Building a better world is an important part of any healthy, naturalistic spirituality, and this can be fun!  This summer, as the pandemic hopefully winds down, opportunities arise to pass along our Naturalistic Pagan spirituality to future generations and enrich our own experience!

But how can that be?

Being that we are still a small group – being a subset of both Pagans and Atheists, we don’t have a full Naturalistic Pagan summer camp for kids yet (though like those larger groups, we are growing rapidly).  Still, as many of us know, we can get a pretty good Naturalistic Pagan experience by joining activities from one group and then the other.  This can work for kids too!  Now, in 2022, here are some opportunities for us to do exactly that.

While the Suntree Retreat in May is a great opportunity, it’s not directly aimed at kids.  Check it out anyway as a way to get ideas to bring to kids around you, and to enjoy yourself.

Camp Quest

A wonderful kids camp which teaches critical thinking and science is Camp Quest! Camp Quest’s stated goals are:

• Develop inclusive communities that celebrate diversity
• Foster inquisitive thinking and exploration of the natural world
• Cultivate empathy and relationship building as foundations of an ethical, productive, and fulfilling life
• Provide a safe and fun environment for personal and social growth

Now is the time that they are both accepting registrations as well as looking for volunteers to help.  You can enjoy Camp Quest with your child!  With many camps in the United States and around the world, there’s a good chance that there is a Camp Quest near you – here is a map.  Also, it’s great to see them partnering with Black Non-believers!

Pagan Festivals

Pagan learning can complement the freethought from Camp Quest, and with the pandemic (hopefully) winding down, there could be many good Pagan festival opportunities this summer.  These of course vary, so do learn about them before going (as with anything).  Circle Sanctuary is a wonderful Pagan community which is explicitly welcoming of Naturalistic Pagans.  Their festival (Pagan Spirit Gathering) around Litha looks to be a blast this year!  There are plenty of others, but no centralized link that I know of, so now is the time to look around online and see if there is one near you.  I hope you find events and gatherings to make your summer (and the whole Wheel of the Year) fulfilling and fun!