Forest School Summer Camp at Huron Natural Area
Summer Camp, the Way It Used to Feel (Like Childhood in the 90s)
Every year, families searching for a summer camp in Huron Natural Area ask the same questions.
What will they be doing all day?
Will they be safe?
Will they learn anything?
They’re fair questions.
But what I’ve noticed, especially in recent years, is how trained we’ve become to expect summer to be packed with programming. More structure. More instruction. More “learning.”
That’s not what this camp is.
What This Summer Camp Is (and Isn’t)
This forest school summer camp isn’t a place where your child’s every minute is planned or optimized.
From the outside, it looks simple.
Kids outside all day.
Climbing. Building. Digging.
Long stretches where nothing obvious is “happening.”
Adults nearby, but not directing every move.
It can look like not much is going on.
But if you slow down and actually watch, a lot is happening.
Kids spend hours on the same thing.
Not minutes. Hours.
A structure that keeps falling down and gets rebuilt again and again.
A game that lasts all week, with rules that change as they go.
Conflicts that don’t get solved instantly but with time, support, and guidance, eventually do.
There’s space for boredom.
And then space for something interesting to grow out of it.
Why This Kind of Summer Matters
This is what summer gives kids when we don’t rush it.
Time to use their bodies.
Time to figure things out with other kids.
Time to test limits, pull back, try again.
Time to be messy without being corrected every five minutes.
We see kids settle into themselves here.
Not because we’re teaching them something specific
but because they’re allowed to stay with what they’re doing long enough to actually learn from it.
There’s no pressure to produce something by the end of the week.
The children are not performing for adults.
There are no checklists of outcomes.
Just kids being kids.
About the Camp
Together With Nature Summer Forest Camp is a small, relationship-based forest school summer camp in Huron Natural Area, designed for children who thrive with time, space, and meaningful outdoor play.
Camp is led by Together With Nature, founded by Sarah Pittao-Smith, an educator with over a decade of experience in outdoor and alternative education.
Each day follows the natural rhythm of the forest, the weather, and the children themselves, not a rigid schedule.
Camp Details (Who, What, Where, When)
Location: Huron Natural Area
Ages: 5–11 (mixed-age group)
Dates – Summer 2026:
July 6–10
July 20–24
August 10–14
What Days Look Like:
Outdoor free play during flexible drop-off, opening circle, group games, forest exploration, shared lunch, creative arts, storytelling, and closing circle. All plans adapt to weather, energy, and the group.
Camp is primarily outdoors, with access to indoor shelter when weather is unsafe.
Is This Camp a Good Fit?
This camp is best suited for children who:
Enjoy being outdoors for most of the day
Can manage basic self-care with light adult support
Are comfortable carrying their own backpack during short walks
Benefit from small groups and consistent relationships
Want This Kind of Summer for Your Child?
Spots are intentionally limited to keep the camp small, safe, and relationship-based.
Early registration is encouraged.
