The story of the Wild Craft Play Nov 4th Special Day
For those of you who missed this extraordinary day
You will find highlights below
Of Ogre’s tales, youth sharing skills
And archery in the snow.
Navigate downwards
And pleasantly you shall find
Stories that require, imagination
And an open mind.
Gratitude (in the Northeast)
Thank you, to all of you, who not only attended this great event but those who provided resources, believe in what we are up to and constantly breathe air into the fire that drives this passionate vision. Fostering a deeper connection to self, others and the environment through creative play, arts and nature is not a small task. Yet something draws me to learn by doing, having fun with the purpose of facilitating and regenerating resilience as nature intended. Through these efforts, more children are believing in and becoming more deeply connected to nature, and are having incredible conversations about what we can do to be pro-active for the Nature. It is happening, thanks to all of you!
Jamie Black
Founder & Fate of Wild Craft Play ‘sCool
Inspiration (in the East)
Nov 4th was an extraordinarily Special Day! What you may not have known was that this was the first time I had ever offered a Wild Craft Play inclusive game experience, and what I witnessed was magical. There were youth who have social anxiety, who would have been too nervous to share in front of others, let alone talk to strangers, yet because the task was to sleigh an Ogre, this was a very outside the box concept, and felt almost real. The youth spent many hours together (a big success), figuring out how to problem solve and make decisions together for the first time (another BIG success), without getting overwhelmed (wahoooo), all in the SNOW (AHAAAA!). Muahahaa my plan is working! Ok maybe we didn’t need to kill something to generate this kind of ridiculous fun, but the whole concept was created by the youth, for the youth, so I couldn’t help but feed the fire.
When everyone came together, the realization was that everyone who was meant to be there, was there. The beaming faces and anticipation of what was to come was inspiring. A big part of Wild Craft Play ‘sCool theory is the concept of not knowing what is coming next. You’ll often hear “that’s for me to know and for you to find out.” It is like a hook that causes an internal motivation to discover.
One of the successes of this day was bringing together youth of all different shapes, sizes and abilities. This was an inclusive program (a more, able-bodied experience), where the youth had to come together and come up with a plan. SEE STORY OF THE DAY below for more. The most inspiring part of this adventure was how the protective guards of social anxieties and personal fears of public speaking, or even sharing one’s talents was overcome through pure adventure. An adventure that was crafted by the youth for the youth. An adventure that these children will remember.
“There’s something about the way that you lead those children. It’s child-led-learning, yet somehow you facilitate the whole experience like a story. I trust that my children are in good hands, and when my children come home, they are filled with stories and excitement. They are so engaged in what you do. Thank you Jamie.” Fiona Thiessen (mother)
Motivation (in the Southeast)
There were many people who could not attend this event, yet who expressed genuine interest in not only participating, but wanting to know more. If this is one of you, I’d like to invite you to sign up for a some-what regular email filled with updates, highlights, educational information and stories about what Wild Craft Play ‘sCool is doing.
Also, if you are moved by what you have experienced, and want to contribute, you are welcome to do so by contacting Jamie Black at jamie@wildcraftplay.com or call 250-927-7923
Presently, we are seeking support for the following:
- Outdoor gear for youth ages 14-17; gumboots, rain pants, mountain bike gear, gloves, thermals, wool sweaters, fleece pants and sweaters. (slightly used is welcome)
- Upgrade of archery equipment: targets, arrows, bows (Approx $200)
And we can always use help with spreading the word about our plans…
Our Focus (in the South)
Current Programming
- For Winter, our youth will be exploring the great outdoors, catching stories and crafting dreams. Watch for highlights of their adventures at facebook.com/group/wildcraftplayscool
- We are no longer accepting any new participants for this semester (contact us in March for the April intake).
Upcoming Programs & Workshops
- The New Year brings a new approach to spreading the word about Wild Craft Play ‘sCool programs and workshops. Watch for updates on our webpage wildcraftplay.com/programs/wild-craft-play-scool/ for more information about;
- Programs that come to you – hire us for 1.5 hours to facilitate nature-based experiences, options available for length of adventures
- Day-time programs
- After school programs
- Visit wildcraftplay.com/hire-us/workshops/ for a list of workshops available.
VIDEO BREAK (in the Southwest)
YOU GOTTA SEE WHAT THE YOUTH FROM DRAWN BY NATURE CREATED!!!
Story of the Day (in the West)
I couldn’t wait to sit down and share the biggest story of the Nov 4th Special Day. Youthful Apprentices have spent many hours creating an awesome adventure. The build-up was fantastic. I tend to play like nothing exciting is going to happen, so after we all shared a meal (which by the way, thank you everyone who brought food!!), we ventured out into the great white out-of-doors. I waited to see what the youth wanted to do, asking if they wanted to do archery. Even the skilled archers in the group were nervous about pulling a bow in the snow. I wonder why?
We gathered around the single archer and allowed everyone to have a go, even our smallest, I think he is 4 years old. Click on the image to go to @PQBNews.
This event was for all ages to give people an idea of what we were up to. I found it difficult to market exactly what was going to happen, because if you knew ahead of time what the epic adventure was going to be, it would ruin all the fun.
Anyway, back to the story…
“PPPPpppssssst, Fate, what are we going to do about the O – G – R – E ???” Says Fahl L’earth, the old man. I played along and loudly whispered “I don’t know…” and once we had everyone’s attention, I continued in character “I’m so sorry, we didn’t think it would effect you. You see, our Sorcerer Ire has cast an enchantment spell on the Ogre, and we thought it wouldn’t effect anyone, but we think the enchantment spell is wearing off.”
I didn’t exactly have the older ones hooked, but the 10-year-old’s seemed intrigued.
“You see, we heard that this Ogre came here from another realm, and he wants to attach our Lord of the Land, and the only way we can sleigh this Ogre is by piercing it’s eyeball.”
The youth were still just standing, skeptical.
“So we are going to have to figure out just WHO is going to be our valiant archer who must do the deed?” Nobody knew who was more skilled, so as a group they self-organized and started aiming at the target. It turned out that our eldest teen modeled the strongest archery skill. She accepted the role of sleighing the Ogre, and we all walked over to the edge of the forest. The energy of the group was ignited, as they all saw the 10 foot high Ogre stuck in a tree.
Watch these videos that captured some of the adventure…
When it got down to the last arrow, and the eyeball wasn’t actually pierced, Fahl L’earth had a plan. We were to link arms and whilst having one person standing as a ground outside the enchantment ring, the rest would cross the river and have someone grab an arrow and pierce the eyeball.
When the deed was done, the rest of the story continued, you see, the Ogre had swallowed something, and if that item had fully dissolved in the stomach contents of the Ogre, it would have
FROZEN THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PLANTS, ANIMALS AND HUMANS FOREVER!!!
The items were retrieved, luckily, and kept safe by Ehco, our fearless Rogue.
What to do with said items now… hmmm… to be continued.
Reflections (in the Northwest)
Upon reflection of this uber-fun day… We learned a lot! We learned that we need to dress warmer for the weather, that someone should bring veggies to a potluck. We learned that it isn’t so hard to share our skills, sometimes we just need some time to warm up to everyone. Socks warm up faster if you put them on the heater. When hosting an event, it’s good to keep it simple. Rather than melding 3 intentions into one, next time, we will make it more specific, clear and direct. We want to play the game more, so stay tuned for the next adventure!
Integration (in the North)
These teachings are being integrated into further programs being offered in Central Vancouver Island. If you have been exposed to these grand adventures, what are YOU doing to keep the spirit of adventure alive?
In Closing (back around to the Northeast)
What an incredible blessing it is to play with all of you, share stories and grow, on this mission to Foster a deeper connection to self, others and the environment through creative play, arts and nature. It’s happening!
Acknowledgement goes to Connor Wildeman for editing the youth video, and to Jon Young et al. for the theory of the 8 shields model that we follow. www.8shields.com
Until we meet again!
Jamie Black
Facilitator & Fate of Wild Craft Play ‘sCool