The annual unschoolers camp has become a permanent spot on many unschooling and unschooling leaning family’s calendars. Each year new families arrive and so the community, connection and fun grows. This Nov sees the 9th Annual Unschoolers’ Weekend.
Unschooling families will gather once again in the most beautiful of settings, sharing stories and joys, passions and dreams. It is a special time where we find ourselves in a space where our education and parenting choices are not just respected, but celebrated,
a space where we are not judged but inspired,
a space where we learn to celebrate this amazing path that we have chosen.
But most importantly, the kids have a blast, the adults have a blast, it’s an overall blast.
If that’s not enough, there’s mountain biking and biking around the resort, hiking, visiting some of the beautiful waterfalls in the area, warm and cold swimming pools, tennis, chess, a river to play in….
There’s LOTS OF EATING…
There’s also a central gazebo where people hang out.
FAQ:
Dates:
Friday the 22nd to Monday the 25th November. Arrive earlier or later as your schedule allows you to. Leaving early is hard (Just saying)…Some of us arrive on Thursday evening.
What are the accommodation options:
There is a variety available, beautiful camp sites with electrical points under huge shady tress and various sized chalets. So chose what suits your family’s needs and book directly with the resort. The website is quite informative.
We are normally a mix of campers, glampers (you know who you are;) ) and chaleters (I know that’s not a real word, but can’t think of one right now)
Book Directly with Merry Pebbles. The camp sites are unallocated, so you choose when you get there. The chalets depend on which option you choose, and you can ask for a specific unit number. We usually set up the central gazebo opposite chalet 30.
Food Options:
Cater for your own families especially littlies, fussy eaters and those with food issues, but be prepared to share. There is an restaurant onsite, and Sabie itself also has plenty of places to eat… And pancakes too…
There’s a fairly well equipped Spar in Sabie town as well.
Chalets are well equipped for preparing meals…
What else is on:
There’s no schedule for one! Things just happen!
Cycling
Cycling in and around the resort is a big deal and the kids love it!
There’s often an advanced group and a social group that organise themselves to go on an outride.
The resort is cycle friendly, so all the kids tend to ride from tent to tent and tent to swimming pools, tent and to bathroom and from nowhere in particular to nowhere to in particular.
Running
I’ve heard rumours that some people go out for an early morning run. It’s way before I arise from my slumber, so I can’t confirm if it’s true or not.
Werewolf
Werewolf is now firmly on the night calendar – if you haven’t yet, try it one of the evenings.
Forest/Waterfall Walk
We try to fit in a walk, which we can decide on depending on weather, age of kids, etc. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Warning: We have been too lazy to do a walk for the last 3 years. Maybe 2019 will be different
Swimming
There is a warm and cold water swimming pool so swimming is guaranteed regardless of the weather.
You can also hire tubes, and tube in the river in the resort.
Tennis
The tennis court is also very nicely surfaced, so if you like to play, bring your racquets.
Other
Cards, board games (Werewolfs is always a hit especially with the incredible hosts), musical instruments etc would be cool as well.
Can I attend if I’m only partially unschooling?
If you’re comfortable with unschooling, then you’re welcome. The point of the weekend is to create a time and space for unschoolers who generally find themselves in a somewhat hostile, misunderstood or unsupported environment. If you feel you will also benefit from a space like that you are welcome.
I’d like to attend but I don’t know anybody attending
Hmmm… Do we really want to have that Socialisation discussion?? Don’t worry if you don’t know anybody. In the 3 camps we’ve had so far, strangers arrived left as close friends.
What’s the age range of the kids
From toddlers to 50+… And quite a few teens… We’ve even had a 2 month old!
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask away. You can email lrc@growingminds.co.za to request joining the WhatsApp group.
Looking forward to seeing some of you.
Mother | Wife | Unschooler | Education Freedom Advocate | Child Rights Advocate | Learning Reimagined Conference Convenor | She/Her
For the last 25 years, Zakiyya has been experimenting with living and learning in freedom, also known as unschooling. She is an advocate for freedom in education. Her three children have never been to school, living instead as if the idea of schooling doesn’t exist. She has been supporting and has been consistently sharing her reflections on the intersections of unschooling with decolonisation, social change and unschooling’s foundational role in social justice. She convened the Learning Reimagined Conferences of 2017 and 2018, both groundbreaking in their own rights with the 2018 conference being the first conference globally to focus on the socio-political dimensions of Unschooling, Decolonisation and Social Change.