Larchwod Blog
The End of an Era, and the Beginning of Another!
As I’m nearing the end of my fieldwork placement, I’m here to share some reflections about my experience developing Larchwood Farm Nature Camp over the past 8 weeks.
This has been a fantastic placement that has taught me so much about how diverse the work of an occupational therapist can be! Not only do occupational therapists have an important role working directly with clients to support their participation and engagement in meaningful activities, but we can also use our occupational lens at a systems level to develop programs that are centered around the needs of our clients. One of the most meaningful aspects of my placement was truly getting to know the Grey County community through a community health needs analysis, which now allows me to confidently say that Larchwood Farm Nature Camp will address the health needs of children living in this community. Although I love working directly with clients, this placement made me realize the huge impact that occupational therapists can have when working away from direct client care, and I believe that this experience has opened doors for me in the future to consider leadership and advocacy work.
Another key takeaway for me from this placement is all that I have learned about the benefits of spending time in nature for kids. While I have always known that for me personally, nature is a huge stress-reliever, to see the extensive benefits of nature for the physical and mental health and well-being of children reflected in the literature was very eye-opening. I look forward to using nature-based therapy in my future practice, regardless of where I end up!
One of the biggest challenges I faced throughout this experience was the uncertainty of not knowing whether the camp would be able to pilot this summer 2020 because of COVID-19. This uncertainty made it difficult to plan for the future, especially when it came to figuring out how to market the program. Unfortunately, the camp will not be piloting this summer; however, we are very much looking forward to piloting the program in summer 2021, and to offering individual nature-based occupational therapy this summer 2020 on Larchwood Farm! Stay tuned for more details coming soon!
Although I’m signing off for now, this experience has been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to staying connected to Larchwood Farm Nature Camp for many years to come.
Cheers!
Regan Chau-Stacey, Student Occupational Therapist
Larchwood Farm Nature Camp Curriculum Update!
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been developing a two-week curriculum for Larchwood Farm Nature Camp. Our camp will support day campers ages 6-12 years with physical, cognitive, social, and/or emotional challenges. Our curriculum will not only be based in nature, but it will also be based in play. After all, play is one of the most important occupations for kids! Through play, our campers will develop skills in three domains: motor skills, executive functions, and social-emotional skills.
Occupational therapists focus on enabling clients to perform their most meaningful activities. So, how will we find out what’s most important to our campers? We will use an intake assessment to identify the needs, goals, and preferences of our campers. A large part of our camp is also focused on occupational therapy student development! The curriculum will be led by occupational therapy students under supervision who will assess, observe, and evaluate campers, all while documenting their progress throughout their time at camp.
Earlier this week, I facilitated a focus group over Zoom with a handful of wonderful and extremely knowledgeable occupational therapists who were able to spark my imagination with amazing curriculum ideas and suggestions. Here are a few of the activities that our camp will include:
1. DAILY NATURE WALKS!
Nature walks are a perfect way to develop gross motor skills while exploring nature. Our daily nature walks will be guided by the interests and dynamics of the group, and we will always take full advantage of teachable moments like wildlife sightings to spark curiosity and continued exploration. After all, kids are more motivated to learn and grow when they are given ample opportunity to explore what interests them the most!
2. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS!
Yoga and mindfulness are fantastic ways to promote self-regulation skills in kids. From kid-friendly yoga, guided meditation, painting the clouds and photography, Larchwood Farm Nature Camp will incorporate daily yoga and mindfulness practice to support our campers in learning sensory and emotional regulation.
3. STEM PROJECTS!
From designing and building a sun shelter for an animal to working in teams to build floating boats made entirely of natural materials, STEM projects promote communication, cooperation, planning, and problem-solving.
4. NATURE ART!
From creating leaf rubbings to flower crowns to musical instruments made from natural materials, arts and crafts are an amazing way to be creative and have fun all while developing fine motor skills.
AND MORE!
If our nature camp is something that you are interested in for your children or someone you know, join our mailing list and receive updates about camp development and registration!
Camp Goals
01 : Improve fine motor, gross motor, coordination, and balance skills while exploring nature.
02 : Develop executive functions including problem-solving, planning, and organization.
03 : Regulate senses and emotions through participation in group activity and play.
04 : Larchwood Farm Nature Camp will run in 2-week blocks. Each session will be 10 days long.
Grey County: Colour It Your Way!
Did you know that spending time in nature promotes physical, mental, and social-emotional health for typically developing children and those with disabilities, especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? This was a fascinating yet unsurprising finding for me; a nature escape is exactly what I need when I’m feeling anxious or stressed!
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been learning about Grey County so I can get a better idea of what Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp should offer. Here are some of my findings:
Grey County is home to many tight-knit communities. The vast majority of youth living in these communities report a sense of belonging. Our camp program will build on this culture by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.
The Let’s Learn Kindergarten Registration program provides families with a growth and development screening for their children before they enter kindergarten. Families are referred to community resources if needed. However, children entering school in Grey County consistently score in the vulnerable range for motor and social-emotional skill development. As we begin to develop our camp curriculum, opportunities for skill development in these domains will be prioritized.
Children and families in Grey County experience higher rates of low income and poverty. Employment opportunities are also lacking for youth. Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp is committed to providing a financially accessible program while creating employment opportunities for youth as summer student support staff.
The need for supports for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) has been flagged by parents and professionals in Grey County. Our camp will operate an inclusion program where children with special needs (including ASD, ADHD, and FASD) and those who are typically developing come together and learn from each other.
There are many incredible services for children in Grey County that already exist including physical and mental health services, special education programs in the Bluewater and Bruce Grey Catholic District School Boards, specialized outdoor education programs and nature camps. So what makes Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp unique? Our camp curriculum will be grounded in occupational therapy frameworks and theories, and we will use evidence-based occupational therapy assessments and interventions to address the needs of our campers.
COVID-19 Update
We are fortunate that we can continue with the development of Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp while working remotely. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are uncertain whether we will be able to pilot our camp program in July and August 2020 as originally planned.
We will continue to closely monitor recommendations from public health authorities and we will only pilot our program this summer if it is safe to do so. Our priority is the health and safety of all visitors to Larchwood Farm.
If our therapeutic nature camp is something that you would be interested in for your children or someone you know, please click the form below and join our mailing list. You will receive email updates when a new blog post is created and we may also ask you for feedback during our development process!
Larchwood Farm Children's Nature Camp Update!
So the journey begins…
Did you know that Markdale, Ontario, a community only minutes from Larchwood Farm, is the birthplace of the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Canada, Chapman’s Ice Cream?
My name is Regan and I’m a 2nd year occupational therapy student at the University of Toronto. I’m incredibly excited to be joining Alanna on this journey to develop Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp for my fieldwork placement!
I’m in the beginning stages of my research to complete a Community Health Needs Assessment of the Grey County community. You may be wondering, what exactly is a Community Health Needs Assessment? Essentially, I want to learn about the strengths, needs, and resources of the community, so I can get a better sense of what our camp should offer, and to whom!
Having been born and raised in Toronto, I don’t have much experience with rural Southwestern Ontario, and I have never had the opportunity to visit Markdale or its surrounding areas. I’m extremely grateful that embarking on this project has given me the chance to learn about the unique communities and townships of Grey County, from their contributions to the Canadian ice cream industry and beyond!
Some of the questions I’m looking to answer are…
What are the benefits of nature for kids and who benefits the most?
What are the strengths and needs of kids and families living in Grey County?
Who are the potential users of our nature camp?
What health-related programs and services already exist in Grey County and who do they serve?
… and more!
Over the next 8 weeks, I’ll be posting weekly updates about my progress as Alanna and I build Larchwood Farm Children’s Nature Camp from the ground up. Stay tuned for more and click the button below to sign up for camp updates!
Check out our spring photo gallery to see what’s happening in nature at Larchwood Farm.
Exploring the beautiful Historic Distillery District of Toronto!
Nestled in Grey County on 101 acres, Larchwood Farm Children’s Camp will connect kids to nature with a therapeutic sense, guided by Occupational Therapy frameworks and theories. Our camp team will include Occupational Therapy Students, Registered Occupational Therapists and Summer Student support staff.
Camp Goals
01 : Improve fine motor, gross motor, coordination and balance skills while exploring nature.
02 : Develop cognitive functions including problem solving, planning and organization.
03 : Regulate senses and emotions through participation in group activity and play.
04 : Larchwood Farm Nature Camp will run in weekly blocks. Each session will be 5 days long.
