Wild Human Event Parent-Child

Travel Stories

For months Kees and I had been looking forward to this – the parent and child wild human event in the woods!

At least, let me be honest, I had been looking forward to this for months. Kees (just 7) of course had no idea what to expect so he preferred to play with his friends at home.

Then again, that’s the magic of adventure: you don’t know how much fun it is until you’re there, and once we got to the parking lot where everyone was gathering, he was the first and highest to raise his hand when asked “who’s really looking forward to today? I think he was reassured that there were a lot more kids his age, he always finds that very sociable.

The event takes place at Quadenoord Nature Campground and “our” site is tucked deep in the woods so we spent 15 minutes cozily walking together down the path that was getting quieter and greener before arriving at the already lit campfire where we all set out our chairs/seat flaps.

The day starts with coffee and a cup of spruce needle tea while the facilitators introduce themselves. Milou is the nature expert and Lotte the “natural play” expert.

We do an introductory game with a piece of wood and then we split into 2 groups. One goes for a walk with Milou and learns all about the different conifers, types of mosses and sees woodpecker houses in the trees. The other goes into the woods with Lotte for games with leaves, trees and each other. There is giggling with laughter. Whereas some children (ages 6-13, by the way) were still hanging on to their parents’ legs in the beginning, they are now coming unglued.

Then it’s time for the lunch we cut ourselves together; wraps! Everyone gets a cutting board and knife and the wraps go on the grill above the fire. Kees eats mozzarella and tomato, I really shouldn’t bring that up at home but apparently it’s all good here.

In the afternoon an important task is on the program; build a shelter for the 3 felt gnomes that Milou has brought along. Each parent-child combination finds a suitable spot and gets to work with wood, leaves, bark and moss. Kees doesn’t really want to do anything else afterwards but build his gnome villa.

However, the next activity is even more fun if possible: making fire! We use knives to scrape off small pieces of wood for tinder and then get to work with flints. Kees (and I think all children and secretly adults as well) is completely in his element. What a great day!

While the parents then devote themselves to dinner prep and setting up the tent, the children disappear into the woods with each other for a secret practice session of a dance performance.

Very nice to experience this in pairs, at home dad and Kees’s little brother Pol of 4 are always there and of course we do many things separately (work, school, daycare, playing with friends, reading). Now a whole day together with common games and tasks gives us so much valuable connection. I resolve to do an activity like this with each child at least 2x a year.

For dinner, we all look for some dry wood for tonight’s campfire and then all pass by with our tray by the pan of curry cooked over the fire. Dessert is a surprise: banana with chocolate in it on the grill! By now it is dark and Lotte tells another exciting story by the fire. After this, it is time for Milou and Lotte to go home and those who stay overnight stay behind around the campfire. The children play camp games until late (so sweet the older children explaining everything to the smaller ones) and tag until they literally fall down and sleep wonderfully in the tent.

It ended up being only 1 day and night, but this felt like a week. Everyone agrees: there isn’t anything more fun to do with your child!