\"I definitely want to go again!\" is appearing one after another! Over 40 years of children-led bandit camp: now recruiting participants!

Feeling great! It's the best!! Moments of playing to the fullest and freeing both mind and body completely.

The NPO GreenWood Nature Experience Education Center, active in Yasuoka Village, Nagano Prefecture, will hold the Shinshu Children's Bandit Camp for elementary and junior high school students nationwide from July 21 to August 23. Children decide the programs and meal menus themselves, enjoying activities like playing in the river, making fires, and cooking, providing an experience that liberates both mind and body in the great nature of Shinshu.

Repeat participants abound! Why do so many children say \"I want to go again!\"?

The feature of the bandit camp is the simple concept of \"eating, sleeping, playing, and working\" together with friends in nature. Yet, every year many voices say \"I definitely want to go again!\" and it remains popular through referrals and repeat participation.

The secret lies in the concept of \"children as the main characters,\" where everything is decided by the children. There is no fixed program at the bandit camp. What to play, what to cook and eat – all decisions are made by the children.

In everyday school life and extracurricular activities, children often follow predetermined schedules. At the bandit camp, they can do what they want to the fullest. They can play to their heart's content. That's why they feel completely liberated and are drawn to the camp, saying \"It's fun!\" and \"I want to go again!\"

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▲ Watch the bandit camp in video

NBS Nagano Broadcasting News featured the bandit camp!

▲ TV news coverage of the bandit camp

Children from across the country participate: The \"Bandit Camp\" that has continued for over 40 years

Decide play and meals themselves and live together

Fostering independence and cooperation in nature

About 70% of parents recognize the importance of \"non-cognitive abilities\"! How to enhance non-cognitive abilities?

According to a survey by the e-Learning Institute, about 70% of parents with elementary school children cite \"non-cognitive abilities\" as a key educational trend. Many parents feel that abilities not measured by tests are important to cope with future anxieties and social changes.

So, how can non-cognitive abilities be fostered?

Many educators and experts indicate that nature experiences are very important for nurturing non-cognitive abilities.

◆ Non-cognitive abilities fostered through nature experiences

Self-affirmation: Accumulating success experiences like \"I did it!\" in nature deepens self-confidence.

Problem-solving ability and creativity: In nature with no fixed way to play, children develop the ability to think and invent.

Cooperation and communication skills: Through camping and group activities, children learn to cooperate with others, share roles, and communicate.

Perseverance and resilience: Experiencing bad weather or inconvenient environments cultivates a never-give-up spirit even in difficult situations.

The \"Shinshu Children's Bandit Camp\" creates a space where children fully experience both the fun and the hardships by entrusting play and daily life to them, maximizing the development of these sensibilities and abilities. The camp deliberately has no clocks, and activities are basically not divided by time. They value the leeway to think, try, play, and challenge thoroughly.

For example, in river play, a child who couldn't jump in gathers courage, jumps in, gains confidence, and jumps again; they try various methods ingeniously to catch creatures.

In cooking, each group receives ingredients, decides the menu and roles through discussion, and children freely cook from making fire to seasoning.

Sometimes rain dampens the firewood, making it hard to start a fire. Even in such tough situations, they pool wisdom with friends, try repeatedly, and learn to overcome difficulties through their own efforts. (1-page overview of the children's bandit camp)

★ Recommended for first-timers! Basic bandit camp \"Basic Course\"★

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\"Experience of deciding and doing what I wanted led to confidence\" - Participant voices

\"He said, 'I had fun trying different seasonings in cooking!' At home, he made stir-fried vegetables almost by himself!\"

\"Carrying water was tough, but we called out to each other, devised ways, and managed! I also did my role to the end!\"

\"It was just too fun!! I wanted to stay longer! Life without clocks is free!!\"

\"He had lost motivation at school, but came back noticeably stronger. The experience of 'deciding and doing what I wanted' seemed to have boosted his confidence.\"

Voices continue to arrive that camp experiences of deciding and doing things themselves build confidence, make them more proactive, and develop the ability to persist even after failure.

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▲ Voices of participants and parents

The NPO GreenWood Nature Experience Education Center, which runs the bandit camp, also offers year-round nature experience activities including mountain village study abroad programs, after-school children's clubs for village children, and more. All programs are not pre-determined but left to children's initiative. The reason is that it enhances independence, creativity, cooperation, and dialogue skills.

However, entrusting children with initiative is not easy. The staff at GreenWood support children in mountain village study abroad throughout the year, and through daily practice, they are able to trust children's initiative in all enterprises.

NPO GreenWood aims to create a rich world by cultivating people's \"roots\" through experiences of life where people and nature intermingle, including camps.

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Venue: Saikyogawa Campsite and other locations in Yasuoka Village, Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture

Assembly and dismissal: Tokyo, Nagoya, within Nagano Prefecture, local

Transportation: Chartered buses (entrusted to travel agency) to/from the site

Application method: Via the bandit camp website application form, or by mailing/faxing the application form

*Please check the recruitment guidelines and capacity status before applying.

Application period: Until June 30 (Tuesday) or until capacity is reached

*May continue recruitment depending on availability

Period: July 21 to August 23 *Please check the website for details

Contact: NPO GreenWood Nature Experience Education Center, Bandit Camp Office

TEL: 0260-25-2861　Mail: sanzoku@greenwood.or.jp