Wilderness Kids Go Camping Over the Weekend!

Left to right: Wilderness Kids students Alice and Helena, along with staff member Matt, enjoy a refreshing snack of salted watermelon on a hot afternoon in Prince William Forest.

This past weekend, middle school students from Wilderness Kids embarked on the program's first camping trip of 2026. The group ventured out to nearby Prince William Forest, the largest protected natural space in the greater D.C. metropolitan area. With 15,000 acres of forest and streams filled with plenty of natural and American history, it served as the perfect location to immerse oneself in nature, in what was many students’ first time ever sleeping in a tent!

At Fort Ward Park in Alexandria, students got to know each other, played some games, and made their own group agreements for how they wanted to support each other while trying new things. Next, they enjoyed a short 45 minute drive to the campground, where they learned to set up their own tents. After a yummy lunch of fresh sandwiches, the group set out on a hike to a beautiful swimming hole in the forest. On a hot Saturday afternoon, this was the perfect place to be, splashing around and cooling off while surrounded by butterflies, trees, and the sound of gently cascading waterfalls. The students enjoyed this spot so much that we may have to visit again this summer… the days are only getting hotter!

Left to right: WKA students Selvin and Ava consult the map to find the right way down the trail; Alice, Fabrizio, Ava, Selvin and James begin to dip their feet in at the river's edge; students cool off and play beneath small cascades on the south fork of Quantico Creek.

Back at camp, the group worked together to prepare a delicious and colorful dinner of walking tacos. WKA staff love having these buffet-style meals on camping trips, as they offer lots of personal choice to students, and they leave everyone well-fed after a long day spent outside.

Left to right: Nyla, Helena and Selvin eagerly wait to be served a hot dinner, James and Sahori prepare to wash their hands with castile soap, camp chefs Fabrizio and Kailey instruct the group to grab a bowl and line up single file.

As the sun went down and the forest grew dark, this group of students still had plenty of energy and excitement to spend time with one another. They all went on a silent night walk before settling down for s’mores around the campfire. As the last glowing embers died, they climbed into their tents to rest up for the next day.

Wilderness Kids gather around the fire with hand-picked sticks to roast their marshmallows.

In the morning, students woke up to the sun, and got ready for another hearty meal. There are many simple pleasures in life, and one of them is eating big pancakes on a Sunday morning. The student chefs outdid themselves once again, serving up cakes of different shapes and combinations of chocolate chips, berries, and maple syrup.

Everyone pitched in to pack up the campsite and make sure that it was left better than they found it. For the final activity of the weekend, the group went on a short nature walk, where they each got to pick a spot in the woods to sit back, write or draw in their personal Wilderness Kids journals, and reflect on their action-packed weekend in nature. Each student finished the activity by independently walking through the woods back to the group.

Kailey enjoys a solo walk through the woods after a short journaling session.

WKA staff enjoyed hearing how this activity made them feel (“peaceful” and “relaxed” were common responses), and reminded them that this can be replicated anywhere, not just on a Wilderness Kids trip. At home, in a bedroom, in a nearby park or patch of green space, kids can set aside a few minutes to slow down, reflect, and write or draw as a healthy creative outlet. Bonus points if it’s somewhere outside though, because WKA knows that reflective time in nature comes with plenty of health benefits and improved outcomes for kids of all ages and identities.

As they returned to Alexandria, the kids and adults alike felt renewed with a strong sense of community with one another. They left the forest with silly memories, new friendships, and fresh inspiration for more adventures to come this summer!