Creative Nature Academy

Our first day of summer camp was full of wonder!
Whittling hiking sticks, learning forest safety, and laughing through wild games—it was everything summer should be: free, playful, and deeply connected to nature.

At Creative Nature Academy, we keep our class sizes small so we can truly get to know each child—nurturing their curiosity with gentle guidance and inviting them into hands-on, heart-centered learning. Our days feel like a joyful pilgrimage through the woods, where every camper’s story matters.

✨ Scholarships still available—apply soon!

Next week?
🌀 Creek Quest (Ages 4–7 | June 17–19 | Half-day)
Let your little one splash, explore, and follow the current of their curiosity. Perfect for kids who love water, mud, and racing tiny stick boats downstream.

🌿 Have an older child who’s always blending, mixing, or asking about wild plants?
Herbology & Potion Quest (Ages 8–12 | July 8–10 | Full-day)
A magical, hands-on adventure in wildcrafting and potion-making—led by experienced nature educators.

🎶 For the music-makers, fort-builders, and forest daydreamers:
Forest & Music Quest (Ages 6–10 | July 15–17 | Half-day)
Campers will build natural instruments and forts, learn woodland rhythms, and dive into imaginative forest games that spark creativity and connection.

Every child has their own rhythm, curiosity, and path—our camps are designed to meet them right where they are, and walk alongside them into something unforgettable.

👉 Learn more and register at: www.creativenatureacademy.org

https://www.creativenatureacademy.org/summercamp

Which quest will your child take this summer?

Looking for a summer camp in Grand Rapids that goes beyond worksheets and Wi-Fi? Step into the woods with us.

At Creative Nature Academy, we believe learning should be wild, joyful, and steeped in nature. Our nature-based summer camps offer kids hands-on experiences in foraging, fire-tending, creek exploration, whittling, nature art, survival skills, and forest music.

✨ And thanks to a generous CNA family, we now have a few WILD PASS scholarships available—covering up to 50% off the total camp fee.

Swipe to explore our 2025 Summer Camps:

Survival Quest (Ages 8–12) | June 10–12 | 9:30–2:30
Creek Quest (Ages 5–8) | June 17–19 | 9:30–12:30
Herbology & Potion Quest (Ages 8–12) | July 8–10 | 9:30–2:30
Forest & Music Quest (Ages 5–8) | July 15–17 | 9:30–12:30

Our small group sizes allow for individualized attention, deep nature connection, and plenty of muddy, joy-filled memories.

👉 Ready to register or apply for a scholarship?
Send us a message with the words “Wild Pass” and the camp you're interested in.

Let’s make this the summer your child finds their rhythm in the forest.

Raising kids who know how to tend a fire—
not just in the woods, but in their friendships, focus, and purpose.

Today, our survival students learned to spark a flame the old-school way—bow drills, hand drills, flint & steel, ferro rods… no lighters, no shortcuts. Just patience and perseverance.

This summer, your child can join us for an unforgettable adventure at Creative Nature Academy’s Survival Quest Camp—where they’ll build shelters, forage wild edibles, and yes—learn to make fire from scratch.

3-Day Full Day Camp
Ages 8–14
Fire tending, shelter challenges, herbology, team games, and wild food feasts.

Space is limited.
Let’s fan the flame of confidence, capability, and connection.

https://www.creativenatureacademy.org/summercamp

Embarking on a playful pilgrimage of curiosity and wonder—gently to our own unique North Star through the gentle guidance of nature.

TikTok · Creative Nature Academy Check out Creative Nature Academy’s video.

Spaces are still available for our three day summer camps in West Michigan for June and July. Both full day and half day options available.

Visit https://www.creativenatureacademy.org/ for more info.

"Digging the earth” and “tending the soil” are metaphors for what so many of us are longing for: a slower pace, a deeper breath, a grounded sense of purpose.

Time in nature helps us remember how to feel connected—
To the land.
To our community.
To ourselves - the deep parts of ourselves.

Time in nature helps us come back to what matters because it reawakens the senses. We're able to escape our thoughts a bit and there’s no pressure to perform or produce—just space to notice, to listen, to feel. The wind doesn’t care about your inbox. The pinecone doesn’t need a checkbox when it's job is complete. Nature accepts us exactly as we are.

For our neurodivergent thinkers, our deep feelers, and our overbooked, overtired grown-ups—this kind of unconditional welcome can be life-giving.

In forest school, kids move freely, wonder deeply, and feel like they belong.
And the truth is, we do too.

A simple walk.
A quiet sit.
A thank-you whispered to the tree that held your gaze.

These are the small acts that help us tend our inner soil.

You don’t have to name every tree. You just have to show up—muddy boots, open heart… and maybe a snack or two.

Embark on a playful pilgrimage of curiosity and wonder—gently guided by nature toward your own unique North Star.

🌿 Kids and Nature Go Together Like Mud and Puddles! 🌧️🏃‍♂️

Have you ever tried to keep a kid from climbing a tree, jumping off a rock, or splashing in a puddle? Movement isn’t optional for kids; it’s part of their developmental process. And at forest school, every leap, climb, and splash isn’t just play—it’s building agility, coordination, strength, and confidence.

Unlike stuffy classrooms where germs spread faster than playground gossip, fresh air and wide spaces boost immunity, build resilience, and help kids thrive.

Check out our recent blog for science-backed research as to why playing in nature promotes physical health.

https://www.creativenatureacademy.org/blog/how-our-forest-school-promotes-physical-health

How forest schools help kids build strength, coordination, and resilience through natural movement. — Your Site Title Forest schools help children develop agility, coordination, gross and fine motor skills, resilience, and immunity through nature-based play. Natural movement strengthens bodies, sharpens minds, and builds confidence in ways traditional classrooms can’t. Explore science-backed benefits of outdoor l...

When we experience the sweet magic of the Sugar Bush, we discover the rhythm of the seasons, the patience of the trees, and the ancient art of maple sugaring. As we watch sap drip from the trees, feeling the warmth of a spring day after the deep cold of winter, we taste the wild sweetness of spring waking up the land. Sunshine stored from seasons past drips onto our tongues, and we feel a deep connection to nature. We witness the forest waking up, and something in us wakes too. This is learning in its purest form—rooted in wonder, guided by the trees.

Have you ever tasted sap fresh from the tree? Share your sweetest maple memory!

Hype and Roast! Our Nature Mentors Take the Stage!

One of the most valuable skills a young leader can develop is the ability to speak with confidence and accept feedback with grace. Today, our Nature Mentor students (ages 9-13) tackled just that—by inviting their peers to hype up their strengths AND offer thoughtful “roasts” (a.k.a. constructive feedback). This playful yet powerful exercise helped them refine their teaching, leadership, and public speaking skills—all essential tools for mentoring younger students and stepping into leadership roles.

These future leaders are guiding younger buddies, designing games, and presenting nature studies, all while learning to think on their feet, build confidence, and embrace lifelong learning. And they’re having a blast doing it!

If your homeschooler loves working with younger kids, thrives on creativity, enjoys acting or performing, wants to sharpen their public speaking skills, or dreams of being a teacher, camp counselor, scientist, or leader someday, this program is for them!

📢 We’re accepting applications for Fall 2025 in West Michigan!

📩 DM for details or visit our website to learn more! www.creativenatureacademy.org