Date: December 9, 2024
Participants: 10 campers, 3 LITs, 5 Mirai no Mori staff & interns, 4 sponsors
Sponsor: Morgan Stanley

As we enter the last month of the year, we are lucky to be able to visit care homes for special end-of-year programs. We recently visited a care home with Morgan Stanley, who has been an incredible partner not only in 2024 but for many years, sponsoring multiple Back to Nature programs and bringing inspiring role models as volunteers to our outdoor programs. Many campers from this particular care home have met Morgan Stanley volunteers at previous programs, so it was heartwarming to see participants reconnecting. 

The visit was scheduled for the late afternoon, a time when care workers are particularly busy with dinner preparations and can leave the children in the hands of Mirai no Mori, using up their energy after school and club activities. Once teams were formed by a mix of campers, LITs, sponsor volunteers and interns, we pressed play on a classic Mirai no Mori game: running tic-tac-toe! Led by veteran LITs, this game, often played during our summer camps, is a great balance of teamwork and friendly competition. After many rounds of the active game, cheers, laughter and learning from the difficulties of working in a team, we ended the day with reflection. Campers were happy to end their Monday with fun, and LITs reflected on how they could have led the activity better for next time. ​

A huge thank you to the Morgan Stanley volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to join us for this cheerful care home visit.