From creek crossings, to rock scrambling, and summiting a peak — nature provides the perfect playground to tackle various challenges, physical and mental alike, for young ones to overcome. After-school semester sessions, summer camp and multi-day programs all are designed to work towards a goal to accomplish a certain trail, distance or decided measure to teach the power of what putting one foot in front of the other can do!

Outside time can look a lot of different ways. We mix in lessons on native wildlife and plant species, find bugs and identify the role of each critter in the ecosystem around us. Birdwatching, herping, tree & flower identification, and cloud watching all factor in to enhance a wider view of the environment we live in.

Each day outdoors is filled with silly songs, scavenger hunts, trail bingo, animal charades, and more! Having more fun outside reinforces the space as a fun one to be in, and one to want to be in more.

By taking inspiration from all around us in nature, we have a lengthy line up of creative forces at work. Making nature crowns, mud painting, building beetle forts, or stenciling in that awesome leaf we found into a nature journal; the list goes on and on.

DC specifically offers a lot of learning resources we strive to tap into, including visits to the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Museum of Natural History. We are committed to giving back to our environment as well by getting involved in local park volunteer opportunities like community clean up days, invasive plant removal, and more!

Exploration teaches kids independence, and with exploration comes responsibility. We teach children principles on how to have fun while staying safe in their surroundings, and also how to care for the green spaces all around us with Leave No Trace guidelines at the forefront of every adventure.