Components

• Meeting with Parents and Participants: Information and a packing list, meeting with discussion  
• Parents: Q&A and explanation of safety standards
• Participants: Getting to know each other and discussion about expectations, questions and fears

Download: Example of a packing list for participants

Through preparation we can ensure that the participants know what to expect, what to pack and minimize their fears. Parents get to know the team and learn to trust the program and workers.

• Leaving home
  • Leaving comforts and many daily-life objects
  • Hiking to camp (around 1km is suitable)
• Natural environment:
  • Rooty paths instead of paved sidewalks
  • Rain jackets and tarps during a rainstorm instead of a roof over their heads
• Simplistic lifestyle
  • Simple living quarters (often tents)
  • Majority of communication is with participants in group (limited phone use/social media)
  • Pioneer-techniques for building

Living in a (likely) very different environment – immersed in nature, in a group setting and reduced to simple means – causes many participants to leave their comfort zones. Through this setting, participants may gain greater appreciation for everyday conveniences but may also find it refreshing to live a simplified life.

• Defined rules
• Reflection and feedback 
• Natural group development through the stages of Tuckman´s model (Wikipedia-Article)

The group goes through stages of development and will experience varying group dynamics, have conflicts and learn to resolve them. Participants may gain competence in giving feedback and reflecting on the outcomes of their own behavior.

1. Knotting-Skills

• All necessary knots are shown to the participants. They learn to do the knots with the equipment in low heights.  They can test and improve their knotting-skills together with the leaders. The participants should not be overwhelmed by too much input. There needs to be enough time for everyone to try the knotting. The participants can help and give feedback to each other.

2. Tree Climbing / Belaying

• Here the participants learn the technique for tree climbing. They also learn how to put on and adjust harness and helmet and how to do a body-check. The body-check is necessary every time someone put on the climbing gear. The participants check each other to ensure everything is safe to use.
• Here they can have their first experiences with heights and they can test their personal boundaries in relation to heights.
• Besides that, they learn the fundamental skills for belaying. They can experience what it feels like to be secured and secure others. The safety system, which will be used at heights later, is put up in low. The participants can try out the belaying system and crew members can give helpful advice.

3. Equipment and Safety at the Construction Site

• All important tools and materials, which are used during the building process, are shown to the participants. Every object will be named, so everybody knows which object is which. A safe way of using and securing tools is shown.
• General safety rules are announced (wearing helmet, proper clothing, etc.)
• The pulley system will be explained and shown. The participants can try it out and put it up themselves.

4. First Aid

• The right behavior in case of emergency will be explained to the participants. The crew members who are in charge of first aid will be introduced, so the participants know who they can contact if there is an (small) injury.
• Rescue und evacuation plans will be explained.

5. Living in the Camp

• The whole camp site is shown to the participants. Where the toilets, showers, kitchen, material warehouse, etc. are. Some camps use this for participants help to further the camp's infrastructure (building showers, fireplace etc.).
• During the camp it will be important to keep the tents nice and tidy. The participants will learn how to organize themselves in their tents.

The participants need a solid fundament of knowledge and skills for the treehouse camp. All these basics are provided during the workshops. The focus here is more on the straight hard skills and knowledge, but it will help later on and minimize trouble later on.

The tasks to be completed are distributed throughout the group in a meeting. Here it is important that the participants voluntarily agree to complete them. Leaders should steer the group and support the process without giving many instructions. Targeted reflection can be helpful in certain situations. Leaders should also keep the overall process in mind and plan for future tasks.

The participants will experience that together they are able to build a complete tree house. In the different steps of the work they can work on their personal limits and competences. Participants will reach their limits and have to learn to deal with them. It is important that they are encouraged to accept their personal limits, but also the limits of others. An "I can't do any more" can be more courageous than an "I'm going on".

During the planning process it is important that the participants learn that each individual is important and needed. This promotes self-confidence and increases the willingness to take responsibility. Open and free planning communication encourages creative thinking and puts the focus on possibilities instead of obstacles.

Tree climbing is about coming to terms with one's own fears and to go beyond one's own limits within appropriate limits.

Communication and teamwork is required when tying knots, as these (with the main beams) are always done in pairs. In addition, despite a stressful situation, it is necessary to work precisely and accurately.

A high degree of communication is required when moving and especially when lifting the main beams. Here, individual participants can test their organizing and coordinating skills.

Throughout the construction process it is important that the participants develop a culture of safety that is conducive to the process of building and the community. Few, clear rules that everyone has to follow are more helpful than a long list of detailed restrictions. Rules should be discussed and reflected upon with everyone so that they are accepted by all. Here participants automatically take responsibility for themselves and the group. Mutual admonition and control (buddy check) is expressly desired.

Discussion Methods for During and at the End of a Session:

• Traffic light method
• Smiley method / thumb-rating method
• Discuss the day with another participant
• Small group reflection
• Postcard / pictures methods
• Find an object which describes the experience or emotion

Practical Actions

• Draw a picture of the highlight of the day
• Write a journal or journal entry (as group or individuals)
• Go for a walk alone
• Look at photos of the day

Through guided and solo reflection participants can process their feelings, appreciate their own work and the work of others, become cognizant of their inner thought processes and describe these with suitable words.

Various activities can be used here. The participants can think up their own creative projects (e.g. building a swing, or making a film). There are workshops, games and walks.

Special elements for all are the move in day, rest day, 24 hours in the treehouse day, and visitor's day. Upon moving in it should be clear to everyone that building is now finished and that there is time for other things. On the visitor's day the work is presented to family and friends.

Download: Methods for living in the treehouse

During the Program

• Letter to self
• Create a souvenir

After the Program

• Reflecting and debriefing as group 
• Making a video / photo collage
• Post-experience meeting
• Participants offer a workshop to teach others hard skills

Effective postprocessing leads to long-lasting take-aways in soft and hard skills. Through tangible items of reflection the participant can relive what they have learned later.