Hundred Acre Wood/The Wildlings Camp Waiver

At Hundred Acre Wood/The Wildlings, one of our strongest beliefs that guides all of our programs is the power of play. Our programs are rooted in the belief that children need to play to learn, and that outdoor play is superior. The outdoor environment does not restrict children or prescribe play to them as an indoor environment does. It presents uncertainty, challenge and risk. Children seek experiences that challenge them and that include an element of risk to learn, to test boundaries, and test ideas.

These experiences include playing:

At heights
At high speeds
With adult tools
With the chance of getting lost
In a rough and tumble manner
Near elements (ex. Water, fire, etc)

Our outdoor environments include features such as uneven terrain, mud, ice, trees, sticks, rocks, water, snow, hills, stumps, tall grass, and more.

Our goal is to enable children to play freely and engage in risky play. This means play that is thrilling and exciting for them, where they have the opportunity to evaluate challenges according to their own abilities. At the camp level it may look like using hammers and nails, tobogganing, riding run bikes, climbing trees, and jumping from rocks. They may use a saw, a flint and steel, climb trees, and may engage in rough and tumble play. They will also be using a compound bow and arrow for part of our camp programming. There is also a rock climbing option for the older kids, but that is another additional waiver:) All of these activities can and likely will result in bumps, bruises, scrapes, and falls. Less often they could result in fractures, head injury, and more. The literature shows the benefits of risky play outweigh the risks. We have witnessed this and believe it whole-heartedly.

There is a risk of injury in our programs. Our educators are competent and experienced in guiding risky play. We have conducted risk benefit assessments of our common play spaces and have mitigated risks by design and training. As we move through our day, all sorts of play scenarios evolve and very rarely can we anticipate these. We conduct dynamic risk assessments to facilitate risky play and learning on the go.

We ask families to read and provide consent when they submit their camp registration forms (an additional wavier is needed for those children participating in the rock climbing program).

Register

LIT Program - Summer Camps

March Break Camp Drop In Days

Metcalfe Rock Camp (Ages 6-11) Click Here to Register for Specific Weeks

Kimbercote Camp (Ages 4-8) Click Here to Register for Specific Weeks

Leaders In Training