Nature's Dens, Forts, & Hideouts
In this 4-week self-paced schedule, campers will imagine, create and construct hideouts and forts, dig tunnels and learn how animals and insects build their homes in nature.
Lisa Ely
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(212)
What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentClass Experience
US Grade 2 - 5
In this summer camp self-paced style class, students will join me each week on a new outdoor adventure as we learn about different animal and insect architects found in nature. We’ll cover everything (and we do mean everything) you need to know about making forest forts and woodland dens inspired by nature's original architects. From how to plan your activity to fit your location and time, to what types of structures you can make, all the way through to some EPIC tips on how to take your den, fort or hideout to the next level. Students will have the luxury of learning and creating the assignments whenever it is convenient for them. The class offers a series of pre-recorded videos that enrolled learners will have access to, as well as any instructional handouts, individualized assessments of their work and the opportunity to share their work with fellow learners. The camp director, Ms. Lisa Ely who is known as "Sport" in the camp world, will check in daily to answer any questions and provide helpful and encouraging feedback to all learners. Each easy to follow video will be dedicated to the week's focus. Videos will be uploaded every Monday morning and the time frame for submitting that week's lessons is flexible throughout the week. Why a self-paced class? * Self-paced classes are wonderful for families who have busy schedules or are sometimes unable to commit to a certain day or time. * Learners from all time zones may participate * If any questions arise, the instructor is just an email away. Schedule Interactions between teacher and students: Although this is a self-paced class, students are not sent out on their own to just do a project. I am active on the classroom board and can help or answer questions anytime during the week, and usually within 24 hours. All of this communication interaction is coordinated through the Outschool virtual classroom. Students will also interact with each other and myself by posting in the discussion boards and sharing pictures and videos of their dens, forts and hideouts projects. Feedback (and if requested, grades) will be given for all submitted items.
Syllabus
4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Mud Makers
Imaginations will run wild! An outdoor den might be a stick camp in the woods, a hideaway in a garden hedge, a leafy shelter for spying on wildlife, or a little house nestling among the branches of a favorite tree. This class is about how to build a den using mud and learning about mud dwellers in nature. Lesson 2:
Sticks and Grass
This activity is a lovely way for very small children to have a go at den building. Simply collect a handful of small sticks and prop them up against a tree trunk or fallen branch to make a mini den. Make the inside of your shelter nice and cosy with some fallen leaves. Now it’s ready for child’s favorite teddies or dolls. Lesson 3:
Oh What a Single Leaf Can Do
Get inspired by nature to use leaves and collections of them to create the ultimate hideout. Lesson 4:
Camouflauge it!
After making a great natural den, it's time to camoflauge. Learn about how animals hide in their homes and be encouraged to make your own. Other Details
Parental Guidance
Saws, hatchets and knives are obviously very useful for cutting old branches to size and stripping leaves, but we all vary in terms of what equipment we have, what we allow our children to use (dependent of course on age and exposure) and under what level of supervision. Please assess your child's level and what tools you feel the students can or cannot use.
Supply List
Most material for building should be items found outside or imagined for drawing ideas or blueprints. Other tools need may include rope, duct tape, cardboard and cutting tools. Also, a journal or scrapbook! We're going to spend the summer building the most amazing forts so we want to make sure we have somewhere to help hold onto the ideas and memories. It would also be nice for each student to have a way to document their week's build with either pictures or video.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from Pepperdine University
Bachelor's Degree from University of Southern California (USC)
Enthusiastic mom of 2 kids, Lisa Ely first learned to garden from her dad in their backyard when she was 6. Ever since there has not been a pile of dirt that she didn’t want to get her hands in.
Lisa is creator of Learn, Giggle & Grow Garden Curriculum and the co-author of three books under the Kinder Gardens umbrella. She is currently working on her next book series and a multi-media, adventure gardening experience for families to learn more and be inspired every day.
Prior to launching her children’s and family gardening enterprise, Lisa traveled the world over and over as an award-winning non-fiction TV producer and director. Some of her credits, like CBSs The Amazing Race, Discovery’s Garden Police and a number of shows on HGTV (including the Rose Parade) have helped her learn more about her garden passion.
Lisa’s always been described as a big kid and it wasn’t until she had kids that people stopped looking at her a bit funny when she would start a mud ball fight or run through the sprinklers. She admits that she’s good at playing because she’s had years of practice! She lives by her new family motto of “We’re washable!”
Lisa loves being in front of group sharing her love of everything fun in the garden. Some of her favorite classes are focused on worm science, eating the rainbow, tomato talk, soil on the move and root, stems, oh my!
When she’s not gardening she’s often with her husband watching their kids play baseball, paddling a dragon boat or playing her own version of “Chopped” to get a nightly dinner on the table!
Reviews
Self-Paced Class
$12
weekly or $45 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 7 learners
Choose your start date
Ages: 7-12
