Syllabus & Program Overview
Path 2: Social Dynamics with Sara the Squirrel
A 4-Week Experiential Journey in Communication, Boundaries, Cooperation, & Repair
What to Expect
- Program Structure: 4 Weeks | 1-Hour Weekly Outdoor Sessions
- Group/Individual Size: Designed for Small Groups or Sibling Pairs
- Location: Local Outdoor Natural Settings (Parks, Trails, or Quiet Green Spaces)
Each 60-minute session uses the communal ecosystem of the Oak Tree to help children navigate social friction. Rather than avoiding conflict, children learn actionable tools for clear communication, respecting personal space, compromising, and restoring relationships when mistakes happen.
Week-by-Week Curriculum
Week 1: The Chattering Rule
- Focus: Clear Communication & Replacing Whining with Direct Scripting.
- Core Activity: Pass the Acorn & Voice Wands — Children use an “Acorn Microphone” to role-play “I need…” or “I want…” scripts in real-life scenarios, then craft a yarn-wrapped Voice Wand to hold when practicing clear speech.
- Key Learning: Replacing whining, yelling, or pulling away with a calm, direct “clear chatter” voice so others understand their needs.
Week 2: The Branch Boundaries
- Focus: Personal Space & Protecting Physical/Emotional Boundaries.
- Core Activity: Branch Walkers & Boundary Stones — Children practice navigating narrow chalk/yarn “branches” using respectful verbal cues, then paint double-sided stones (“Welcome to my branch” vs. “Resting in my nest”) to communicate space needs visually.
- Key Learning: Respecting friends’ personal space and kindly setting clear boundaries for their own space.
Week 3: The Acorn Compromise
- Focus: Sharing, Turn-Taking, & Collaborative Problem-Solving.
- Core Activity: The Oak Tree Build & Turn-Token — Working in pairs with shared natural resources to build a single nest, followed by crafting a double-sided nature Turn-Token (My Turn / Your Turn) to manage game turns fairly.
- Key Learning: Understanding that sharing is a collaborative negotiation where everyone gets to keep playing together.
Week 4: Patching the Nest
- Focus: Restorative Apologies & Relationship Repair.
- Core Activity: The Rebuild Challenge & Nest Patches — Practicing a 3-part restorative apology script after simulated accidental “oops” moments during construction, then weaving a tangible “Nest Patch” to represent their commitment to fixing mistakes.
- Key Learning: Moving beyond an empty “sorry” to deliver a restorative apology that actively helps repair the relationship.
What’s Included Every Week
- 4 Live 1-Hour Outdoor Sessions: Fully guided, nature-integrated experiential groups.
- 4 Original Weekly Social Stories: Beautiful, character-driven digital stories to reinforce skills at home.
- Nature-Integrated Crafts: Tangible, weekly take-home tools (Voice Wands, Boundary Stones, Turn-Tokens, Nest Patches) that remove adults from having to play “referee.”
- Home Connection & Parent Scripts: Actionable phrases provided during the 5-minute debrief (e.g., “Are you on their branch right now?”) to mirror exact language at home.
- Caregiver Reflection Handouts: Weekly guides summarizing Sara’s core social concepts for long-term consistency across home and school environments.
Every Child’s Needs Are Unique
We build flexible, customized plans tailored specifically to your family (with single-child and sibling options available).
Ready to start the journey with Sara?