Schoolhouse of Wonder
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Schoolhouse of Wonder offers a highly immersive, outdoor-centric New Year's Eve experience, especially at the West Point on the Eno location. It's lauded for its unique focus on developing virtues like kindness, compassion, and curiosity, significantly boosting campers' self-confidence. The program stands out for its variety of immersive activities, low staff-to-camper ratios, and dedicated, adaptable staff who meet each child's individual needs and interests while enabling them to spend the entire day engaged with nature.
Key Highlights
- ✓Instills strong virtues and values in children, such as kindness, compassion, and curiosity.
- ✓Significantly boosts children's self-confidence.
- ✓Offers a variety of immersive outdoor activities, allowing kids to spend the entire day in nature and the woods.
- ✓Maintains low and intentional staff-to-camper ratios, ensuring personalized attention and support.
- ✓Features well-trained and adaptable staff who can pivot activities based on camper interests or discoveries in the woods.
- ✓Provides an inclusive and accessible environment for all children.
- ✓Counselors are consistently praised as 'great' and 'amazing' by parents and children.
Standout Features
- ⭐Opportunity for children to spend all day immersed in the woods and nature.
- ⭐Programs designed to foster virtues, beliefs, and values like kindness, compassion, and curiosity.
- ⭐Low and intentional staff-to-camper ratios for attentive supervision and personalized engagement.
- ⭐Staff are well-trained, committed to meeting each child where they are, and capable of adapting activities.
- ⭐The West Point on the Eno location is highlighted as a positive aspect.
- ⭐An inclusive and accessible program design.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Carefully check the weather forecast for the New Year's Eve period; prolonged rain can significantly impact the experience and perceived value for children who may not enjoy being outdoors in such conditions.
- →Be prepared for hands-on, nature-based activities that might inspire at-home follow-up (e.g., 'invest in extra vegetable peelers for at-home whittling').
- →If your child thrives in an outdoor setting regardless of weather, they are more likely to enjoy the experience even in rain.
- →Manage expectations regarding the cost, as it is pricier than average local camps.
Things to Consider
- ⚠The experience and perceived value are significantly diminished if the weather is bad (e.g., heavy rain), as the program does not offer an equivalent experience indoors.
- ⚠Considered 'significantly more expensive than the average summer day camp in the area'.
- ⚠Issues with inventory management, specifically being out of earned achievement rewards or supplies that children were promised.
Price & Value
This camp is considered 'significantly more expensive than the average summer day camp in the area'. Its value proposition is high for families seeking a unique, nature-immersive, and values-based experience with excellent staff. However, this perceived value drops considerably during periods of bad weather (rain), making it 'not worth the price' in those conditions. No specific pricing figures are mentioned, only comparative cost.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Explicitly described by a parent as an 'inclusive' and 'accessible' camp.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Not mentioned in reviews. Parents should inquire directly about food and drink policies, or assume standard camp policies of packing a lunch/snacks.
🚗Parking Info
- •Specific parking details for the West Point on the Eno location are not mentioned in reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Not explicitly mentioned regarding overall camp attendance, but reviews highlight 'low (and intentional) staff to camper ratios', which suggests controlled group sizes and personalized attention rather than large, unmanaged crowds.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Low (and intentional) staff to camper ratios ensure close supervision and personalized attention, contributing to a safer environment.
- •Well-trained staff who are 'committed to meeting each child where they are' also contribute to a supportive and safe experience.
⏰When to Avoid
- • If your child's enjoyment is highly dependent on good weather, or if you expect a robust indoor alternative during periods of heavy or prolonged rain.
- • If budget is a primary concern and you are comparing it to average-priced day camps, especially if there's a significant risk of poor weather reducing the perceived value.
Pricing/Package/Events
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
October 2
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 11
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
December 10
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Colors & Camouflage
September 29-October 3
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Tracks & Tails
September 29 – October 3
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 2
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 3
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Learning from the Land: Shelter and Fire
October 6-10
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Sparks & Spears
October 6-10
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discover Day at Whispering Pines
October 13
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Untamed Creators and Crafters
October 13-17
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Autumn Adventures
October 13-17
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
October 17
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 20
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
October 20
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at Loblolly
October 20
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 21
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
October 24
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at Loblolly
October 24
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 27
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discover Day at Whispering Pines
October 27
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Operation WILD with Single Days
October 28-30
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 30
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
October 31
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Whispering Pines
October 31
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 3
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 4
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
November 4
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at Whispering Pines
November 4
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 5
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 6
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
November 7
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Whispering Pines
November 7
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discovery Day at Brumley Forest
November 11
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Discovery Day at Loblolly
November 11
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Grow with the Flow
November 17-21
Location: Loblolly (Wake)
Best Of!
November 24-25
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Brumley Bonanza
November 24-25
Location: Brumley Forest Preserve (Orange)
Dare to Explore
November 24-25
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Secrets of the Forest
December 15-19
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Winter Wonders
December 15
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
Discovery Day at West Point
December 18
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at West Point
December 19
Location: West Point on the Eno (Durham)
Discovery Day at Whispering Pines
December 19
Location: Whispering Pines (Wake)
🍎Food Policy
- • Snacks are part of the Family Circle tradition on Friday afternoons.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Commitment to ensuring campers are safe, dirty, tired, and happy every day.
- • Low camper-to-staff ratio to ensure a nurturing and supportive environment.
- • Embraces controlled risk-taking as essential for growth (e.g., tomahawk throwing, whittling, climbing trees, jumping off rocks).
- • Safety is the top priority, with guardrails including actively engaged staff, scaffolded skill development, training, and safety protocols.
- • Proactive approach to identify and manage risk.
📅Booking Policy
- • Summer camp registration typically opens in mid-January.
- • Fall Discovery Days and Track-Out Camps are open for registration.
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Pricing can be high (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Tommy Roberson
2 weeks agoMy six year old son has always enjoyed his camp days at the West Point on the Eno location. We feel lucky to have the opportunity to send him there and look forward to more weeks this summer. ☀️
Laura Toptine
a year agoYou will not find a more inclusive, more accessible, more amazing camp than Schoolhouse of Wonder. This camp instills virtues, beliefs, and values centered on being a kind, compassionate, and curious person. My daughter's self confidence grows stronger every time she goes to camp. She loves "School of Wonder" and looks forward to going every year.
Robin Murchison
2 years agoSchoolhouse of Wonder has been my hands-down favorite camp for my kids. I love the variety of immersive activities the kids experience - and that there's always a clear plan combined with well-trained staff who can pivot based on camper interests or some fun discovery in the woods. I love the low (and intentional) staff to camper ratios, staff who are clearly committed to meeting each child where they are. Having the opportunity for my kids to spend all day in the woods is pretty great, too. Be prepared to invest in extra vegetable peelers for at-home whittling!
Michelle Mellow
a year agoThis camp is probably really great if the weather is good. Unfortunately, it rained the entire week of camp and they just don't offer an equivalent experience if it rains. It was our first experience and it was just okay. Absolutely not worth the price if it rains. Not even sure it is worth the price if it is perfect weather. It is significantly more expensive than the average summer day camp in the area. Also, my child earned some achievements of some sort but they said they actually were out of whatever it was she was supposed to get. "Supply chain issue" excuses don't hold up well at the start of summer when you've had all of our money for MONTHS to order your supplies. I'm between a two and three star review but going with two because after all the hype, it was especially disappointing. EDIT: I do want to add that the counselors were great!
Coleen Smith
a year agoI cannot say enough GREAT things about this camp! My nature and animal lover says she is too old for camp now (she's 11) but agreed to do this one with a friend. I haven't seen her this happy in months - being outside in nature all day (even in 3 days of pouring rain!), she's had the opportunity to connect with people AND nature. She loves it so much and says the counselors are amazing. She even asked to sign up for an additional week, which is truly a testament to how amazing this experience has been for her. THANK YOU to the amazing staff and the organizers behind this great camp.