With Pés na Terra, they organise treasure hunts, traditional games – from the handkerchief game to sack races, and even the ever-challenging egg-and-spoon race – as well as many activities connected to farm life. Children plant and harvest seasonal fruits and vegetables in the Farm Village Guincho garden (which they can then take home) and interact with the chickens and rabbits. “They learn about these things at school, but don’t get to practice them. Soon we also want to start making small carpentry projects, so they can learn how to build things themselves”.
Joana advocates a programme (which, for now, accommodates 30 children at a time during the holiday camps) that is free and fluid, without a rigid schedule of activities. “I never want to dictate what we do each day. I respect each child’s individuality, how they wake up each morning, whether they’re ready for a particular activity or not. They will always do things in the garden, with the animals, nature-based activities, or play with the kitchen or the mud, but nothing is pre-defined. We have boundaries, but we don’t impose rules; we respect the children and their time, what they want to do. If we plan to plant something and a child doesn’t want to, they can naturally go and do something else, no problem”.
With the summer holidays coming to an end, Pés na Terra will be running again during all school holiday periods, both for public and private schools. But weekends are for enjoying here too. From this September, Saturdays will become open-house days, allowing parents to make their own plans while the children stay entertained, at least from 9.00 to 16.00. “Parents want to be everywhere, but often don’t have time for themselves. And many times they don’t feel confident or comfortable hiring a babysitter, which can feel very impersonal”.
On Sundays, the aim is precisely the opposite: to bring parents and children together for fun and quality time, always with a nature-focused programme featuring Pés na Terra activities. “It’s a refuge to connect parents and children, so that parents aren’t spending time with their kids on their phones or whatever”.
At the same time, Pés na Terra is preparing to host other types of events at Farm Village Guincho, whether baptisms, birthday parties, adult-themed parties, or even brand activations. “I don’t know of tents like this that can accommodate events with so many people; it’s something we also want to focus on”.
