Due to COVID-19, all Hike & Heal Wellness summer camps advertised below are cancelled. It is our sincerest apologies that we cannot safely provide Camp Beginnings for the Madison community. Please see our letter to families and view new options for in-person alternative family programs.
A Visual Snapshot
Thank you to the Channel3000 news team for the footage!
Local News Coverage from "Time for Kids: Time to Talk Video Series" was used for the promo video.
Local News Coverage from "Time for Kids: Time to Talk Video Series" was used for the promo video.
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Camp Beginnings
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Hike & Heal's Resource Hub
Helpful Links for Kids & Adults
Grab & Go Handouts
Thank you to friends & previous instructors to Camp Beginnings:
Mary Michaud, MPP, Sarah Delany, MS, OTR-L, and Megan Barrow, MS, OTR-L
Thank you to friends & previous instructors to Camp Beginnings:
Mary Michaud, MPP, Sarah Delany, MS, OTR-L, and Megan Barrow, MS, OTR-L
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Jedi Beginnings, Ages 4-8
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Session 1: July 27 - 31 | 4-6 yr olds
Session 2: August 3 - 14 | 5-8 yr olds Camp runs Monday - Friday from 9am - 12pm Make it a full day with Chartreuse Art Studio! Play-Based Art Camps in the basement of Glenwood Moravian Church - same location as Jedi Camp! Signing up for both? Use code Jedi15 on both websites to save $ on a week of Art Camp + Jedi Camp. The entire three-week session will be Star Wars themed for 4K - 2nd graders, allowing kids to move through the 'ranks' as they master yoga and mindfulness skills like Yoda. Sensory exploration at nearby parks in the great outdoors will serve as a great connection point between mindfulness and outdoor play. We will try to be outside as long as the weather permits. Luke trained in nature and so will we! Focused on learning self-regulation strategies, this week is a must for parents looking to help their 4-8 year olds be more self-aware and able to express / understand their emotions. |
Watch out though.... they may start reminding you to take Jedi Breaths!
See Registration Page for more info & FAQs
See Registration Page for more info & FAQs
Mindful Beginnings, Ages 8-14
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Dates: July 13-24, 2020 (Mondays - Fridays with the first Friday off for a mental reboot)
***July 15 is an overnight, rock climbing trip at Devils Lake State Park Times: 9am - 3pm Need an earlier drop-off time or later pick-up? Communicate your needs & our team will try our best to accommodate. These two weeks are meant for youth between the ages of 8-14 who benefit from time and routine to feel safe and comfortable in a group. This camp session will focus on bringing skills centered in mindfulness, yoga, leadership & nature connection to life outside of camp. Why are these strategies helpful? Why do the adults in my life keep talking about them? What are ways I can begin practicing them on my own? We will be giving space for youth to explore outside and connect with themselves through their senses. Wandering/hiking, kayaking, team building, rock climbing, tree climbing, rustic camping, cooking, art, yoga and mindfulness classes are all part of the two week session. Parents will receive a nightly email with the stories of each day. If your child is diagnosed with special needs, has an IEP through school or you have received a care plan from a therapist, please share it with us. It is important we have all of the information regarding your child's needs prior to camp for optimal care, and to ensure we can support his/her/they's needs. Mindful Beginnings is staffed with 1:6 instructor to camper ratio (all certified teachers!) with additional volunteers. This camp is a great fit for LGBTQ+ individuals! Most importantly, we strive to make this 2-week camp welcoming for all 8-14 year olds! It is important parents & guardians know that this is not a 'deficit-focused' camp for therapy. Just the opposite, it is a curriculum-based program where campers are taught strategies for a more successful life. We are not doctors or therapists and will not be prescribing treatment. Simply put, it is two weeks dedicated to highlighting camper's personal strengths and talents in non-academic areas of learning. Free time is strategically built into each day to provide campers with opportunities for growth in social-emotional learning and interpersonal skills. |
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Family Forest Fun = Camping + Nature Immersion + Earth Day Celebration
Ages 8-14 (inquire about younger siblings)
Ages 8-14 (inquire about younger siblings)
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Dates: April 25-26, 2020
9am Saturday - 12pm Sunday Registration Deadline: March 31, 2020 Ready to experience something new? Introducing Family Camp - a chance for parents and their children to breathe, explore and grow together outside in nature! The goal: create long-lasting memories while celebrating a community that values mindfulness and nature connection. Experience a new wellness trend as a whole family - forest therapy/forest bathing. Ignite the senses, grow relationships & have a blast outside! |
what sets us apart
we breathe together every morning to find solutions
After campers arrive, we come together to build community by learning new breathing skills and practicing playful yoga to help focus the mind and calm the body. We also spend time learning about what it means to be a leader and how we can better learn to work together. Children will feel stronger, supported, more confident and creative after each morning community circle. We help provide strategies to deal with life's common struggles, while giving the campers encouragement and recognition for their strengths.
small teacher to student ratio for quality education
Being a part of a large group can be anxiety producing. For many, it is overstimulating, which can lead to poor decision-making and behavior problems. Hike and Heal Beginnings programs are small on purpose. Big numbers impact the quality of instruction. Our teaching team cares deeply about your child's education and sees the benefits in quality teaching. Small learning pods will be used so that we can target the whole child and meet individual needs.
After campers arrive, we come together to build community by learning new breathing skills and practicing playful yoga to help focus the mind and calm the body. We also spend time learning about what it means to be a leader and how we can better learn to work together. Children will feel stronger, supported, more confident and creative after each morning community circle. We help provide strategies to deal with life's common struggles, while giving the campers encouragement and recognition for their strengths.
small teacher to student ratio for quality education
Being a part of a large group can be anxiety producing. For many, it is overstimulating, which can lead to poor decision-making and behavior problems. Hike and Heal Beginnings programs are small on purpose. Big numbers impact the quality of instruction. Our teaching team cares deeply about your child's education and sees the benefits in quality teaching. Small learning pods will be used so that we can target the whole child and meet individual needs.
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intentional curriculum to help campers love who they are
We have developmentally designed Camp Beginnings so teaching is scaffolded, building on top of itself for advanced learning. Each week targets a specific age group, with opportunities for older campers from the previous year to register as a peer mentor. Even though each week brings a different focus, every session has three main learning components: nature, mindfulness and leadership. There's room for free play, creative expression in art and music, time to explore & wander, as well as opportunities to grow through facilitated fun. We want campers to LOVE WHO THEY ARE and be confident in their unique abilities. Questions we hope campers can answer after one week with us: How can a deeper connection to nature ignite our passions? How can mindfulness through yoga, sensory awareness and emotional learning equip us to handle the ups and downs of life? What aspects of leadership do we currently practice, and which ones do we need to add to our toolkit? Camp Beginnings is for everyone, and we believe all children can benefit!
We utilize the 8 Shields Mentoring Model, developed by Jon Young. This is a globally known model to help develop deep nature connection using the 8 Attributes: love and forgiveness, quiet mind/presence/creativity, inner happiness, vitality, a commitment to paying it forward, empathy/respect for nature, being truly helpful, as well as full aliveness. We use this model to develop the full summer program, each week and each day which then drives our teaching and learning. For more information on the 8 Shields Model, go to http://8shields.org/
We have developmentally designed Camp Beginnings so teaching is scaffolded, building on top of itself for advanced learning. Each week targets a specific age group, with opportunities for older campers from the previous year to register as a peer mentor. Even though each week brings a different focus, every session has three main learning components: nature, mindfulness and leadership. There's room for free play, creative expression in art and music, time to explore & wander, as well as opportunities to grow through facilitated fun. We want campers to LOVE WHO THEY ARE and be confident in their unique abilities. Questions we hope campers can answer after one week with us: How can a deeper connection to nature ignite our passions? How can mindfulness through yoga, sensory awareness and emotional learning equip us to handle the ups and downs of life? What aspects of leadership do we currently practice, and which ones do we need to add to our toolkit? Camp Beginnings is for everyone, and we believe all children can benefit!
We utilize the 8 Shields Mentoring Model, developed by Jon Young. This is a globally known model to help develop deep nature connection using the 8 Attributes: love and forgiveness, quiet mind/presence/creativity, inner happiness, vitality, a commitment to paying it forward, empathy/respect for nature, being truly helpful, as well as full aliveness. We use this model to develop the full summer program, each week and each day which then drives our teaching and learning. For more information on the 8 Shields Model, go to http://8shields.org/
Contact Moira to Volunteer or Inquire for Employment
Camp instructors are certified educators in schools or clinical settings, and many double as certified yoga teachers!
parent testimonials
We can't thank you enough for such a richly wonderful week for Liam and Rumi and their fellow campers. On Monday morning when we dropped them off, and after 2 weeks of no school, things were very bumpy at home. But over the week, we have witnessed both kiddos connecting with the most peaceful, joyful, emotionally aware versions of themselves. Your camp has been a gift for our whole family.
--2017 Camp Begin Parent of two 7 year olds
Part of the joy of winter, for our family, is in starting to think about our summer rhythms and routines. For Shiras, she was very clear that the one thing she wanted to do this summer was return to Camp Begin. I was glad to hear this choice, because I know Camp Begin provided her with strong social-emotional learning and practice that carried over into her life at home and school.
--2017 Camp Begin Parent of a 10 year old
I just wanted to write a quick note to tell you how much Lilly enjoyed her weeks with you and your team. Also, Andrea and I HUGELY appreciate the daily summary and write up. No other Summer Camps do that, so it was a really nice touch. In any case, we are looking forward to next year already.
--2017 Camp Begin Parent of a 6 year old
the research
The Children & Nature Network
The Children & Nature Network
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Studies find that youth benefit from learning mindfulness in terms of improved cognitive outcomes, social-emotional skills, and well being. In turn, such benefits may lead to long-term improvements in life. For example, social skills in kindergarten predict improved education, employment, crime, substance abuse and mental health outcomes in adulthood.
-from Mindful Schools Organization
Research shows that children’s social, psychological, academic and physical health is positively impacted when they have daily contact with nature. Positive impacts include the following: 1) supporting creativity & problem solving, 2) enhancing cognitive abilities, 3) improving academic performance, 4) reducing symptoms of ADD/ADHD 5) increasing physical activity, 6) improving nutrition, 7) improving eyesight, 8) improving social relations, 9) improving self-discipline & 10) reducing stress
-from NC State University's College of Design
-from Mindful Schools Organization
Research shows that children’s social, psychological, academic and physical health is positively impacted when they have daily contact with nature. Positive impacts include the following: 1) supporting creativity & problem solving, 2) enhancing cognitive abilities, 3) improving academic performance, 4) reducing symptoms of ADD/ADHD 5) increasing physical activity, 6) improving nutrition, 7) improving eyesight, 8) improving social relations, 9) improving self-discipline & 10) reducing stress
-from NC State University's College of Design
adult books
great research for play, nature connection and mindfulness
great research for play, nature connection and mindfulness
children's books
great for teaching yoga, mindfulness and nature connection
great for teaching yoga, mindfulness and nature connection
