Come and play at Kroka Village! Roast bread-on-a-stick over a fire, pick berries, wade in the brook, and float boats downstream! During this exciting week, young campers will join in the life of the farm and garden at Kroka while staying at our base camp in earthen dwellings (also known as “Hobbit Holes”). This is an introductory program aimed at cultivating imagination and wonder. The long summer days will be filled with canoeing, fort building, working on traditional crafts, splashing in the pond, singing and storytelling. Each day we will immerse ourselves in a simple life, spending plenty of time exploring the woods and visiting the animals on the farm. Children of Kroka Village is the perfect experience for young adventurers for whom this is their first time at sleep-away camp.
An Introduction to Earth Skills
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a time when all the necessities of life were made by hand from the raw materials of the earth? During this exciting week of adventure and discovery, we will settle into traditional dwellings made from poles and sod. Venturing deep into the forest we will set up a wilderness outpost and learn a variety of primitive crafts. Days will be filled with playing forest games, lighting fires, learning to cook wholesome feasts, and working with our hands as well as swimming and climbing trees. Come celebrate the wonder of Earth Crafts and return home with your own creations.
Come splash in the beautiful West River where cold water flows from the green mountains and deep swimming holes abound. This adventure hits all the marks on your summer bucket list: canoeing down a swiftly-flowing river, roasting hot dogs over the open fire, making new friends, and sleeping under the stars. Add to it a scramble up to a mountain peak, a hike to an underground mine, fishing and carving, and you have yourself a perfect summer week. We begin at the Kroka basecamp where we will pick fresh fruit and veggies and tend to the pigs, goats, cows and chickens. Driving a short way down to the West River we will embark on a two-night, three-day expedition by canoe. If the river is running we will paddle in swiftwater with one exciting rapid. If the river dries up this will be an exciting adventure of wading through the shallows, hopping across the rocks, and paddling where the river runs deep. The trip is complete with blueberry picking, ice cream, and a refreshing swim in a waterfall.
Join us in discovering the adventure of backcountry bikepacking! After tuning up our bikes and practicing riding techniques on Kroka’s bike course, we will head into the forest for a week filled with spectacularly wild mountain bike adventures. The rich history of New Hampshire has left our forests full of wondrous dirt trails alongside abandoned root cellars, mines, and wilderness lakes. We will return to Kroka for campfire meals and cozy dwellings during the first half of the week. Our next adventure will be a two-day overnight expedition. Each day will include discovering and playing in wild swimming holes, games, and evening stories by the campfire. In addition to technical riding, students will learn how to take care of their bikes and participate in community service projects. This introductory program is excellent preparation for our Mountain Bike Expeditions!
Kroka’s classic “Introduction to Adventure” program has introduced countless children to the wonders of the wilderness since its inception in 1995. It is the perfect program for campers who are ready to participate in their very first expedition. The week begins at base camp doing useful work around Kroka’s village and the farm. We will go rock climbing, study plants and animals in the forest, and learn new wilderness skills. All of this is in preparation for a three-day mini canoeing expedition during which we settle into the backcountry rhythm of campfire meals, stories, and songs. Days will be filled with swimming, fishing, exploration and crafts.
Do you love taking care of animals, helping others and digging in the dirt? Do you love exploring and playing in the natural world? Kroka’s farm program may be just the program for you! Farm Magic is filled with extraordinary adventures both on the farm and in the forest! Together we will uncover the mystery of how, from tiny seeds, we grow amazing things to eat. The magic of the living earth will present itself in front of our eyes as we sow seeds, water, weed, and harvest the gifts from our organic gardens. We will visit the animals, collect eggs, observe the bees at work, make yogurt or cheese, and cook delicious wood-fired pizzas! Afternoons will be filled with swimming, paddling, rock scrambling, games and searching for hidden treasures in the forest. There will be time for crafting, singing, telling stories and, of course, making new friends!
For novice - intermediate buccaneers
Come one and all for a two-week treasure-hunting adventure! We will form our crew and head to the coast of Maine where we will take to the sea in voyageur canoes modeled after those that have been navigating northern waters for thousands of years. On the first day, we will travel a short distance across a sheltered bay to our first wilderness island home. We will sail from camp to camp, practice fire building, and create wilderness crafts. There will be islands to overtake and explore, coves to brave cold waters in, and tidal pools to investigate. We will forage for mussels, fish for mackerel, and harvest shells and special seaweed. Everyone will come away from this week having witnessed beautiful sunsets and made lasting new friendships. Sign up to uncover some of the mysteries of the sea!
Kroka’s classic “Introduction to Adventure” program has introduced countless children to the wonders of the wilderness since its inception in 1995. It is the perfect program for campers who are ready to participate in their very first expedition. The week begins at base camp doing useful work around Kroka’s village and the farm. We will go rock climbing, study plants and animals in the forest, and learn new wilderness skills. All of this is in preparation for a three-day mini canoeing expedition during which we settle into the backcountry rhythm of campfire meals, stories, and songs. Days will be filled with swimming, fishing, exploration and crafts.