After-school activities

Harambee is a Swahili word meaning "all together." It's Cuarto Creciente's after-school nature workshop for children aged 3 to 12 in Logroño: a hands-on learning space where nature is the classroom, and play, exploration and cooperation lead the way.

We combine Montessori principles (independence, concrete experience, a prepared environment and respect for each child's pace) with tools from scouting: learning by doing, outdoor life, orienteering, knots, camping skills and care for the environment.

Three age groups (60-minute sessions)

• Harambee I (ages 3–6): explore, discover and care.

• Harambee II (ages 6–9): experiment, practice and cooperate.

• Harambee III (ages 9–12): apply, plan and take on responsibility.

What they learn

• Exploring and understanding nature

• Environmental care, recycling and sustainability

• Orienteering with compasses and maps

• Knots, lashings and shelter building

• Packing a backpack and outdoor living

• Safety, self-care and basic first aid

• Teamwork and community service

A school year in five stages

1. September–October · Discover and care: plants, insects, animal tracks and recycling.

2. November–December · Find our way and build: compasses, codes and trail signs, shelters, knots and water filtering.

3. January–February · Getting ready to head out: backpacks, survival kits, first aid and no-cook recipes.

4. March–April · Living in nature: orienteering, building, knots and camp cooking.

5. May–June · Bringing it all together: cooperative challenges, environmental care and community projects.

Sample activities by group

• Ages 3–6: painting with natural materials, planting seeds, "little paleontologists," no-cook recipes, first steps with a compass and simple shelters.

• Ages 6–9: secret-code messages, basic knots, a homemade compass, orienteering, animal tracks and insects, first aid and packing a camping backpack.

• Ages 9–12: maps and orienteering, knots and lashings, building with logs, trail signs, camp cooking, pitching a tent and a community service project.

What a session looks like

1. Welcome and group agreements.

2. Introduction to the activity, materials and safety rules.

3. Main experience: explore, build, find our way or solve a challenge.

4. Wrap-up: sharing, tidying up and a short reflection.

Safety first
Every activity is adapted to the children's age and carried out under supervision. Outings off school grounds, real fire and camping only take place with family authorization and specific planning.

Because we believe the best lessons come from experience, and that growing up also means discovering the world with curiosity, respect and enthusiasm.