KIN Village - Nature-based school holiday program for older kids

KIN (Kids in Nature) Village provides an opportunity for older children to engage in nature play activities and enjoy building communities outdoors.

KIN Village, a drop and leave program for 6 – 12 year olds.
KIN Village Junior, a morning program for 4 – 7 year olds and their parents.

KIN VILLAGE

KIN Village is a ‘drop and leave’ school holiday program for 6-12 year olds, that allows children to freely explore their world and community with the support of Nature Educators and Mentors.

Please note that children must have turned 6 years of age to attend KIN Village.

We say ‘YES’ to kids and provide them with opportunities to play, build nature awareness, and develop resilience. We do this through hut building, carpentry, nature exploration, community games, art, music and cooking.

Our Nature Educators resource the space with objects and tools children might need to live out their adventure. They provide mentoring that observes and listens to children in order to guide suggestions, resources and skill building to help them achieve their goals. The program is designed to follow children’s natural energy levels throughout the day so that children work as a team without feeling forced or held back. Children feel they are truly heard and acknowledged and are therefore more open to be guided into nature connection by our mentors.

At a ‘regular’ KIN Village day (although no two are ever identical) children have the opportunity to:

Use real tools to build, construct and tinker
Build rafts and explore the river foreshore (location dependent)
Learn how to light and tend fire using fire steels (season dependent)
Construct cubbies and huts
Connect with mentors and leaders
Explore nature, find animals, insects and plants
Play wilderness awareness games

Each session runs from 9am to 4pm and costs $79 per child. This cost includes morning tea. We have an average staff to child ratio of 1:8, with group sizes capped between 28 - 32 children. All staff have a Working with Children Check, with at least two staff at each session being first aid trained and at least one with water rescue qualifications (where applicable). The Lead Facilitators are qualified teachers.

Educated by Nature follow the Natural Cycle as outlined by the 8 Shields Institute of Deep Nature Connection. This cycle is based natural energy flows of the day and fits with our body’s natural progression. For more information on this aspect of our programs see Art of Mentoring.

Spread the word and gather your friends - Let’s reclaim childhood within experiences that empower, connect and challenge. Book in for one or multiple sessions!

KIN VILLAGE JUNIOR

KIN Village Junior is a stepping stone towards KIN Village’s full day program. In essence, a rites-of-passage that provides 4 – 7 year old children a glimpse into the world of the ‘bigger kids’. Usually held on Saturday mornings at various times throughout the year, these stand-alone events provide an opportunity for children to spend time outdoors with a parent, grandparent or significant adult to experience risk taking, adventure and nature craft skill building. Themes vary season to season, but these 3 hour sessions aim to develop a sense of community, build resilience and provide an opportunity for exciting adventures outdoors.

Sessions run from 9am to 12pm. The session cost is $30 for a child and parent/guardian. $25 for siblings.(Siblings under the age of 3 and over the age of 8 are free).

“Out-of-school programs can play a valuable role in buffering children against some of these problems. Such programs have more autonomy than the schools to design settings that support skill acquisition without emphasizing differences in children’s abilities and talents. These programs can allow children to safely explore independence, peer relationships, and leadership. They can provide opportunities for children to form long-lasting relationships with adults outside their families. Programs with these characteristics will not only support healthy, positive development during middle childhood, they will also put in place the kind of safety net needed to support healthy, positive passage through early and middle adolescence.”

Maggie Dent, Out of School Programs and Middle Childhood

"Thank you for having my son Alex at your activity day at the river yesterday. He had a fabulous time and had so many stories to tell about his adventures. He spoke very positively about the supervisors, especially Daniel. Do you run any term time activities? He is already asking when he can do it again!"

Fiona, Mother

"The KIN groups are a wonderful reminder in a hectic world to slow down and just spend time exploring and enjoying nature. The Educated by Nature team have such a thoughtful, open way of interacting, allowing the kids to take the lead - helping them find their own path, challenges and solutions."

Rachel, Mother

KIN Village – Nature-based school holiday program for older children

Locations