Zen Summer Camp for All Ages! - August 2026

 

The fifth year of Zen Summer Camp for All Ages was a blast! This year we offered a theme that extended throughout the weekend, which was the "Bodhisattva's Four Methods of Guidance." These methods are: giving, kind speech, beneficial actions, and cooperation.

Each morning the entire group gathered in the zendo for Temple Time, which included meditating to the sound of the big bell, setting up the altar, introducing ourselves, and singing a song, written and composed by Kenzan, about the Bodhisattva's Four Methods of Guidance. The children (and child-like adults) then departed for their morning activities. Each day we began the children's activities with a name game and a team-building cooperative activity, such as working together with a parachute, passing a hula hoop around the circle while all holding hands, and playing "Bodhisattva tag." We then ate snack and headed off on an adventure. 

On the first day we journeyed to the Leafye Garden, where we enjoyed munching on the bounty of the vegetable garden and then offering green beans and carrots to the community for lunch. On the second day we read the story Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, about a group of children who created and adventured in an imaginative playscape. We then carved walking sticks, which also doubled as imaginary horses. Afterwards, some of the group created their own version of Roxaboxen in the woods near Connie's Pond, while others hiked up to the tent platform on White Jewel Mountain. For the third day we split up into four groups and Jisho facilitated a community theater extravaganza about the Bodhisattva's Four Methods of Guidance. Each group picked one method of guidance (such as giving), and created a short skit, first illustrating what happens when we do not practice the method, and then the alternative when we do practice the method. The adults joined the children in the woods as audience members for a wonderful theater performance.

On each day, while the children adventured, the adults had a 30minute guided meditation, a time of discussion and an activity.  On Friday the activity was yoga for meditation, on Saturday calligraphy and on Sunday forest bathing.

After these activities, we all reconvened for delicious lunches, followed by a food offering walk and a closing circle.

Many thanks to Jisho, Daishin and family for traveling from Zen Fields in Ames, Iowa for the fourth year in a row to support this program, as well as to the volunteers who helped make it happen. We hope to see you at Zen Summer Camp next year!