Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2026
Place: Mitake, Tokyo
Participants: 20 campers, 3 LITs, 9 care workers, 12 Mirai no Mori staff, 10 sponsors
Sponsor: Oracle

Inspired by Kid’s Crafts Day in Japan in June, timed with the rainy season, our Back to Nature program brought together the creativity of nature and the creativity within each camper for a full day dedicated to crafts, both outdoors and in. This program welcomed a wonderful group of repeater campers, ranging from first year elementary school students all the way up to middle schoolers. We were also lucky to be joined by 10 employee volunteers from our generous sponsor, Oracle, who jumped right into the activities and made this program possible.

The day began with orientation, and a few brave campers volunteered to lead the Welcome, speaking in front of the whole group in both English and Japanese. Their act of courage and teamwork was a perfect way to set the tone for a meaningful program.

Once everyone settled into mixed age teams, blending different communication styles, personalities, and grade levels, we dove into a crafts themed quiz, learning about craft tools, materials, and traditions from around the world. Campers were especially curious about popular craft materials from abroad, and we made sure to have plenty on hand for them to try out later in the day.

As if on cue, the rain paused right as teams were ready to head outside for nature art, creating art using nothing but materials found in nature. Before starting, we looked at inspiring examples from artists in Scotland, Cuba, and Germany, sparking conversation about what each team wanted to create. 

Art can be a solo pursuit, but this part of the day was all about collaboration. Teams fanned out to gather rocks, twigs, fallen leaves, and fruit, transforming them into 3D sculptures and scenes, many with playful, Mirai no Mori themed titles.

“I’m proud of the nature art my team made. We built a small onsen using a puddle from the rain, made characters out of fallen fruit, and decorated it to look like a real mini onsen.” Camper, 4th grade

“The rain was making me sleepy at first, but I got energy from everyone. Nature art was my favorite- I got to make an interactive house!” Camper, 5th grade

As the rain returned, teams headed back inside for a bento lunch together. It was a relaxed chance to get to know teammates better, including Mirai no Mori volunteers and our Oracle sponsor volunteers, who came from a wide range of backgrounds.

In the afternoon, campers moved into individual craft time, inspired by the idea of omamori, charms found in cultures around the world. We talked about crafts as a way to express yourself, a way to give something meaningful to someone else, or a way to bring luck. Crafting has existed in many cultures and many eras, and it was the campers’ turn to make it their own.

The craft table was overflowing with options: foam boards, felt, pipe cleaners, bells, stickers, googly eyes, bamboo, wood, and yarn. Even when an original idea didn’t go quite as planned, campers leaned into the challenge, a great lesson in thinking outside the box and embracing a fresh perspective. We’re always amazed by the inventive ways campers use materials, often in combinations we’d never have thought of ourselves. Afterward, everyone pitched in together to clean up.

“There were so many new materials, and I made tiny chickens with cotton, googly eyes, and paper. I used a rock from outside so I can stand them up and put them in my room.” Camper, 4th grade

“I made four different crafts that I’m taking home, including one using real bamboo that I cut myself.” Camper, 2nd grade

“I love trains, so I made the Chuo Line track using sandpaper and other textures.” Camper, 6th grade

“I join Mirai no Mori programs often, but there’s always something new. This was the first time I made a craft name tag for a friend.” Camper, 6th grade

After a day full of artistic exploration, teams came together to share their crafts. Many campers had explored the five senses in their work, with bamboo flutes you could hear and crafts with all kinds of textures and colors to touch and see.

During reflection time, campers opened up about their creative process throughout the day. Some felt most connected to outdoor nature art, while others loved discovering new materials to create something special to take home. 

A huge thank you to Oracle for you ongoing partnership, making yet another program come to life and bringing enthusiasm to the day!

“I felt happy seeing the children show a side of themselves that they don’t usually show at the facility. When you’re inside a facility, both adults and children can sometimes become narrow-minded due to limited exposure, so having opportunities like this to connect with society and other facilities broadened our perspective, and it was a lot of fun.” Care Worker