In the design of this five-day camp, we invite the Wonder Kids to imagine a future that is also hopeful rather than is just a story of despair, especially with relationship to climate change. We prompt them with questions like, “Are there different possibilities, and what could those be?” and encourage them to tap into their creative and imaginary selves as important skills for nourishing and building hope. Like most School of Wonder-based methods, we find ways to link real knowledge with wonder — this time prompted by a magical newspaper from the future.

As a program that offers adventure-based learning for 5-11 year olds, School of Wonder restructured our offerings last summer by separating the Wonder Kids into two groups: Wonderers (grades K-2) & Adventurers (grades 3-5).

Now arriving at the end of our first full-calendar year of split age group offerings (and our first graduation!), here are some reflections on how we made the decision and what we’ve learned along the way.

The first session of our Social Democracy camp over this past Spring Break led the Wonder Kids to (re)discovering the tenets of the U.S. Preamble, guided by the central question: what does it take to live in peace and freedom? In the second session, they were prompted to apply what they learned by creating their own Wonder Town. Want to take a tour around what they built?

In reflecting on this social and political moment, we realized there is perhaps some similarity between the moment the “Founding Fathers” found themselves in then and the moment we find ourselves in today: a world that has lost its way into chaos, a world looking for a compass towards peace and freedom. Maybe this could be the place to begin, as most School of Wonder adventures do — with a compass. 

You are a Wonder Kid. Your mom drops you off at 9am, and you find a cozy spot on the “living room” (a picnic blanket) to keep your snacks and backpack. Chill music is playing in the background, and you decide to start the day with watercolors. You paint what you see — some kids are climbing trees, others playing Elemental Tag, others building a fort out of sticks.

Madi Zins has been an immersive leader in our Wonder Adventures in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and at Dance Beyond and other festivals Upstate. Immersive storytelling is a key element of our wonder approach.

Gaia sends the Wonder Kids two enchanting visitors who leave behind trails of creativity and musical notes that linger like whispers in the frosty air.

Puppetry creates a container in the forest in which care, kindness, and social interaction is encouraged.

At the School of Wonder, we strive to establish an environment in which Wonder Kids can become conscious global citizens who act in service to the environmental and social causes of our shared home.

“The future can be how we want it to be! We just have to build it!”

The Wonder Magicians are the creative teachers and guest artists who guide the Wonder kids through adventures – but they’re also so much more. Here you’ll learn about the incredible people who facilitate the after school programs and Wonder Camps!

“Something that I've learned from this opportunity has been that social emotional growth can happen and it's way faster than I would have thought” - Nicole (5th grade teacher)

The theme of this recent Spring Break Camp, Guardians of the Community, brought the Wonder Kids on an adventure to explore the people and places in our neighborhood who care, protect and give personality to Brooklyn’s local culture. In the five mini fields trips throughout the week, here is what they discovered.

Essayist, poet, and wonderer Maria Popova speaks at the New York Society of Ethical Culture in Manhattan, and School of Wonder reports back on what we learned.

A few Wonder Kids scurry across the park — printed-off ballot forms in hand — asking voters to come by the poll to vote for their most aligned manifesto. There is an hour before the poll closes and already voters are coming through to have their voice heard. Real electoral democracy happening before everyone’s eyes!

Using the map to find the portal, the group reaches the back end of the Wonder Village. A black squirrel scurries across the group—Gaia is sending the group a guide to the portal! The Wonder Kids follow the squirrel, crossing beyond the previously set Wonder Village boundaries into a newfound freedom together.

Everyone runs over to the Temple and starts to envision what the space could look like. The most immediate realization is that there are no flowers in the Temple. With paint brushes and watercolor palettes, the Wonder Kids decide to bring the Temple of Flowers to life on paper.

Your kid’s desk is the atelier of wonder, where all the creativity and inspiration happens. Here are some basic conditions to create an inspiring space, and some key supplies good to have them handy when they want to express themselves creatively.

Our outdoor after school program takes place in the “Wonder Village” - a whimsical forest in Prospect Park where kids go on missions that lead them to play together and build relationships.

This is a free activity for parents to bring some wonder to their beach days - Building a DIY fort with your children is always an unforgettable experience! You just need to bring two blankets, some string and a few more optional things, such as clothespins or hair ties.