The beauty of the outdoors is that no day is the same! We are constantly adapting to weather, the location of where we are, and our explorer's level of experience and enthusiasm. Take a peek at our program activities and offerings here.

Activities vary by day, age group & interest, all rooted in discovery. Experiences may include:

• Hiking throughout the Parks of NW DC
• Art in the park, scavenger hunts, expedition "build-a-story" time, lessons on native wildlife and plants, fort building, nature journaling and "mediative" minutes outside, and so much more!
• Learning trail safety, Leave No Trace principles, and building confidence outdoors

Every session check-in procedure: When your explorer arrives at each session, they get a warm welcome, check in with the Site Leader and get their name tag. They are then introduced to their Crew Guide and age-specific group; and once all of the participants arrive—it's off to adventure in the woods!

Generally, we stick to hiking distances based around the age and experience of the group. Sprouts (ages 5-7) will hike around 1 mile per day. Saplings (ages 8-10) hike around 1-3 miles per day depending on stoke and the activities planned. The older group, Buds (ages 11-14) have a higher range up to 3-5+ miles—with all groups taking frequent water breaks, while mixing in games and activities, as well as snack stops if needed. Experienced guides are able to gauge the group's abilities and adjust distances accordingly.

Always dress for the weather, and factor in that the temperature drops with the sun! For winter sessions, see below:

Comfortable shoes or boots such as running shoes, rain boots, or snow boots (No flip-flops or Crocs, please.)

Layers, layers, layers!

• Base Layer: A warm, close-to-the-skin layer
• Insulating Layer: Something fluffy or downy to trap heat
• Protective Layer: Windproof and waterproof outerwear (rain pants/coat or snow pants/coat depending on conditions)
• Head, Hands & Feet: Warm hat, gloves or mittens, and cozy socks

Pack a Water Bottle & Snack to refuel during the session as needed.

Before the Session: Please ensure your child has a healthy meal/or snack before arrival to fuel their session!

Each program will give you a specific packing list as it will vary between which program you register for. You can find this list on each individual program itinerary.

Currently, there will not be a car onsite to store backpacks in during the session. Please arrange an alternative method to storing, or not bringing school backpacks to the registered session as we will not have the ability to store these for you.

All of our registered parents will receive a Logistics Email that is specific to your location prior to the session. It will include the name and contact information of your Site Leader, as well as specific information regarding the exact drop-off and pick-up location, and specifics on what to bring and wear.

There will be 1 guide (minimum) to every 6 explorers.

We don't currently offer lunch and/or snacks during our sessions, so we request your young explorers to have a healthy snack and/or meal before the session begins to be fueled up for an outdoor adventure.

On our Day Off Camp itineraries, we ask you to pack a snack for your kiddos in case they need to refuel during the session.

In all of our programs, we’ll have peppermint patties on deck for a little treat. 

1. Water bladders for explorer refills to ensure hydration
2. First aid kits
3. A comfort kit, including hand warmers, plastic bags to help wet feet, and ponchos if needed to weather a passing shower
4. A trowel, hand sanitizer and a pack-out waste bag for on-trail bathroom moments, if needed
5. Extra sunscreen and bug spray

Our main priority is safety. We closely monitor the forecast for every program. That being said, as long as conditions are safe to go out in—we will still run our programs in the rain! We will proceed in the elements: rain and shine, heat and cold, rain and snow, dusk and dark. If they are dressed for the weather and embrace the elements, we can promise that fun and friendship will follow! Exploring outside during different types of weather is an awesome opportunity for kids to build extra resilience, and see how it impacts the environment around us.

Depending on the forecast, we may just send an extra message about additional gear needed for the day which would include a rain jacket, proper weather-proof shoes, and clothes you'd be happy to get a little muddy in.

If the weather becomes dangerous or miserable in advance of/or during a session, we may ask that kiddos get picked up early or may have to cancel the session:

• If there is a forecast for high winds/gusts, heavy rains, thunder/lightning, we will cancel for the session.
• If roads/trails are iced due to snow or freeze, and we are unable to safely get to our sessions we will cancel.

Our foremost priority is the safety of the kids and crew.

For After-School 5-week semester sessions, we expect a full commitment to joining the program 1x day a week for the full 5 weeks. If we have to cancel due to dangerous or miserable weather, we'll have one make-up day baked into programming for the last Friday of the semester.

For Drop-In sessions or Day Off Camp sessions, full refunds will be granted for cancellations made at-least 48 hours in advance of the program kicking off minus a $10 admin fee. If you need to cancel, please let us know in writing via email to contact@grownoutdoors.com.

We will not be able to refund sessions cancelled due to inclement or dangerous weather. We will instead reschedule a cancelled session, and/or offer a voucher for an equal value session for future use.

We ask that you do your best to have your explorers to the park on time. It can be tricky to find us once we are off to the trails, and we have a lot to pack into each 90 minute session, or our longer Day Off Camp 3 hour sessions! If you arrive late, please call, text or email us and the Site Leader can direct you to where we will be stationed.

Please call, text or email us in advance if your child is sick or has a scheduling conflict.

Training: All crew go through a mandatory Grown Outdoors Training where common safety issues are addressed, and protocols will be in place.

Communication: All crew utilize a Walkie Talkie app on their phones so that we can easily communicate any safety concerns.

Minor Injuries: Each crew and the Site Leader carry basic First Aid equipment.

Tiered supervision & safety in numbers: Each session has a Site Leader who is available to support the crew. The crew closely supervise their small group and we find that there is safety in our numbers.

The use of electronic devices are not allowed during Grown Outdoor sessions. Our goal is for the kiddos to have time to totally unplug, be present, and engage in our surroundings. If your child needs to have a cell phone, we ask that you put the ringer on silent or vibrate. All guides will have cell phones and walkie talkies for emergency purposes.

We develop our programming by age to ensure the best experience as we can tailor to age appropriate activities, and hiking distances.

Sprouts: 5-7 year olds

Saplings: 8-10 year olds

Buds: 11-14 year olds

During registration, you have an option to submit a friend and/or sibling request, that we will do our best to accommodate with no guarantee. However, as we grow into the community we believe it's a positive experience for our young explorers to make new friends too!

If you are looking to create your own experience with us, reach out here.

We would encourage your kiddo to go to the bathroom prior to drop-off, but if the situation arises in the middle of a hike, we will follow our nature bathroom protocol, ensuring Leave No Trace principles are observed.

1. A guide will take the explorer to a private, safe spot away from the trail and ensure no dangers are around the area and privacy is maintained
2. Explorers will go the bathroom and then return to the guide, who will be at an identified, close location
3. Any waste will be packed out and disposed of properly, and all guides will carry a trowel with them in case any number two situation arises
4. Guides will make sure hand sanitizer is applied, and lead the explorer back to the group

If you would rather your little one be picked up early if this situation arises, feel free to let us know during registration and we will call you to do so if that comes up during a session!

Yes, we offer sliding scale need-based scholarships. Please reach out us directly here to discuss this option.