Risk, Safety, and Health

Risk Management and Risk Tolerance

As a program to re-wild and unfetter children and society, conversations about risk tolerance are imbedded in our programs and risk is inherent in many of our activities. We believe that a healthy engagement with risk is essential for being a whole human and having a healthy childhood. Our programs require that your child/children have an ability to manage some physical discomfort.

Activity Risks

Wonder works to find the right balance between healthy nature play and ensuring participant safety. We generally hope that participants can feel more free and wild in their play at Wonder than other aspects of their lives. They will likely get muddy, may get scraped knees and hands, will likely sweat, get tired, wind up bug-bitten, be exposed to a diversity of more-than-human friends, and feel the sun on their neck. In an effort to re-wild childhood, we tend to believe that society’s efforts towards creating “controlled” environments (including playgrounds and other spaces) often actually increases, rather than decreases risk. These efforts definitely inhibit our innate wildness. Humans are designed to thrive in unpredictable, dynamic landscapes and activities. During childhood we lean in to this unique opportunity to nurture an affinity towards uneven trails, unpredictable weather, physical discomfort, and other well managed risks. Wonder programs will always have appropriate supervision parameters, use technical equipment when necessary (for climbing activities), and ensure that appropriate skills and knowledge will be imparted prior to all activities.

HEALTH.

Observed Precautions/Social Guidelines:

  • Integrating the COVID-19 pandemic, Wonder will monitor any health risks and create appropriate health and safety plans accoringly.
  • Participants are requested to remain home if they have signs and symptoms of illness, including fever, sore throat, cough, and others.
  • We will always have hand washing stations set up at both camp bases and at the toilet.  Participants will be supervised in regular hand washing with soap.
  • Participants will not share food, but rather ask that all children pack 2 snacks in addition to their lunch.
  • Facilitators will offer physical touch for any child who has been injured or needs comfort. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be used.