The Unexplored Forest
after school Free Flow fun
The Wonder Kids After School is a space for creative, unstructured play brought to life by props, costumes, and mysterious missions. Once these elements are in motion, the Wonder Kids let the magic happen themselves, playing together in wonder. The following post, a part of a blog series journaling these sessions, captures the explored mysteries from Halloween week.
The bright orange “Wonder Village” banner hangs across two tall trees at the entrance to the forest next to Litchfield Villa: another Wonder Kids After School session is ready to start! The Wonder Leaders anticipate a cold, rainy day, but the Wonder Kids are showing up in the short-sleeved tops that are normally, by late October, tucked away in suitcases under beds until spring. One Wonder Kid finds a stick that looks like a hand with three fingers and introduces himself to two first-time Wonder Kids. Another make green tape bracelets for the Wonder Leaders. An excited Wonder Kid grants herself the honor of commencing the session: she rings the welcome bell, a few too many times, and everyone rushes over into the blanket-made living room, snuggling together for the opening ceremony.
The first prompt is to update the group on the Halloween costumes they are planning for the coming weekend. One Wonder Kid is no longer going to be a dice, another has two (!) costumes, and another shares she got divorced yesterday from her best friend so they can dress up like brides and get married again this Halloween like they did last year. The group reviews the community agreements but with a twist introduced by a Wonder Leader. The Wonder Leader provides a scenario, and the group tries to guess which community agreement is associated with the scenario. One Wonder Kid is ready for the challenge, correctly guessing the first community agreement. Another shares a scenario where his school takes away outdoor space for the next two years to fix the school’s windows. A classmate of his chimes in, agreeing the school is taking away the community agreement of freedom. The group discusses that sometimes freedom can be restricted for it to be expanded later on. A Wonder Kid follows up with another hypothetical scenario: the leaders give the Wonder Kids more freedom by expanding the forest boundaries around the Wonder Village. All the other Wonder Kids jump up in agreement!
It’s almost as if the Wonder Kid posing the hypothetical knew exactly what Gaia had in store today. A message arrives to Gaia’s mailbox hanging from a nearby tree, and the messenger of the day runs over to retrieve it for the group. There are whispers from some of the older boys that they shouldn’t get excited about Gaia sending messages anymore since it happens every week; but talk is cheap—everyone, especially the older boys, eagerly crowd around the group as the message from Gaia is read aloud. One of the new Wonder Kids reads first, and then another joins in as support. The message says that the keys from last week successfully opened a portal, and a beautiful illustration shows where the group can find the portal beyond the Temple of Flowers, deep into the unexplored forest. 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.
In the message, Gaia hints that once in the portal, the group can find tools to help protect from storms like the previous week’s tornado. The Wonder Kids are charging through the new world, searching for clues from Gaia. One quieter Wonder Kid yells in excitement, “PORTAL!” her first words of the day. The group comes across a beautiful tree, home to a mysterious red plastic bag hanging on it’s trunk. “I think there’s throw up in that bag,” someone says. “Gaia must want us to use it for something,” suggests another. The Wonder Leaders remind the group that Gaia wants her guardians of the natural world to think carefully about what may be unsafe in nature, and thankfully that suggestion helps everyone move on from the red bag. In the blur of the chaotic search party, someone finally discovers a tarp hiding behind a tree towards the back of the forest:
“IT PROTECTS US FROM THE RAIN!” SHOUTS AN ASTUTE WONDER KID.
The Wonder Kids get to work building a shelter for the Temple of Flowers. One kid is on clothespin duty, another collects rocks, and another takes on the role of expert knot tier. One Wonder Kid removes himself from the group, feeling sad. Several others stop by to ask him if he’s okay. Although he doesn’t respond, they take turns sitting by him. One in particular stays for an extra long shift, eventually encouraging the Wonder Kid to get up and rejoin the group. The tarp construction is swift and sturdy, and just in time for a quick drizzle that comes through. Under the tarp, a small living room is created where a Wonder Leader and three Wonder Kids pass around the Ukulele playing versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” one kid freestyling a Wonder Camp jingle into the rhythm. The Temple of Flowers is really starting to feel like a home.
The session meets some sustained chaos as two boys want to use the plastic coverings and blankets to build their own shelter at the home base instead of at the Temple of Flowers. They begin their own project just as clean up time begins. Assigning tasks becomes challenging for the Wonder Kids, but one kid gets to work on the tarp, and a crew of kids help a Wonder Leader get the costumes and props back into the suitcase. There’s an attempt at a closing ceremony, but the group is struggling to share their favorite part of the day. One of the new girls shares that she loved building the shelter to protect us from the rain. As she’s saying this, a glistening orange sunset shines through the trees. It feels peaceful for a brief moment, and then the repeated ringing of the gong is heard, a Wonder Kid mischievously smiling with the bell in hand. Another wonderful session comes to a close!
If you’d like your child to join our after school adventures, you can read more information here!
