Summer Camps
Learning Outside offers week-long outdoor summer camps. Each camp is led by experienced, knowledgeable naturalists, artists and educators, and offers a low camper-to-instructor ratio of 5 to 1.
All of our camps include scholarship youngsters referred to Learning Outside by local public school social workers and partnering organizations. We start our summers with two Learning-in-Nature summer camps, not open to the public; offered exclusively for children referred by partnering schools.
About Our Camps
All camps are full-day. Drop-off is at 8:45 and pick-up at 3:15 and cost is $350 per week. ALL camps include time in the learning garden, arts and science activities, and time caring for our chickens and goats. Activities are all hands-on and experiential integrating the arts, sciences and humanities with outdoor learning.
Participants should come dressed for adventure! Campers bring their own healthy snack, labeled water bottles and a substantial lunch to keep them fueled and hydrated throughout their busy day.
Week #1: Wilderness Adventures I
June 17 - 21
6 - 10 year-olds
Campers spend a fun-filled week adventuring and exploring in the wild! They take daily hikes to new destinations; investigating and honing their outdoor skills, playing nature games and having fun. Campers learn about tracking, compass work, wild edibles, fire making and shelter-building. They may enjoy whiling away the hours looking for critters in the pond, following the course of the creek or mapping out a new trail... Each morning includes a group game such as Everybody’s It, Tail Tag, Knee Coup, time in the Learning Garden and time caring for our farm animals. Afternoons offer many choices: art activities, games, water fun and more!
Week #2: Track & Trail
June 24 - 28
6 - 10 year-olds
What animals live in and around the creek and pond? What critters make their home in the forest and fields? This week's focus is on animal behavior and includes tracking and stealth challenges. We'll also learn hiking skills and how to create a tracking station as we explore the field, forest, and pond ecosystems! Each day also includes field games, nature challenges, and all sorts of exciting choice activities!
Week #3: Fantastic Forts
July 8 - 12
6 - 10 year-olds
Campers build forts, shelters, lean-tos, and other hideouts using natural materials they gather from the woods. Each day, the group hikes out to our fort-building site to work on their forts, play games, and explore. Each morning includes a group game such as Everybody’s It, Tail Tag, Knee Coup, time in the Learning Garden, and time caring for our farm animals. Our afternoons are all about choices! Campers learn primitive skills such as how to make a pinch pot, cool off with optional water games, choose from an array of art activities or play field games, board games, and more!
Week #4: Fun in the Forest I
July 15 - 19
6 - 10 year-olds
This week focuses on the best of summer! It is an active, fun-filled week that includes hikes, campfires, nature games, art projects, music and more! Campers may find and learn about insects, follow wildlife signs in the woods, learn about animal tracks and wild edibles, build shelters, go on treasure hunts, explore the creek or use binoculars to observe birds. Each morning includes time in our Learning Garden, time caring for our farm animals and a group game. This is followed by a hike and activities in the woods, by the pond or along the creek. Afternoons offer many choices: art activities, games, water fun and more!
Week #5: Woodland Fairies & Elves
July 22 - 26
6 - 10 year-olds
Campers spend an imaginative week creating a woodland fairy-inspired fantasy world. Together, they build an elfin and fairy village in the woods using natural materials like stumps, bark, pinecones, pebbles, leaves and more. They may create miniature tools, ladders, furniture, or fences. They also create their own fairy, elf or gnome using both natural and other art materials like nuts, feathers, dried grasses, pods and more. They may create dishes from acorn caps or clay. They may whittle, learn knots, and create fairy fragrances from the Learning Garden or make wands, wings and crowns to wear. Each morning includes a group game, time in the Learning Garden and time caring for our farm animals. Afternoons offer art activities, games, water fun and more!
Week #6: Wilderness Adventures II
July 29 - August 2
8 - 12 year-olds
Campers spend a fun-filled week adventuring and exploring in the wild! They take daily hikes to new destinations; investigating and honing their outdoor skills, playing nature games and having fun. Campers learn about tracking, compass work, wild edibles, fire making and shelter-building. They may enjoy whiling away the hours looking for critters in the pond, following the course of the creek or mapping out a new trail... Each morning includes a group game such as Everybody’s It, Tail Tag, Knee Coup, time in the Learning Garden and time caring for our farm animals. Afternoons offer many choices: art activities, games, water fun and more!
Week #7: Fantastic Forts Returns
August 5 - 9
8 - 12 year-olds
This fort-building camp for older children lets campers take their fort-building skills to the next level as they are ready! Campers design and build forts, shelters or lean-tos over the course of the week, gathering all of the materials from the woods around them. In addition to their daily work on their forts, campers learn about basic knots used in the wild, how to forage for wild edibles, clay work using native clay and more. Each morning includes a group game such as Everybody’s It, Tail Tag, Knee Coup, time in the Learning Garden and time caring for our farm animals. Afternoons include a project and an array of choices: art activities, games, water fun and more!
Week #8: Fun in the Forest II
August 12 - 16
8 - 12 year-olds
This week focuses on the best of summer! It is an active, fun-filled week that includes hikes, campfires, nature games, art projects, music and more! Campers may find and learn about insects, follow wildlife signs in the woods, learn about animal tracks and wild edibles, build shelters, go on treasure hunts, explore the creek or use binoculars to observe birds. Each morning includes time in our Learning Garden, time caring for our farm animals and a group game. This is followed by a hike and activities in the woods, by the pond or along the creek. Afternoons offer many choices: art activities, games, water fun and more!
Scholarships
In keeping with our mission, Learning Outside works to serve as many of our community's most underserved children, through its scholarship program, as possible. Children who fully meet need-based criteria, attend on 100% scholarships, as funds permit.
Learning Outside identifies children who meet need-based criteria with local public school social workers and family specialists who refer youngsters to our programs.
To date, 37% of our summer campers attend on 100% scholarships and overall, 20% or more of the children attending Learning Outside’s programs each year, are referred by local partnering organizations and attend our programs on full scholarships.
Process
A school social worker, or county-appointed family specialist, contacts Learning Outside to establish that a child meets the criteria for referral.
Learning Outside determines program availability and available funding.
A registration form is completed by the family with support from the social worker, and/or family specialist.
Once the completed registration form is returned, the child is placed, if scholarship funds permit.