Otter Camp camp is the ultimate adventure in the summer woods and fields for children 7-11 years old. Campers explore the natural world under the watchful eye of experienced staff. We navigate over the landscape, telling stories to help us remember where we've been and how to return to camp at days end. Adventures along the way might include learning the uses of mud as a way to blend into the landscape, sneaking up on another group to leave them a gift of freshly picked berries or searching for frogs and crayfish in the creek. We paint our faces, move through the forest like deer, sing, learn to safely work with fire, hear magical stories and build shelters from natural materials. Important safety skills such staying safe, warm and dry outdoors, lostproofing, and recognizing hazards such as poison ivy are essential parts of the curriclum. Each camp emphasizes several native crafts such as making string from natural fibers and creating wooden spoons with the "coal burning" technique. Every craft has a purpose ­ the string serves a necklace for our animal name medallions and we eat with the spoon at the Friday afternoon potluck.

Fun and adventure are only part of the story. Important tangible and intangible skills like getting along with each other; thankfulness; awareness; inner stillness and patience; common sense; self confidence; respect for self, each other and nature; and problem solving are woven invisibly into each day. For example, campers might learn inner stillness through the need to sneak up on another group. They might learn respect and getting along through role modeling by the staff, talking circles or close up exploration of living creatures. Thankfulness is modeled each day at morning circle, lunchtime and story time.

The highlight of the camp is a performance for the parents on Friday afternoon of the second week.

A Typical Otter Camp Day.

At 9 AM, the entire camp gathers for morning circle which includes a chance to express thankfulness, a song, and animal forms where campers learn to use their bodies creatively and understand how animals live. By 9:25 campers join their clans which are sorted by age and experience for a morning and early afternoon of adventure, games, native crafts or survival skills. Clans usually eat a snack at about 10 AM and lunch at noon. At 2:15, the clans gather together again for storytime. Each day a different staff member tells an animated and engaging story. The campers have a chance to comment on the story. It is always inspiring to listen to each campers comment. Even the youngest often articulate important lessons that are woven into the story. Camp ends at 3:00. Staff are available to speak with parents until 3:20.

Otter Camp has two one week sessions. We encourage you to sign your child up for both sessions so that the/she may participate in the entire progression of skills as well as the performance at the end of the second.