Welcome to the VFS Summer Camp! Our summer camp will be a natural continuation of all the principles with which we founded our beautiful little school.
The children will be immersed in organic vineyards and fields in the tiny hilltop village of Montaldo, with 30 acres of undisturbed nature for them to explore!
Just like the school, the camp will be outdoor and nature based. It will be bi-lingual, with staff and volunteers who are both mother tongue Italian and English. Our Waldorf education backbone will allow children freedom to explore everything in an imaginative and artistic way. The camp will be free of all toxins of any kind; screen and EMR free, and completely organic in every way.
The in-house chefs will prepare the children’s lunch and snacks with the same ethos that we follow during the school year. All organic/free range and local meat. All vegetables from local organic farms, and as much as we can source right here on our own farm. The food at the VFS is a low inflammation and nourishing diet for our pupils as it will be for Summer camp participants, helping them to flourish and promoting strong immune systems.
The Summer VFS Camp team will consist not only of our full-time teaching staff (we invite you to learn more about them here), but with volunteer students from both abroad and Italy in order to have a rich cultural mix of language and backgrounds. There will be an approximately 4/5 children per counselor ratio.
The camp activities will all be led in both English and Italian.
The program will be as follows, see below for details:
*Prices will be weekly, and all-inclusive for the food and all activities, but will not include accommodation or camp Tee Shirts.
Space is limited, so please fill out this admissions form if you are interested and we will email you with our pricing.
If you are traveling and need accommodation, please click here for a list of local agriturismos.
Siobhán Madden is based in the Wicklow hills in Ireland. She is a visual artist, writer and film maker. Siobhán is also a Forest School Leader and works both freelance in schools, and with her own groups in Wicklow. She founded The Natural School of Art which works with Nature as co-faciltator to nurture our creative expressions and insights. Siobhán works with all age groups and finds the unique and creative unfoldment of children in particular, a real joy. Siobhán has a BA degree in Fine Art from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin. She is currently in the middle of a Masters in Arts and Engagment with a special purpose award in eco-arts practice, at Crawford College of Art and Design, in Cork.
Siobhán sees the interconnectedness of life and wishes to give space to nurture a positive relationship with the earth through the creative arts.
My name is Hadas, and I live in Israel. I started my journey in Waldorf education as a teacher assistant in a Walford kindergarten. I immediately felt, that I had found something I was looking for, for a long time: a warm, peaceful environment, surrounded by nature and harmony, a place where I could find rest.
Since then I had completed my BA in Waldorf education. I am playing, creating and learning through my fingers. I sew, knit, wave baskets, create with felt, and am keeping my hands busy. I study the simplicity parenting approach and help parents to create a loving environment for children to learn and explore. I raise my two young boys in that spirit and constantly keep learning.
I am a Jazz musician and a Jazz Drums and Percussion Instruments Teacher.
Since 2008 I have been teaching Drums and Percussion Instruments at the "Carlo Soliva" Musical Institute in Casale Monferrato. I have also carried out introductory courses in Rhythm and Percussion Instruments at Lower Secondary Schools and Summer Camps for young students.
During these courses, I was able to interact with children of a very young age, and I was able to ascertain their spontaneity and ease in learning the main notions regarding the use of the various percussion instruments. For the past nine years, I have been collaborating with several Day Centres for motor and cognitive disabilities - with the formation of Percussion Instrument Ensembles made up of these wonderful children. For me, this continues to be one of my most beautiful educational experiences.
I am very honoured to have the opportunity to be part of the Village Forest School and I hope to bring a breath of music and good vibrations, sure that Rhythm is an important means of communication.
Serena Brabazon has studied drama and music in London and physical Theatre at the jacques lecoq school of theatre in Paris.
She has worked for many years in children's theatre,radio and film.
She looks forward very much to collaborating with Moses, working with stories from his native land,looking at music and rhythm, characterization and storytelling in what promises to be an exciting week of dramatic exploration in its many forms!
My name is Roberto Ajmone, for over twenty years I have studied the practice and sharing of different traditions of yoga, understood as a relationship and conscious and loving participation in life.
For the last fifteen years I have been a swimming instructor, lifeguard and pool manager in various swimming pools in Piedmont, where I have had the opportunity to interact with children, young people, adults and the elderly.
Over the last few years I have been involved in Permaculture and Synergistic Agriculture, both on a personal level and by collaborating with a number of schools in the area in the context of educational gardens.
Hailing from northeastern Utah, I spent most of my childhood roaming natural history museums, state and national parks, and wild places throughout North America. Growing up with a park ranger and paleontologist for a father definitely had its perks. Camping, hiking, rafting, cycling, backpacking, mountain biking, and rock climbing were typical activities of my youth.
After 9 Years in the military, I left to pursue one of my longest dreams which was to work in Antarctica. I worked two seasons on the “Ice” from 2007-2009. I returned to University after 10 months in Antarctica and learned to fly helicopters while taking courses in Wilderness Rescue. In 2014 I began working for the US government first as an environmental protection specialist then as a wilderness and backcountry ranger.
My adventures across the globe have led me to take on many roles including international development, park ranger, wilderness guide, conservationist, environment protection specialist, and sustainability program manager. I love exploring nature with others and sharing passion for the environment with like minded souls.
I love working with children and helping them see the connection to food, the earth and their own body and health. I qualified in 2006 from the University of Westminster in London and have been helping people heal through nutritional medicine ever since. In recent years I made the decision to specialise in children’s health and wellbeing. Some years back now I also founded a company called Foodie Kids, running classes and workshops in schools, nurseries and the community. These aim to show children where their food comes from and encouraging them to have a natural curiosity in how nature can nourish us, all through hands on fun ways of exploring and cooking!
I have two sons, one 12 and my 13 year old who taught me a lot about managing fussy & difficult eaters! I now have both personal and professional experience in this area and use my knowledge in groups or one to one sessions, to help children overcome fears or resistance and gain confidence in trying new foods much to their parents relief! I’m looking forward to having fun with the children on the summer camp this year in such a beautiful setting!
I love nature, food and flowers!
Since graduating as a Nutritional Therapist in 2016, I work with people to find their way back to health, guiding clients on food and lifestyle choices.
Since 2022, I have been leading local foraging walks in the UK, teaching safe foraging techniques to identify edible plants. I have a passion for creating healthy meals, preserves and teas from my modest vegetable garden and from locally foraged ingredients. I am excited to be returning to Italy, having worked in Monza teaching English in my 20’s.
I love sharing my passion with children, including my 8-year old son. I can’t wait to be one of the leaders on this adventure and help the children have fun with food at the Summer Camp!
Fun fact! We have 3 Silkie chickens called Snowball, Shadow and Helga!
Hi there! I am Eliah Golden from Boulder, Colorado, and I am excited to be at the Village Forest School for summer camp with all of you and partaking in this amazing experience together! As a professional chef of over 20 years, my passion is rooted in nourishing the mind, body, and soul through thoughtfully curated cuisine. I focus on carefully sourcing ingredients with intention and enhance their true being and beauty through simple preparation and unique flavor combinations. I love knowing my farmers and honoring them and their land through a beautiful menu and dining experience. I thrive on tackling problems with eloquent solutions, whether I am executing high end plated dinners, or pop-up street festivals for 10,000 people. As a lover of herbalism and holistic health, my internationally inspired flavors rely heavily on the ample application of fresh and healing herbs, spices and nutrient dense ingredients. I am driven by the fundamental belief of “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” In my free time, I enjoy working in my garden, cuddling my chickens, tinkering on my various ferments and tinctures, playing the piano, travelling and being silly with my husband, Beau, and daughter, Analise.
Our activity stems from the desire to spread the culture of respect for horses, in an environment surrounded by nature and in a supportive, welcoming and non-competitive atmosphere.
One of our main intentions is to teach the children who come to visit us respect for animals and nature, and to share with other children, so as to create an environment that is educational and familiar for each of them.
Farm, garden and cooking
June 26th – 30th
Drama week with renowned English Professional Story Teller.
July 3rd – 7th
Arts and crafts week with renowned and published American Nature Art Specialist.
July 10th – 14th
Survival with Experienced international Survival camp specialist.
July 17th – 21st
Each week will include a morning gathering where we will start with singing and a few co-operative games. Then the groups will split for morning workshops.
If your child is younger than 4, Orsolina28 in collaboration with VFS is proposing an alternative for toddlers.
Orsolina28 opens its doors to the very youngest babies with four meetings over four weeks discovering, at the hands of mom or dad, movement and nature.
Details and enrollment at Orsolina28
Games, small circuits, exercises and experiences to stimulate motor and sensory development. Forty-five minutes dedicated to the discovery of space, music and movement through dance as a means of expression and contact between baby and parent.
The mid-morning snack as an opportunity to learn about nature and the gifts it offers us. Four fruits that are born and ripen as the season changes will be the theme of the meetings in the garden to discover together the importance of nature, listening to its rhythms and coming into harmony with them.
Musicality: discovering the different nuances of music. Approaching the world of rhythm and listening, with the help of some simple instruments.
Mulberries: what does the White Mulberry taste like? What about the red one? And the Pink one? How is this almost forgotten plant grown and what is its importance in country tradition.
Spacial awareness: outdoors or indoors? Let's explore the space around us and learn how to share it with others!
Cherries: There are different varieties of cherries - let's taste them together! Discovering pollinating insects that are very important for the production of our food.
Motor skills: Watch me swing! We increase coordination, mobility and body perception.
Small Fruits: Raspberries, currants and gooseberries - fruits as small as we are. How do these plants differ from the trees encountered in previous lessons?
Espressiveness: Smiles and somersaults to express yourself. Games and exercises to discover what our bodies can do.
Plums: What are Ramasins? We learn about different varieties of plums and why it is important to use local plants that grow in balance with their adversity.