Hear first Hand How Through the Trees Pursues the Art of Sheltering!
Through the Trees is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in a beautiful forest setting in Freeport, Maine. They gently guide and invite children, teens, families and adults to connect with the wonders of nature by providing transformational experiences that awaken and enliven the mind, body and soul.
As with most years, this fall has revealed a passion for shelter building amongst the kids and teens in our Nature Immersion Program, so we dove into some really lovely shelter projects with all ages. Over the years, our Guides and Teen Mentors model some shelter building, and often there are group efforts to construct a larger debris shelter. For the most part, however, this interest is driven by the children and teens, and they learn through trial and error and their own research, with our staff supporting them along the way.
It is always fun when a particular project catches the attention of the whole group, with enthusiasm and inspiration abounding. Younger children often visit the older groups for inspiration and work more closely with Guides to ensure shelters are safely built. Older children and teens design and construct some impressive shelters and continue to delve into perfecting them. It’s a pleasure to walk around to each cohort and see these incredible projects that are taking shape week after week. Through shelter building kids learn a wide variety of important skills - planning, engineering, design and physics, yes; but also teamwork, communication, and how to try and fail and try again in the pursuit of a creative vision.
If we take the long view, something that looks like play and could easily be misconstrued as frivolous, offers kids a deep learning opportunity. Year after year, kids learn from the lessons of previous attempts (theirs and others) how to build a shelter that will keep them dry and warm in the winter months, but also is beautiful and can house their many creative pursuits. They feel sad when their roof leaks or their walls get blown down by the wind, but after they move through the sadness, they inevitably start to rebuild, or repair, or start again. This is the type of learning that will stick with our children through their lives, learning to lean into their pursuits even if they aren't perfect on the first try, learning to think through challenges and problem solve, and learning to appreciate the joy of a job well done.
Psst... You can get ready to “build” your perfect look with our Shelter outerwear!
Made to keep you warm and dry playing outside in chilly and damp weather, the Shelter Jacket is a perfect option for warmer damp weather and for the in between seasons. The Shelter Jacket does exactly what it says: provides shelter. How? HELLY TECH Performance fabric is waterproof, windproof and breathable. As an added bonus, this jacket has a removable neon hood and a reflective print on the sleeves to keep kids extra safe. Use this jacket when you need a highly waterproof and breathable option for all day outdoor play.
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