Summer Elements Nature Camp
Priority registration opens February 2nd. General registration opens February 9th.
Location: Round the Bend Farm, South Dartmouth, MA
2026 Dates: July 7 - August 13. Tues, Wed, & Thurs only | Time: 9am-3pm | Ages: 5-9 y/o
Summer Elements is a drop off Summer Camp that takes place at Round The Bend Farm(RTB): A Center for Restorative Community, in South Dartmouth, MA. RTB is a living laboratory that cultivates, educates, and empowers people of all ages.
Campers pick fresh vegetables, add to composting systems, feed livestock and free range chickens, climb trees, make mud-pies, and learn about the ecosystem around them.
Using the natural setting of the farm, fields, and nature trails, Elements provides a holistic learning approach that supports the wellbeing of the whole child. The children are outdoors, immersed in hands-on learning of local ecosystems, healthy movement, food systems, art, literature, mathematics, science, music & social thinking.
Each weekly session of Summer Elements Nature Camp will have a different focus of exploration in nature for the campers. If the week you are interested in is listed as FULL, you can join the waitlist through our Customer Portal!
This summer, we’ve designed two age-based learning tracks so returning campers continue to grow with new, developmentally appropriate content each summer!
*Week 1: July 7-9 - MiniBeasts: Campers will learn the important role that insects and bugs play in our ecosystem, and will learn which bugs are garden friends and which are garden foes.
*Week 2: July 14-16 - Birds of Prey: Campers will study our local raptors such as hawks, eagles and ospreys, learning their hunting and nesting habits, and how to identify them in the wild.
*Week 3: July 21-23 - Wild Foraging: Campers will gain important skills for safe foraging (including only with permission from an adult), learning 5 simple and safe wild plants, like clover and wild onion, to forage for around the farm.
*Week 4: July 28-30 - Pollinators: Campers will learn about the various pollinators on the farm, some familiar such as bees and butterflies, and lesser known pollinators like hummingbirds!
*Week 5: August 4-6 - Tree ID: Campers will get to know several common trees on the farm, learning how to differentiate them and about their historic uses to indigenous peoples.
*Week 6: August 11-13 - Butterflies: Campers will learn all about these important pollinators, including the life cycle, larval host plants, and the migration patterns of common local species.
Summer Elements Adventure Camp
Location: Round the Bend Farm, South Dartmouth, MA
2026 Dates: July 7 - August 6 Tues, Wed, & Thurs only | Time: 9am-3pm | Ages: 9-13 y/o
Each session of Adventure Camp has a unique craft for the campers to explore and get an exciting hands-on education experience. Courses include; Woodworking, Hiking & Survival Skills, and more!
*Week 1: July 7-9 - Day Hiking & Survival: Campers will practice essentials needed for a safe and fun day hike in coastal New England. Campers will have the opportunity to learn first aid practices, explore navigational skills and tools, and immerse themselves into the natural ecosystem in the least invasive way!
*Week 2: July 14-16 - Natural Dye Camp w/ Kori Ellis of Falling Off Trees: Kori will guide campers through the process of foraging and creating natural dye from found plant material. Each camper will take home a hand dyed article of clothing or accessory.
*Week 3: July 21-23 - Foraging: Campers will learn to confidently and safely identify medicinal wildflowers, plants, and herbs. Together, we will forage for ingredients to make our own tea, bug repellent, first aid salve, and other herbal infusions.
*Week 4: July 28-30 - Woodworking: Join artist and educator, Becca Levi, for a week of woodworking skills!
*Week 5: August 4-6 - Nature Journals: Join us as we make paper, have daily drawing and observation exercises, and build journals from the ground up!
*Week 6: August 11-13 - Sculpting with Nature: Join us as we make seed bombs, masks, and fairy houses while learning the basics of sculpture! Our main materials will be natural items we find outside while taking walks and learning about nature, combining natural items with paper mache and natural clay.
Scholarships & Program Cost
Scholarships are available for both Nature Camp & Adventure Camp and are awarded to those in greatest need.
Please apply by March 1st if you need a scholarship. Applicants must also create an account on our Customer Portal. We aim to award Summer Camp scholarships on May 1st. Scholarship applicants are not required to pay a deposit until their slot & scholarship are confirmed.
Registration
*Registration is limited to 4 sessions per child.
Registration for Summer 2026 will be through our new Customer Portal!
Elements Sliding Scale Tuition: Help Elements redefine wealth and wellness by investing in nature education for all!
Tier 1 - Pay it forward! Covers the full cost of your program and a portion to a family in need.
Tier 2 - Covers the full cost of your program.
Tier 3 - A subsidized option. Covers a partial cost of your program to meet the needs of families with fewer resources.
COST PER WEEK: Tier 1 - $270 | Tier 2 - $250 | Tier 3 - $215
Please use promo code TIER2 to select Tier 2 pricing and TIER3 to select Tier 3 pricing at checkout.
Payment
A non-refundable $50 deposit, per session per child, is due at the time of registration. This deposit is included in the total cost listed above. The remaining balance is due by Friday, June 12th.
Cancellations & Refunds:
Cancellations made within 4 weeks of the start date of the canceled session will not be refunded. Cancellations made prior to 4 weeks will be reimbursed, minus the $50 deposit.
*Elements is a 501(c)3 non profit and welcomes all participants without discrimination.
*All Elements in-person programs for children are licensed by the Dartmouth Board of Health. Parents can view our Family Handbook for our year-round ENP program, that includes all of our policies including health and safety procedures.