through the system we create. That system is loose, lively, and full of exciting things to interact with. We make fire, we make shelter. We play games and craft with leather and clay. It is tuned into the natural world, and as a result, so are our kids. They are present, wild-eyed and excited, and they go home with tired feet and lively minds. This is the way a young person should spend their summer. “Time off” doesn’t have to mean time wasted. Summer Camp can be fun and educational. That’s a truth that we’ve been living for almost a decade.
The Rewilding School’s Wild Summer is a weekly themed day camp that weaves together life, nature, and play. My personal favorite weeks are Forest Alchemy, Desert Island Survival, and Breath of Rewilding. Forest Alchemy uses the plants of Marsh Sanctuary to make cool crafts, learn about medicinal plant usage, and usually involves a fun background story where magic is laced into many of our games. Desert Island Survival takes multiple age groups and links them as pirates and castaways, trying their best to survive the elements through fire, shelter, and a mysterious treasure that all age groups are trying to get their hands on. Breath of Rewilding is inspired by the world of Hyrule and the Legends of Zelda—using magic, adventure, and epic storytelling to take the “video” out of video game and create a fantasy world of our own.
There are so many amazing Summer Camps in the Hudson Valley. Some are geared towards artists, others towards scientists, still others towards athletes. Our camp welcomes all of those groups and more, creating a unique space where all those interests are touched upon in the beauty of Westchester’s best nature preserves.
We are still accepting enrollment in our summer programs, which include programming for ages 5-12 and a half-day Summer Forest Preschool for young ones aged 3-5.
You can register here or read more on our website!
If you’re interested in the Rewilding School, we recommend checking out our website, and our Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok for great videos taken by yours truly that showcase our classes as well as our educators prowess. If you want to sign up for our programs, the registration link is here.
If this article has left you with any questions, email us at info@rewildingschool.com.
If you liked this article, consider reading more of ours on our Substack, the Forest Leaflet.
Happy Adventuring!
