Sample the timeline and activities in a Tree Song day
7:30 am: Morning Bell
We ring a bell to signify the start of the day, awaken the children, and invite them out into the morning.
7:45 am: Morning Circle
We begin each day in circle to set the tone for the day and sing our morning song. We will do a few animal-based yoga stretches, share a poem, or connect with a community building game. We finish by sharing plans and expectations for the day.
8:00 am: Breakfast
We start the day right with a hearty, kid-friendly morning meal of yogurt and berries, granola, oatmeal, a selection of breads and spreads, and fruit.
8:30 am: Get Ready for the Day
Pack leaders oversee their group: get dressed, brush teeth, fill water bottles, and pack up for the day’s adventures.
9:00 am-1:00 pm: Daily Adventure
Each day features a special mountain adventure. We hike to a sweeping panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, swim at the base of ancient waterfalls, or kayak down the lower section of the Green River. Lunch is enjoyed by the river, or while nestled under ancient hemlock trees. This block is a cornerstone of the Tree Song program, ripe with opportunity to fall in love with the natural world.
1:00 pm: Return to Camp
We either hike back into camp, or unload our vehicles.
1:30 pm: Quiet Time
Campers may play cards, read books, cloud gaze, or work in their nature journals. This is a time for rest and integration in the Village.
2:00 pm: Afternoon Choice Block
We factor in lots of flexibility and freedom of choice for this time period. Children may choose to participate as citizen scientists in a stream ecology class. Those interested in Earth skills may learn how to build a shelter in the woods or make cordage from stripped bark. Others may choose to whittle a spoon, play tracking games in the field, or learn bird or plant identification on the trails. This time is for children to explore their personal interests and have fun! They may stay with one activity or move between several.
4:00 pm: Art Activity
Each day will bring various real art activities for campers to experiment with. Otions include botanical dyeing, a foraging walk with cyanotype printing, processing soil and making pinch pots, designing plant-pressed medallions or making a bug hotel. This time is for children to harness the power of nature to call forward their innate creativity, and to learn how to work with materials around them in a new way.
5:30 pm: Dinner
Here we all come together again for a community dinner. We begin with a song as we transition to the relaxing evening blocks. Dinner is a leisurely affair, an organic opportunity to connect around what we have done over the course of the day, what we have learned, and challenges we’ve overcome. This is a time to settle into the bonding ritual of sharing a meal with stories and laughter.
6:30 pm: Lunch prep
Packs gather to pack up lunches for the next day. Children have a selection of classic trail lunches to choose from and Pack Leaders ensure they have enough food to see them through the following day’s adventures.
6:45 pm: Fire building and evening council
Campers help to build our evening fire and we gather for storytelling, songs, and kinship. This is a time for wisdom to be passed down through folktales, belonging to be discovered in the safety of the circle, and joy to be shared freely among us. Each evening we share a special campfire treat like classic s’mores or apples baked in the fire. We close with the same gentle song each night, to ease the children off to a restful sleep.
8:30 pm: Campers get ready for bed and retire to tents
We keep the energy low and slow here, as campers get settled in for the evening.
9:00 pm: Ring the Bell / Lights Out
Good night campers! Pack Leaders make their final rounds and we ring the bell for lights out. Under starry skies, the campers dream of the next day’s adventures!