Why Do Children Scatter Birdseed on the First Day of Dancing Jaguar's Spirit Camp?

by Eva Goulette

The first day of Spirit Camp is filled with excitement and learning as children are introduced to the many sacred tools we use throughout the week. Spirit Campers become acquainted with five sacred tools, and we spend much of our day designing, constructing, and crafting each of them while we are building a foundation of trust, compassion, love, and acceptance for our community.

Most children who attend Spirit Camp do not know other children when they arrive at our location. It’s important for the work we do to create a container in which our campers feel safe, seen, and heard. When children feel safe, they can share what’s going on in their inner landscape as we discuss their experiences after guided meditations, shamanic journeying, and more.
By spending the first day of Spirit Camp creating our sacred tools, we have ample time for conversations, questions, answers, and getting to know one another. By the end of the day, Spirit Campers have developed friendships and built a camaraderie that will serve them well as we progress from day to day.
One of the first tools we create is a pouch that is used to hold birdseed. The children construct a design for both sides of their pouch and use markers to add color. Some campers choose to add a long ribbon to it so they can hang it around their neck like a necklace. Each time we go outside, children take their pouches with them. As we gather materials from the natural world (acorns, pinecones, etc.) to take back to our classroom for future craft projects, the children sprinkle a pinch of birdseed on the ground as a thank you to Mother Earth for all the wonderful gifts we receive from her.
On the first day of Spirit Camp, we introduce the importance of expressing gratitude for the bounty we receive from nature. That practice continues throughout the week, so by the end of the week, Spirit Campers have scattered birdseed over much of the property.
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Birds love Dancing Jaguar’s Spirit Camp, too!
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Eva presents a free webinar on July 27th, where you can learn more, ask questions, and discover all the benefits of becoming a Spirit Camp Teacher.  Click here to learn more.