kids deserve to freely play in nature with their friends
The Wonder Village is a quiet spot in the forests of Prospect Park that is just right for kids to play and interact freely and creatively while in a safe environment. There, we set up some creative stations to inspire imaginative play, such as Gaia's Closet (with costumes and props) and the Artistic Corner (with watercolor supplies and sometimes musical instruments). In the Wonder Village, children learn creativity and emotional intelligence through free creative play.
This is a unique immersive experience specifically designed by School of Wonder to reintroduce the benefits of unstructured play to the childhood experience. Small villages, community plazas, and forests used to be spaces where children of diverse ages and backgrounds would play and interact freely while in a safe environment.
With the dominance of the digital world, it is more important than ever that children have creative time in nature where they can play freely with others and explore the wonders of their imagination. Wonder Kids Club is designed to cultivate a space for children to do just that!
Today, a child’s playtime outside of school is usually within the structure of a playdate - a time organized by parents, with specific expectations and activities. In the Vox article “Playdates Are Ruining All the Fun” from 2021, Anna North writes that “Some fear that parent-organized socializing deprives kids of the chance to explore and build self-sufficiency,” but that with the re-introduction of unstructured play, “there’s an opportunity to make play more equitable, less labor-intensive for parents, and maybe even more fun.”
In the Wonder Kids Club, children choose what to do and how to engage with their environment. The Wonder Magicians hold the space and set up creative stations inspired by immersive themes that invite the children to develop their own games and stories through free play.
