Date: April 20, 2025
Place: Sawai, Tokyo
Participants: 4 campers, 3 LITs, 2 care worker, 9 Mirai no Mori staff, 3 sponsors
Sponsor: Avery Dennison

This year’s Back to Nature Easter Game Day program landed perfectly on Easter Sunday. Among the campers who joined were seasoned veterans, as well as a first grade elementary school student experiencing Mirai no Mori for the very first time. We also welcomed three enthusiastic sponsor volunteers from Avery Dennison, who jumped into every activity with smiles and high energy.

In the morning, campers formed teams with festive names such as Blueberry Easter, Yellow Egg Hunt, and Pink Bunny, and kicked off the day with a quiz that dove into the themes of Easter and spring. We explored how flowers and leaves emerge from seemingly nothing, reminding us that nature, like each person, always holds new chances to grow. Embracing this theme of new beginnings, we held a heartfelt goal-sharing circle. With fewer campers, we had the unique opportunity to sit together and give everyone space to speak. The goals shared were diverse and inspiring- from trying new dance genres, being a supportive senpai on the soccer team, and standing up for others, to taking better care of personal health and facing fears.

We then went back into teams for the first game of the day: Sneak Peek. This is a game that tests memory, communication and teamwork. With every round, teams adapted and improved their strategies together. Lunch by Tama River was made even better by a cool spring breeze. After eating, we enjoyed a slower moment of chatting, basking in the sun, building rock towers, and skipping stones. 

The afternoon called for lots of movement, so we started with a warm-up session led by our LITs, getting everyone ready for running games like Shark Tag and Capture the Bunny. Although there were fewer participants as usual, both games were dynamic and allowed campers to not only speak up during team strategy discussions, but push themselves to take risks during the games.

We ended the day with our usual reflection time. As part of our “Kiss Your Head” tradition, program staff highlighted one camper who demonstrated Courage, the value of the day. That camper was then invited to give themselves a pat on the head: a small but powerful gesture of self-recognition and confidence-building. Each camper also received a stamp on their reflection journals- part of a collection of original stamp designs made especially for us by Avery Dennison, a fitting touch from the day’s sponsor. 

We look forward to keeping the momentum from this strong start of the new school year going, as we create new learning opportunities within a fun and safe space for the children we support. A huge thank you to Avery Dennison for making this program possible and special!

“I had a leg injury last year and today’s running games made me realize I’ve lost some stamina. I want to focus on building it back up this year and being able to enjoy being active again.” by camper, 7th grade

“It was my first time playing Capture the Flag with so few people. At first, I did not think it would be fun but everyone joined in and had a great time regardless. I also got to communicate well with my team.” by camper, 7th grade

“I just started my last year of high school, and my goal is to enter university once I graduate. To do that, I want to improve my study habits and make better use of my time after school.” by LIT

“The children in my charge changed in April, and I am currently working on building a good relationship with them. The Mirai no Mori program was a great opportunity for me to just have fun with the children, and bring that connection back to our everyday life.” by care worker

“The highlight of today’s program for me was hearing everyone’s personal goals. I thought some campers might not want to speak up, but everyone shared and received support from the group. It’s powerful to share your personal goals and feel that others are cheering you on.” by program staff