Learning Story – ‘Secret hideaways’
May 15, 2026
What Happened?
Cathy Modeste Short and Marie Speakman joined us today to share stories in the tent with small groups today. The Bushkids chose a time to sit with them and listen to their stories. Everyone was encouraged to spend some time with the Elders, and it was their choice when they would do that throughout the day.
The previous week, several Bushkids had found ‘secret hideaways’. They asked to return to their special chosen location and rebuild their forts. Some of them tried to keep their locations secret all the while still being able to see an educator, which was somewhat challenging.
While they were building and exploring the new areas, this is what we heard:
“This tree is our ancestor.”
“I’m going to tie it to this tree to make it more stable.”
“Did Indigenous people have rope?”
“This camp can be called Moss Camp.”
“I found a mini Fairy Fortress. Can we go to the real one?”
“The snow in Fairy Fortress is slowly melting.”
“Roots are like their (trees) little mouth and ears.”
Why is it Important
Healthy childhood development through outdoor risky play: Navigating the balance with injury prevention | Canadian Paediatric Society
One type of risky play is ‘play with risk of disappearing or getting lost.’
This type of play encourages the Bushkids to think about the boundaries that are set in place to keep everyone safe and feeling respected. We are co-learners. When we do this type of play, it requires a lot of trust within the whole Bushkids community. As the Bushkids get older, the boundary begins to change and grow to include more responsibility.
What’s Next?
The Bushkids are very eager to go fishing once the lake melts. We plan on spending the afternoon by the lake to look for fish and insects. The Bushkids will have the freedom to explore the site and to lead their own learning while recognizing that we are part of a community, which means that we are always responsible for caring for ourselves, each other and the Land wherever they choose to spend their dayIt means that they need to recognize that these responsibilities will often change depending on where they go.