It has become a tradition to take our children out of their classrooms, out of the city, and out of their comfort zones to experience a couple of nights at our annual Wilderness Camp.  Halio strives to keep children connected to the earth and connected to nature.  Sleeping outdoors, playing in nature, swimming in rivers and lakes, and decorating with mud are rare opportunities for the modern child.

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The modern child faces new challenges that keep them trapped indoors such as increasing parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen.  In an attempt to combat the wide range of behavioral problems modern researchers are attributing to "Nature Deficit Disorder" (attention disorders, obesity, depression, lack of motivation), Halio strives to keep children with their feet on the ground and hands in the dirt. 

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Each year, we take the children out for a 3-4 day camp to engage in activities that bring them close to the elements, to use their senses, and to learn valuable nature-based skills.  Some activities in the past have included fire making, basket weaving, fishing, cooking over an open fire with only natural materials, rope-making, water purifying, stick fighting, camouflage and many exercises designed to heighten awareness and perception (including night-vision, balance, co-ordination, reflexes, and deep listening skills).