The Way Back Project

So much of childhood is spent moving from one activity to the next, but the moments that stay with us are often the simplest ones.

Come slow down with us this summer and experience these little moments.

Today, a mud kitchen became a store.

There were customers, shopkeepers, menus, prices, negotiations, recipes, and endless imagination. No adult planned it. No one handed out instructions. The children created it all themselves.

This is the power of play.

When children are given time, space, and simple open-ended materials, they don’t just play—they practice communication, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and leadership.

The mud kitchen isn’t the magic.

The magic is what children do with it.

And that kind of learning can’t be downloaded, rushed, or scripted. It grows naturally when children are trusted to follow their ideas.

My goodness, what a day.

Today, students from ’s Making Connections in Nature, an end-of-year elective, joined us before our forest school session. They learned about Pouch Camp, ’s mission, and rolled up their sleeves to help build a new table for our mud kitchen using natural and upcycled materials.

Total cost: $0.

I often joke that forest school is for ages 0–100+, but today the proof was right in front of us. Forest school truly is for ALL.

I watched teenagers step into leadership roles. I watched others slow down and enjoy the ease of being outdoors. And perhaps my favorite part—I witnessed moments of PLAY.

Because despite what our culture often tells us, teenagers still play when given the opportunity. They need places where they can build, contribute, explore, create, laugh, and belong.

Thank you, Staten Island Academy, for this special partnership and for giving students the opportunity to learn beyond four walls. Our community—and our younger forest school children—will enjoy this table all summer long.

We look forward to welcoming your students back again soon.

We choose to protect the moments that don’t look productive.

The conversations on a rock.
The stories that wander.
The questions with no right answers.
The friendships that deepen when no one is rushing them along.

At forest school, these moments aren’t a break from the learning.

They are the learning.

Because connection, communication, confidence, empathy, and belonging don’t grow on a schedule.

They grow in the space between.

Today we found a tick.

Instead of panic, we got curious.

We carefully collected it, examined it under a microscope, and added it to our bug collection so families can learn what to look for in the future.

Ticks are part of our ecosystem. When children spend time outdoors, encounters with them are inevitable. There is no way to spray an entire forest—and honestly, we wouldn’t want to. The same chemicals that kill ticks can harm many of the insects and creatures that belong here too.

So instead of fear, we choose education.

Here are the three things we teach every family:

🌲Wear high socks and tuck pants into them when appropriate.
🌲 Use a tick repellent that works for your family.
🌲 Do a thorough tick check when you get home.

If you do find a tick, remove it promptly and contact your healthcare provider. Some families choose to have the tick tested, while others discuss preventative treatment options with their doctor.

The goal isn’t to pretend risks don’t exist.

The goal is to help children build a relationship with nature that is rooted in knowledge, confidence, and respect.

Because children who understand the natural world are far less likely to fear it.

At forest school, we choose knowledge over fear.

Today, a generous donor gifted us eco-friendly paint made from crushed stones, and the children used it to create a collaborative mural together.

There was no craft to copy.
No finished example hanging on a wall.
No pressure to make it “right.”

Just a giant blank canvas, natural materials, and a group of children figuring it out together.

This is process art.

The value isn’t found in the finished mural.
It’s found in the experimenting, collaborating, problem-solving, negotiating, imagining, and creating.

Because when children aren’t told exactly what to make, they often surprise us with what they can create.

🌿 No templates.
🌿 No predetermined outcomes.
🌿 Just creativity, collaboration, and play.