2018 Golden Teddy Awards — Camps + Classes

Winner: Wilderness Awareness School

Perhaps your kids were apprehensive about their first camp experience, but Wilderness Awareness School has topped this category so many times that we’re betting your kids are begging to go again. The organization’s programs give a great many city kids a huge dose of nature, along with the skills needed to really relish their time outdoors. Day camps and programs for young kids begin with basic skills, while overnight camps and expeditions for teens impart serious survival techniques. And parents love the exceptional staff: “The counselors seem to really ‘get’ the kids and the fact that each child is an individual and has different needs,” says one parent in a website testimonial.

Finalists

Parents can’t stop talking about Community Nature Programs. Campers learn about the Pacific Northwest through hands-on activities in week-long environmental education programs that include going on scavenger hunts, creating nature art and playing games.

Professional environmental educators introduce kids to Seattle’s largest city park at Discovery Park Nature Daycamp (Seattle Parks and Recreation). Four distinct habitats and 8 miles of trails make this camp the perfect place for kids to learn about nature without leaving the city limits.

Voters already know Nature Vision day camps foster a love of nature and environmental stewardship in every camper. This summer marks a growth year for this organization, with new day camps in Bothell, Shoreline and on Mercer Island joining the already robust lineup of camps.

Parents rave about the caring yet challenging environment at Seattle Audubon Nature Camp. While campers have been exploring nature at this camp’s Magnuson Park locale for more than 30 years, this year parents can also choose offerings at its new location at Explorer West Middle School in West Seattle.