[Implementation Report] Day 2 Enjoy! Spring Camp @ Machida has been completed.

Well then, it is the second day of the Enjoy! Spring Camp.

There is a special "Morning Time" in Machida.
This is a time when only children who wake up a little early and want to enjoy the unique morning atmosphere are allowed to be up.
Morning cocoa and a morning bonfire are customary for Morning Time in Machida every year.
The night before, almost all the children, both boys and girls, asked the staff to wake them up at 6:00 AM before going to sleep zZ

At 6:00, the adults call out once.
Of course, if they want to sleep for another 30 minutes at this point, that is fine too, but
the adults stay on standby just in case, because if we don't wake them up, we might get scolded later.
As for the girls' room, from around 5:30 when I woke up, some members were already moving around. I noticed they were awake, but I proceeded with my preparations without calling out to them.
There was some rustling under the futons, and at 6:00, they sat up all at once.
Believe it or not, they were already wearing their jackets!!!! (lol)
They said things like, "I couldn't sleep~," but they must have been looking forward to Morning Time.
When I called out to others, even those who had been sleeping soundly woke up in an instant.
I woke up 6 out of 7, and 4 of them dashed outside.

In the cold air, we enjoyed hot cocoa while still in our pajamas.
I am sure this Morning Time has a special meaning for the children.

On the other hand, in the boys' room, it seems the staff hesitated to wake them up because they were sleeping so soundly... Not a single one woke up (lol).
There is no need to force them to wake up if they don't, but when everyone was woken up at 6:30, they apparently booed, saying, "Why didn't you wake us up!!" (lol)

The children also properly handled their morning preparations.

At 6:30, it was time for everyone to wake up.
We woke up the members who were still sleeping and encouraged them to get ready for the morning.
Some children couldn't easily get out of their futons, saying, "I'm still sleepy..." or "It's cold," but they seemed hungry, so they gradually started preparing while rubbing their sleepy eyes for the sake of breakfast.
What surprised me was the speed of the boys' team's preparations! Was it because they slept soundly until 6:30? Usually, the girls' room can even fold their futons, while the boys' room tends to be cutting it close, but this time, when I called out that it was morning and went to check on them, some were busily folding their futons and sheets!!!

Wonderful! The five of them worked together, and by the time breakfast was ready, they had almost finished cleaning up👏
Of course, in the girls' room, those who finished getting ready folded their sheets and futons one by one, and those I taught how to fold then became the ones to teach the others.
I encouraged them to teach each other, and we headed to breakfast with almost all the futons and sheets folded.

Breakfast was hot dogs, tuna mayo sandwiches, soup, and fruit.
What the children were looking forward to was the three-way soup rock-paper-scissors battle they decided on after a long discussion at the supermarket yesterday.
Everyone gave it their all in rock-paper-scissors from the morning! Even those who lost ate everything without leaving anything behind.

Morning Meeting

Now, with their stomachs full, the children started asking, "When is 'thank you for the meal'?" and "It's already 45 minutes past!"
Taking it as a sign that everyone was full, I told them what I wanted them to do before heading out to play.
When I asked how many minutes they needed for all 12 of them to finish and gather, some said 15 minutes!—which was definitely not enough—while others gave reasonable answers like 45 minutes, regardless of their grade!
Since it was morning, we decided on 45 minutes, which was just enough time to do things without rushing and have some time left over to play.
At camp, I want them to create their own fun time, so I leave the scheduling to the children.

Even when we can't quite estimate the time like this time, I value the experience of having them try it out and learn the sense of time, like "It takes this much time to complete these tasks (things to do)." Once they can make such estimates, it will be useful for their daily morning routines as well.

As a result, I was late due to payment matters😢, but everyone was able to gather at the meeting place on time✨ Wonderful~!
Those who finished early were able to spend some free time exploring outside the cabins or visiting each other's rooms (lol).

A continuation of yesterday? A new exploration? What kind of drama will unfold today?

Now, how will we play to the fullest for the remaining 5 hours that everyone created?
When we went outside, following yesterday, the bonfire squad, the stone excavation squad, and the creature search squad were formed, and a new mountain climbing squad was launched, starting the exploration divided into 4 teams.

Breaking new ground! The mountain climbing squad!

At yesterday's wrap-up meeting, several children said they wanted to explore places they hadn't been to yet, so when I casually mentioned, 'You know, there are mountains in Machida, too,' M-chan's eyes sparkled as she asked, 'Wow! I want to go! Can we go with Tagotago?' Seeing that, E-chan and A-chan said, 'Me too!!!' and joined in, making a group of three.
Behind the Nature Factory is a hill called Mt. Kusado, which is a mountain even elementary school students can climb.
However, when I asked the children who said they wanted to climb because there was a mountain, 'What do you want to do on the mountain?', they replied, 'We want to eat snacks somewhere with a nice view!' (laughs)
I see! Snacks, huh!
Apart from Koshine!, I have a job guiding mountain hikes, so I have opportunities to climb mountains a fair number of times throughout the year.
When it comes to mountain climbing, the goal is often to reach the summit, and the sense of accomplishment from 'making it to the top' is felt when you reach the peak.
However, these children had a different goal; they didn't want to go to the summit, but rather to eat snacks at a place with a nice view.
What a novel idea! Once that was decided, we chose to climb to a place called Kusado Pass, about 20 to 30 minutes one way, which is a little before the summit.

When I asked, 'It's about a 20-minute climb, is that okay?', the three of them replied with relaxed expressions, 'We walk about that much to get to school!'
We walked along, managing safety while letting the children choose their own path.
As we went higher, the slope gradually increased, and I could hear them saying things like, 'It feels like we're really climbing a mountain,' but not one of them complained about being tired as they climbed steadily upward.

After climbing for just under 20 minutes while enjoying the mountain scenery, which was different from what we had seen before, they said, 'Isn't this it?!' The trees in front of us cleared, and the blue sky spread out. 'Wow!!! Amazing!' The mountains spread out before their eyes!! We finally arrived at Kusado Pass.✨ The three of them had their snack time while looking at the view they had been longing for.

I wonder what the snacks tasted like on the mountain?😋
After this, two out of the three actually went for a second helping of mountain climbing and challenged themselves to a second hike (laughs).

The aftermath of the Stone Excavation Team

Part of the exploration team was excavating stones to dam the river flow in order to catch the same fish as yesterday.

S-kun and M-kun were excavating stones, while K-kun and H-kun were exploring the riverbank to stop the flow, enjoying lining up and throwing stones.
They were doing different things, but the goal was probably the same. Just as I was wondering how yesterday's continuation would develop, an incident occurred.
K-kun accidentally fell into the river yesterday and got his shoes wet. Today, the staff warned him that if he got them wet, they wouldn't dry, but he fell in right away.
I thought, 'Well, it can't be helped if it happens while playing!', but then another child fell in too (laughs).
In this way, a trend started among the stone-excavating boys that maybe it's more fun to just get in the water?!
H-kun, who was the only one not wet, was eventually stirred by something like a desire to see what it was like, and he started to enter the river himself, saying, 'Can I go in? Can I go in?' (laughs). In the end, he messed around with his friends and fell into the river.
Thus, everyone started walking in the water with their shoes on.
M-kun, who was disappointed yesterday when his feet got wet, looked a little happy today as he shared the coldness and the uncomfortable feeling of wet feet with everyone else in the river.
When I heard this report from the staff, my feelings were surely the same as those of the parents at home (laughs).

The two who were fascinated by fire for two days: Even if they can't light it, they love bonfires.

Now, here are S-kun and R-chan, who were also at the bonfire yesterday.
The two don't interact much, but R-chan wanted to eat marshmallows like yesterday, and S-kun, perhaps because something from yesterday's bonfire left an impression on him? Yesterday his friend H-kun was there, but today he chose the bonfire by himself.

Making kindling and preparing for the bonfire is already second nature to them. R-chan, a senior in bonfire experience, gave a little advice like, 'Wouldn't it be better to hit it over here?', and S-kun, using his experience from yesterday, tried trial and error by changing the wood to see how he could split it, each making steady progress with their preparations.
Being able to repeat what you did yesterday right away is the real thrill of a sleepover camp.

Now, a problem arose when it was time to light the fire. S-kun did the bonfire for the first time yesterday, so he had no experience with matches.
And R-chan. She often participates in bonfires at recent camps, but she had never lit a match because she always said she was scared and didn't want to.
So, who is going to light it?
'Kosuke, you light it!' the staff was asked. Huh! Adults are going to do it?
The staff, who was a bit troubled, showed them how to light a match.
'Do you want to practice somewhere other than the fireplace?'
When I suggested that, both of them were probably scared that the fire would flare up. They said, 'We'll try!', and it was decided that each of them would practice with a match once.

S-kun was the one who took the step to challenge himself after practicing with the match.
Did he decide to try it himself because he saw his friend H-kun doing it yesterday? Or did he think he could do it after practicing? Surprisingly, he succeeded in lighting the fire with his own power on the first try!👏
R-chan was also able to roast marshmallows with this, and she thanked him, saying, 'Thank you~!'
The interaction between the two through the bonfire. In this way, the circle connected by the bonfire expanded, and the three girls who had gone exploring and the girls who had been mountain climbing returned, and it became marshmallow time.

I believe that there are many kinds of 'liking' when it comes to 'liking bonfires.' There are children who like lighting fires with matches or fire strikers. Children who like lighting the fire themselves and nurturing it. Children who like watching or listening to the fire. Children who like roasting marshmallows over the fire. There are many forms of liking, and if you're playing with a bonfire, it's easy to say, 'Since you're here, why don't you try using a match?', but I think it's better if the person themselves can decide whether to challenge themselves or not, and I hope they can take on the challenge when they feel like they want to do it or think they might want to try.
R-chan's form of liking is that she likes roasting and eating marshmallows over a bonfire, so thanks to S-kun's desire to try being directed toward lighting the fire, and the staff who watched over them together without forcing them to 'try hard!', I think she was also able to comfortably fulfill what she wanted to do.

After this, these two scattered to mountain climbing and the stone-hunting team, respectively. Surely their hearts' boxes of 'things I want to do' were full.
Being able to play in a way where they can go off to fulfill the next 'I want to do this!' is also a good point of Koshine!.

Finally, a promise for the next camp over an open-air lunch.

The last meal we ate at the facility. It was windy, but we had lunch outside while feeling the warmth of the sun🌞. We were finally able to eat outside during the two days.
Looking up at the sky, we could see pollen falling from the cedar trees and found a pure white airplane flying in the blue sky. Eating outside is great after all.
There were children sitting with friends, children sitting alone, and children eating leisurely apart, but suddenly M-chan started saying, 'I want to do a 2-night, 3-day trip next time.'
Then, someone else from another place joined in, saying, 'No, maybe I want to try a week,' and the conversation blossomed with things like, 'How about a month?', 'You can't go to school for a month (laughs),' and some children even started to feel a little lonely, saying, 'I don't want to go home...'
I felt very happy that the two days were fulfilling enough for them to feel that way, and at the same time, I was very happy that the children were coming up with 'more next time!' like this.
It was a moment when I felt determined to make those feelings come true.

The children, whose stomachs were full from lunch, played to the very end. Some spent time relaxing by the bonfire, some went out to excavate stones again, some went to climb the same mountain again with different members, and some played in the pond.
In the midst of all this, this team also experienced the same phenomenon as the boys in the morning.

We were supposed to be looking for creatures during our upstream exploration, but...

This is the girls' team who found some creatures yesterday.
The three of them, who found some kind of larva, pond snails, shrimp, and a scarab beetle yesterday, said at the goodnight meeting that they were going to explore a different place today.
In the morning, they went downstream just like the boys' team and searched for creatures in the same spot.

They did a little bit of bridge building, but they really wanted to look for creatures again, so
in the afternoon, they went to explore the upper mountain area where they hadn't gone yesterday.
Since Y-chan and N-chan had been here before, they relied on their memories, saying, "We found creatures over by that pond before, right?" and started looking for creatures along the edge of the Sakai River that flows through the facility.
At first, they were just peeking into the river and trying to scoop things up with nets, but somehow they kept walking deeper and deeper.
The children kept pushing forward, climbing over rocks on a rugged path that even the staff hadn't anticipated.

What's ahead? What's over here? What's over there? Their creature hunt turned into a source-stream exploration.
I could see the three of them and the staff for a while, but as they went deeper and deeper, I eventually lost sight of them and couldn't hear their voices anymore.

While I was relaxing and drinking cocoa with the campfire group, I heard the voices of the three I hadn't seen for a while.
I could hear them calling out "Tago-tago!" from far away.
They sounded like they were having fun, so I wondered if they had found something good.
Then I heard, "So-and-so fell in!" "Me too!!!"
What?! The girls too?! It seems there was an accident during their exploration and they fell in...
Once that happens, children just stop caring about anything. From here on, their exploration became increasingly dynamic, and by the end, they looked just like the boys from the morning!

N-chan, who was the only one who hadn't fallen in, seemed to decide that it was fine to go in anyway, and jumped into the water herself (laughs).
Contrary to my "Oh no" feeling, the three of them looked like they were having a blast!
They said they went to places they had to enter, and they ran around and played to their hearts' content from the upper stream to the lower stream within the facility until the very end.
The children's ideas always go way beyond my expectations.
I ended up sending them home with a lot of dirty laundry for their parents, but every child looked like they were having a truly wonderful time.
It's fun to challenge yourself to do things you would never normally do, right? (laughs)
I was somehow healed by the sight of the three innocent children.

Camp isn't over until the final cleanup!

There were so many other games played that I can't write them all down here, and although there may be children whose names didn't appear in the episodes, all 12 of them enjoyed their two days in their own way.

Finally, everyone worked together to clean up the Machida facility where we had played so much.
They mainly cleaned the areas where they had played.
More beautiful than when we arrived. We cleaned up carefully with gratitude.

The children, having played to the very end, safely boarded the bus and departed for Aihara Station.
As soon as they got on the bus, some of them lost their energy and started to doze off.
You really played a lot over these two days.
Two days where we found many small signs of spring. Let's come and play again.

Well, this has become a grand epic starting from Day 1.
Thank you very much for reading this disorganized report.
First, I would like to thank the five staff members who played with the 12 children. Thank you.
And to all the parents who sent their precious children to us. Thank you so much. I'm sure the children have come home feeling something.
I would be happy if you could use the photos and videos as a conversation starter.
I am truly grateful that you always understand our activities and accept the souvenir of many dirty clothes and soaking wet shoes without a frown.

Finally, to everyone at Nature Factory Tokyo Machida who kindly accepted our chaotic group. Thank you as always. Please let us come and play again!

With this, the first round of our March overnight stay has ended.
Next time is the Enjoy! Spring Camp in Nikko at the end of the month.
We hope to find a different kind of spring with everyone than we did in Machida.

The activity schedule from April 2026 is planned to be released in March! Look forward to it.

Well then, see you at the next camp.
See you later!

Koshine! Tago (Tagotago)