Cahoots Outdoor Programs for Kids

05/16/2024

Q***r Ecology Camp outside Victoria in the beautiful Highlands- July 29th to August 2nd for q***r youth ages 12-16!

We need a few more sign ups to run this incredible camp. Do you know families with q***r youth who would be interested to join this dynamic camp?

I heard so many heart warming comments about the last group Out on the Land and last summer's Q***r Ecology Camp from these connected groups of youth and facilitators:

"There were such strong bonds, in just a short 3 days, no one could stop hugging on the last day!"

"The group became like a new family for me!"

"I've never had so much fun!"

"I loved how everything was an invitation and I could choose when and if I did certain games and activities. The facilitators really got my needs."

“I loved how I could just be myself and just come the way I was, and everyone accepted that. I loved the inclusivity in general, and I made lots of friends, which was awesome.”

More info and registration here-

A Nature-Based Therapeutic Summer Camp for Q***r Teens. Join Kip & Kalen for this camp for q***r teens just outside of Victoria, BC. Full of outdoor activities, wildcrafting and art making.

09/15/2022

Victoria BC- who are your fav RMT’s?

I’m looking for someone with 5+ years of experience who has a good balance of knowing the body/physiology with intuition, care and compassionate touch.

Thx for any recommendations!

04/30/2022

Sweet reflections on why nature connection is so important-

02/16/2022

4 spots left at CAHOOTS Nature Program March Break Camp!

Dates: March 21st to 23rd

We are excited to announce our CAHOOTS March Break Camp running over 3 days on March 21st, 22nd and 23rd!

Location: Reynolds Road, CAHOOTS base camp

Time: 10 am to 3 pm

Age: 7-10

Mentors: Marie and visiting mentor Serena (from Thriving Roots Wilderness School!)

Fee: $141.75 (includes GST)
*We have two 50% off bursaries for low income families, pls inquire if needed.

Theme: Spring Equinox!

This engaging camp will include 3 fun days of games, stories and songs, nature mandalas, forest tea, fire building, scouting, fibre arts crafting and MORE!

Email Vanya to register or with questions - cahootsforkids(at)gmail.com

01/14/2022

CAHOOTS has a couple spots open on Fridays for our next semester that runs from January 28th to mid-June, 2022 for kids ages 6-10 from 10am to 3 pm!

Does your child love to be outdoors? Learning about the natural world, playing engaging games, learning ancient skills, and belonging to a dynamic group?

CAHOOTS Nature Program:
• It fosters a culture rooted in the cycles of the natural world.
• It takes place entirely outside, all year round.
• We use survival skills, naturalist studies, games, music, community building, and stewardship of the land to support our collective learning.
• It follows the mentorship model based on the work of Jon Young and the 8 Shields Institute.
• It's curiousity-led and includes spacious time for free exploration and play.
• It uses songs, stories and gratitude practice to both inspire and support learning about our connection to nature, others, and self.
• It promotes appropriate levels of risk-taking, like climbing trees, fire making, and using tools.
• It utilizes mindfulness/awareness principles to promote a conscious awareness of our thoughts, actions, and feelings.

For more information email Vanya at: cahootsforkids@gmail.com More info: https://www.vanyalaporte.com/cahoots-nature-program/

CAHOOTS Nature Program Growing together Learning fire making skills Field trips to inspiring locations Exploring field guides Primitive skills- making leather Sensory awareness games Circle story time on the theme of the day Building and creating structures Hiking adventures Fostering the innate hap...

10/22/2021

A big shout out to all the autumn berries that fill us with bright joy and nutrients! We had an epic field trip this week to harvest hawthorne berries for teas and arbutus berries for crafting!

10/21/2021

My friend Nathan Natan DeBridge is hosting a wonderful offering!

This retreat is a deep dive in facilitated group exploration through the voice & music, nature and embodiment practices.
The theme for this season is the Renewal of Creative Path life tracking process for learning about ourselves, our unique gifts, and living with deeper connection and creativity.

Read on for more info-

Holistic Music Mentoring is a model that is designed for you to deepen your musicality, find your natural voice and tap into your creativity in a truly holistic way. This is done by accessing nature’s teachings, the wisdom of the body, and the healing power of intentional music.

10/02/2021

Day 1 of 4 for my sit spot challenge:
I am committing to do a sit spot for an hour each week for the month of October to raise awareness and support for our campaign to help make local nature programs accessible to more children. GO FUND ME for more info: https://gofund.me/5893b34a
Today at my sit spot I noticed so many racoon tracks in the mud at low tide. I have noticed them many times before but I have never followed them...today I decided to and wow I was lead on a mucky adventure where every 20 ft or so there was a hole where some digging had taken place! Unlike the racoons I was too heavy to tread too far out into the sinking muck but I could see 50+ holes dug in the bay and wondered what buried treasures they had found earlier that morning.
As I sat later on reflecting on the racoon tracks a metaphor bubbled up in my mind, "what keeps you going through the muck and what are you digging for?"
For me, what keeps me going through the muck is dear friends and loved ones who I can share my hardest moments with, cuddles, warm, nourishing foods, seeing and hearing familiar birds- eagle, heron, kingfisher, raven, hummingbirds, and, of course my SIT SPOT!
I think I'm currently digging for deeper awareness and the ability to feel more empathy for my self, others, and the natural world.
What keeps you going through the muck and what are you digging for?!
Please share and/or support our SIT-ATHON fundraiser and help us make it more financially possible for kids to partake in our local, dynamic nature programs: https://gofund.me/5893b34a

08/13/2021

We are ordering our popular, cosy t-shirts and hoodies again! If you'd like one pls let Vanya know by Wednesday, August 18th.

Great on kids and big kids alike!

06/01/2021

Did you know that building/finding shelter is generally considered the top priority in a survival situation?

It’s no coincidence how naturally drawn kids are to making forts with anything they can find. Many folks have fond memories of being a kid and building shelters in the woods just like Silka is here in our Friday program.

We spent a couple weeks back in the Fall learning and practicing how to make a shelter that can protect us from wet, cold and windy weather conditions. Getting to have a ton of fun, connect with nature and friends, all while learning ways to take care of ourselves and others in the wild is a day well spent to us!

05/28/2021

I'm excited to let you know that we will hold another CAHOOTS Nature Program summer camp this coming August! We will be including all of our regular CAHOOTS fun- games, songs, stories, wild crafting, plant exploration, naturalist training, and so much more!

Dates: August 23rd-25th (3 days)

Time: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm

Location: TBD (Burgoyne/Xwaaqw'um or a south end private property)

Fee: $144.90 (includes GST)

Age range: 5 to 10

*To register pls send an email to Vanya: cahootsforkids(at)gmail.com

Mentors: Vanya Laporte, Candice Seagull and Marie Whimbey

To read about current mentors Vanya and Candice you can see our bios here: https://www.vanyalaporte.com/cahoots-nature-program/

Delighted to introduce a new mentor joining CAHOOTS Nature Program:

Marie, also known as Sweet Pea, finds immense joy in nurturing young potential! She has been apprenticing for the last year at Thriving Roots Wilderness School in Saanich/Victoria. She knows deep nature connection and creativity provide gateways to transformation. She adores collaborating with nature’s invisible school. She shares the gifts of nature crafts, loads of laughter, therapeutic care, songs and imaginative play (very skilled in the dramatic arts and clowning!).

Photo credit: Hannah Spray Photography

05/20/2021

Here at Cahoots, we sometimes mentor...with our eyes closed!

This day we brought in fire to the Friday group. After a riveting story about the Gazoombutts, where we heard how they guarded the precious flames from the humans, the kids where ready to try and steal it from the Gazoombutt (Candice), to stay warm themselves.

Can you tell how quietly these kids are moving; looking down at their barefoot steps? They were trying to take the “fire” from the Gazoombutt without it hearing them...

They succeeded and all were warmed! It is always a fun leaning opportunity when we can tie together a story, game and skill into the day.