Peers in Nature - Fall & Winter


🍂❄️ Fall & Winter 2025/2026 Peer Connection Opportunities

Nature-Based Social Groups at Rainbow Tree Therapies

🍎 FALL: Nature Play with Peers

Let your child experience joyful play in the great outdoors during the vibrant fall season! With nature as the playground, themes include apples, pumpkins, leaves, harvest time, and caring for animals.

Ages: 3–7 years
Focus: Playful exploration, peer interaction, and connection to seasonal rhythms in nature.

🗓️ Choose Your Day:
Tuesday Group – 10:30 a.m.- Noon (1.5 hours)
Starts September 15 | Final session November 18, 2025

Wednesday Group – 10:30 a.m. - noon (1.5 hours))
Starts September 15 | Final session November 18, 2025

What to bring:  Snack and water bottle.

Total:  10 consecutive weekly sessions for Thursday Group (no make-up sessions)

🌟 Outcomes:

  • Vigorous, full-body play outdoors

  • Strengthened peer connections

  • Deepened connection to the natural world

  • Unstructured play with gentle facilitation of learning concepts


🌲 FALL: Wilderness Warriors: Building Resilience in Nature

Youth are invited to step into the role of Wilderness Warriors — a camp experience designed to spark resilience, grit, and teamwork while exploring the great outdoors. Through obstacle courses, hiking adventures, and team-building challenges, campers will strengthen both body and mind as they learn to lean on each other and persevere when things get tough.

Each day brings a new mission, blending adventure with mystery as campers follow hidden clues from the “Forest Guardian” to unlock challenges and puzzles. Along the way, they’ll practice mindfulness in nature — breathing in the crisp fall air, grounding in the quiet of the woods, and learning to regulate emotions when faced with challenge.

More than just outdoor play, Wilderness Warriors is about discovering inner strength: courage, problem-solving, teamwork, and confidence. By the end of camp, every child is celebrated for the unique strengths they bring to the group — because every warrior’s journey looks different, and every warrior belongs.

Power of Multi-Age Programming:

Multiage nature programming harnesses the power of diverse age groups learning together in outdoor environments, creating rich, collaborative experiences that foster empathy, leadership, and deeper ecological understanding. Younger participants benefit from the guidance and modeling of older peers, while older children develop confidence, responsibility, and communication skills through mentorship. This natural mentorship, combined with the immersive and unstructured setting of nature, supports holistic development—encouraging curiosity, resilience, and a strong sense of place. By blurring traditional age boundaries, multiage nature programs cultivate inclusive communities where learning is dynamic, intergenerational, and deeply rooted in the rhythms of the natural world.

Ages: 7-14 years 

 PLEASE NOTE now starting at 4:00 vs. 3:50! Monday Group – 4:00 -5:15 p.m.
Starts September 15 | Final session November 17, 2025 (no make-up sessions)

10 consecutive sessions

Need a minimum of 4 youth to make this happen!  We hope you can join us! 

What to bring:  Snack and water bottle.

🌟 Outcomes:

  • Resilience: Your child will learn how to keep going when things feel tough and discover healthy ways to bounce back.

  • Teamwork & Friendship: They’ll experience the joy of working together, building trust, and finding their place in a group.

  • Confidence & Courage: Each camper will have opportunities to step out of their comfort zone and feel proud of what they accomplish.

  • Problem-Solving Skills: Puzzles, challenges, and mystery elements spark creativity and flexible thinking.

  • Focus & Emotional Regulation: Mindfulness in nature helps your child practice calming strategies, attention, and stress management.

  • Connection with Nature: Time in the forest helps your child slow down, recharge, and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

  • Celebration of Strengths: Every child is honored for the unique gifts they bring, reinforcing self-worth and belonging.

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❄️ WINTER: Chillin’ with Peers

This dynamic group brings warmth to the cold months! We embrace winter’s challenges with campfires, glow-in-the-dark fun, and hikes to frozen Perch Lake. It’s about building resilience and friendships—even in the snow.

Ages: 8–14 years
Focus: Social-emotional growth, self-awareness, and confidence enduring through the elements.

Wednesday  – December 3, 10, 17 and January 14, 21 and 28
Time: 4:15–5:30 p.m.
Total: 6 sessions

What to bring:  Snack and water bottle.


💡 Waiver-accepted programming

🔥 Possible Activities:

  • Hikes to frozen lakes & winter exploration

  • Campfire building and outdoor survival skills

  • Glow-in-the-dark activities

  • Snow fort building (weather permitting)

🌟 Outcomes:

  • Develop meaningful friendships

  • Increase self-esteem and confidence

  • Let go of excess energy in healthy ways

  • Reap mental and physical health benefits of outdoor time

  • Grow awareness of bodily needs (interoception)

  • Learn to overcome fears and tolerate discomfort

  • Feel a deep sense of belonging

☃️ Don’t worry— we have a warm indoor space if temps drop dangerously low.

🎉 Spots are limited—don’t wait!
👉 CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR SPOT!

Let your child grow, play, and connect—naturally.

Reminder:  We do have an indoor space should temperatures drop to dangerous cold. 

 

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