Exploring nature (7-11 y.o.) Full days AM&PM

FULL-DAY CAMP FOR 7-11 y.o. – Autumn edition!

Autumn is here! For all lovers of nature, outdoor adventures, creativity and discovery, this full-day camp over 5 days is made for you!
Throughout the week, children aged 7 to 11 will explore the forests and natural surroundings of Geneva. Through games, sensory activities, observation, construction and creative workshops, they will discover the fascinating world of plants and animals and learn more about how nature changes with the seasons.
A fun and educational programme supervised by 2 passionate mountain leaders, where every day brings a new adventure and an opportunity to explore, experiment, create and have fun outdoors!

Monday: Forest basket weaving apprentices (Versoix woods)
Walk: 3.5 km / 1h15
To kick off the week, children will discover the forest through fun team-building games, sensory activities and small challenges inspired by the plant world. After exploring their surroundings, they will set off in search of natural materials to learn the basics of weaving and create their own small natural basket. A day combining games, nature, creativity and traditional skills, where everyone will go home with their own creation and plenty of great memories!

Tuesday: Discovering the world of mushrooms (Versoix woods)
Walk: 1 km
Children will dive into the fascinating world of mushrooms! What role do they play in nature? How are they connected to plants and animals? How do they grow, and why do they come in so many different shapes, colours, smells and textures?
Through fun games and activities, they will also discover the basic safety rules and learn how to forage respectfully. They will become familiar with these fascinating inhabitants of the forest and discover the essential role they play in the natural world.
And of course, the natural baskets they made the day before will come along for this new adventure!

Wednesday: Woodland cabins (Jussy woods)
Walk: 3 km
Today, children become true forest builders! Together, they will imagine and build a small village using natural materials found in their surroundings. Everyone will have the opportunity to contribute their own ideas, talents and creativity to bring the different structures to life. They will also create large-scale pieces of natural art to decorate their village and give it a warm and unique atmosphere.
And because every village needs its inhabitants, role-playing games will bring the village to life, with each child taking on their own character. The day will end with a small performance in the forest, imagined and performed by our young actors!

Thursday: Colours, fruits & plants (Cartigny)
Walk: 3 km
A day all about colours, discovery and creativity! Children will explore seasonal plants and fruits, learning how to observe, identify and collect nature’s treasures respectfully.
They will then let their creativity run wild through a variety of hands-on activities: creating natural paints from elements found in nature, making their own personalised herbarium, and discovering seasonal fruits through their colours, shapes and flavours.
A day to awaken the senses, learn through play and turn nature’s treasures into creative works of art!

Friday: Snails, slugs & getting ready for winter! (Chancy woods)
Walk: 1h30
To finish the week, children will meet some of the forest’s smallest inhabitants and discover how nature prepares for the arrival of winter.
With the increased humidity of autumn, snails and slugs come out of hiding… but where do they go the rest of the time? What happens to them during winter? And why do we hardly see frogs anymore? Do squirrels really hide their hazelnuts?
Through observation and fun activities, children will discover how animals adapt to the changing seasons and why every little creature plays an important role in nature.
The afternoon will be dedicated to building shelters for small wildlife, which the children can decorate using natural elements. A final creative activity that allows them to express their imagination while creating a little refuge for the forest’s inhabitants!

A full week of autumn adventures, filled with exploration, discovery, creativity and fresh air! 🍂🌿
So, ready to put on your walking shoes, open your eyes and ears wide, and discover the hidden treasures of nature?

Requirements:
Children must bring a backpack of at least 20L, which they will carry themselves. It should be large enough to hold:
– their packed lunch each day,
– a water bottle of at least 1.5L (for the day, as we do not always have access to drinking water),
– a spare pair of socks (in case theirs get wet).

They should also wear and bring clothing suitable for the weather (sweater, rain jacket, neck warmer, covering clothes, waterproof shoes, etc.).

Everything should fit inside the backpack or be attached to it (if the weather is warm). The mountain leaders will not carry the children’s belongings.
Please note that hand-held coolers and small bags are not recommended, as children need to keep their hands free and carry their own backpack.

Children must also wear waterproof shoes with grippy/treaded soles (not smooth soles). Books, electronic games and other unnecessary items are strongly discouraged, as they can be heavy to carry.

Finally, although the activities take place in nature, for supervision and safety reasons, we will need to set boundaries for the children’s play areas. We kindly ask you to remind your children of the importance of listening to and following instructions. These include, for example, not running with sticks or throwing stones. Thank you for your cooperation, as safety is our top priority.

Please note that the programme and the order of the outings may be modified depending on the weather conditions. In case of heavy rain, alternative indoor or covered activities will be provided.

Practical information

Families should drop off and pick up their children at IIL main entrance (Institut International de Lancy).

An IIL school bus will pick up and drop off the children every day to/from the planned destination.

8:30am-8:55am : welcome/registration of the children at IIL

9am: departure to the planned destination with IIL bus

9:30am-4:00pm: Exploring nature camp

4:15pm: return to IIL with IIL bus

5pm: end of camp. Parents are kindly asked to pick up their children at the IIL entrance gate

Late pick-up option possible, up to 6pm: +75chf/week

Please note that from now on, any delay in collecting your children will result in a charge of CHF 10 per child for every quarter of an hour or part thereof. Thank you for your understanding.

Should you wish to allow your child to go home alone, please ensure that you send us your written consent by email to iil-camps@iil.ch before the start of the camps; otherwise, we will not be able to allow them to leave IIL.

Lunch is NOT included. Please provide your child with a packed lunch labeled with their name each day, along with a water bottle. Morning and afternoon snacks are provided by IIL Camps and included in the price.