Things to Bring

Food

• Your own breakfasts and lunches [take into account that there are pancakes for Sunday breakfast and possible leftovers for Sunday Lunch.
• Organic beans or tomatoes for refried beans, tortillas, other filling eg. cheese, sour cream, salad bits.
• Salad/bread for Saturday pot-luck.
• Small plate to share for supper at Saturday night party.
• Sunday night dinner, eg sauce, salad  to accompany rice or pasta (will be provided)
• Your own mug!

Cash- for pancakes, market, smoothies, juices, fruit [there will be a beverage and snack stall.]

Fun stuff

• Drums, instruments, fire sticks, board games to share, 'F' costume for Saturday night, items to sell at Market [if you want to], concert item.
• Any toys, activities for young children to play with eg. blocks.

Remember your swimming togs, sunhats, and insect repellant too.   :)

Activities During Retreat

Friday  17th Feb


12:00 noon.

• Arrive, 
• Settle in, 
• Swim
•  Flag making

4:00 pm.

• Sharing our stories and unschooling journey.

6:00 pm- Dinner- shared Tortilla, refried beans and salad.

Evening-

• Fire circle- drumming, music, singing.
• Sharing our stories- (continued if necessary)
• Glow Worm walk -.  for those interested

Saturday  18th Feb

7:30 am.

• Yoga [or similar]
• Breakfast.

9:00 am.

• DISCUSSION.

10:30 am.

• Wild Food Walk with Steve Porteous. [ http://human.org.nz/ ]

LUNCH

1:00 pm

• Dad's perspective on unschooling.

3:00 pm.

• DISCUSSION

5:30 pm.

• Shared pot-luck dinner.

7:00 pm.

• Parade with flags and drums
• Fancy dress dance party- theme- The Letter 'F' [fun, freedom, fairies, firemen,...??].

                                                    Let your imagination go wild!

Sunday  19th  Feb

7:30 am.

• Yoga/similiar.

8:00- 9:00 am

• Pancake breakfast- 50c each.

9:00-10:30 am

• Marketplace.

This is for children and adults to sell, trade and buy new, secondhand, handmade, craft, services [eg. massage]. Get creative!

10:30 am - 12:00 pm.

• DISCUSSION

Lunch.

1:00 pm.

• Women's circle.

3:00 pm

• Interactive Nature School with Steve Porteous.

4:30 pm

• Kids Forum- older children talk and answer questions about their life as an unschooled child.

DINNER [To be decided.]

7:00 pm

• Blackboard Concert. Come and share your talents! Music, drama, dance, poetry..

Monday the 20th

7:30 am

• Yoga or similar.

BREAKFAST

Pack up, clean up. 

Final group session and closing.

LUNCH

Short bush walk, group game/activity. (Capture the Flag)

River swims.

Fire/afternoon tea.

What are discussions?

We are running this retreat as an informal and fun way for people to discuss a variety of topics and connect with other unschoolers. Discussion topics can be roughly covered by "The Challenges of Unschooling" and there will be a blackboard to  add specific questions and topics to share.   There will be a microphone available and a facilitator.

 Topics may include

 - Meeting the different needs of different ages/stages of your children

 - How unschoolers learn to read, write and do maths

 - Meeting your own needs

 - Changing needs/older children/when they want to go to school

 - Reactions/questions/support from family, friends and the wider community

 - Unschooling philosophy as a holistic life philosophy

 - Children's role in your family - jobs, pocket money....

Funshops!!


Running alongside the discussions, women's circle and men's discussion there will be the following fun activiites....flag making, flax weaving, string games, stone painting, drum and shaker making, knot tying, making bull roarers, playdough, Poi (TBC), cricket.
We also have a lot of mad musicians so please bring instruments.

Fun fun fun!!!

Did you see unschooling on TV?

If you missed it you can still watch it!

Last March the Sunday programme filmed two families in the Manawatu and presented a great, positive story about unschooling in New Zealand.

To watch it go to the Sunday archives and look for "Free Range Kids".

Let us know what you thought.

What is happening at the retreat?

Apart from a beautiful river to swim in there will be plenty happening at the retreat too!

We plan to keep the retreat very low key, with plenty of time to catch up informally with other unschoolers.
With this in mind there will be the following sessions....

Share you own story
Dad's perspective on unschooling
Women's circle
Meeting your children's different needs
Blackboard of topics to discuss under the broad heading of "challenges of unschooling"

Wild food walk/ interactive nature sessions
Flag making
Nature based co-operative art installation
Poi
String games
Knot tying
Kids market place (have your own market stall!)
Pancake breakfast
Music making
Glow worm walk
Dance party

There will be fresh juice and smoothies available to buy.

watch this space.....