We often discuss the academic components of what Hampstead Academy offers, but the true measure of knowledge is seeing how that learning is expressed in the world. The creation of Hampstead Village Woods, a fully functioning micro-society, was not a planned project, nor was it part of any set curriculum. This completely spontaneous and organic undertaking by our students was instead an example of creativity and initiative that resulted from classroom learning.

How It Started

While our Upper School students were learning about migration across the United States, the establishment of societies and tribes, creating their own classroom constitution, and connecting with nature, a curious thing began to happen during their free time in the Natural Playground here at Hampstead Academy. It started with the students collecting logs and long sticks, and asking questions about how to use them to build a structure. Once one teacher showed a small group of students how to set a foundation for a fort, it was not long before other forts started to take shape. Soon there were over ten forts that the students designated as shops, stores, and restaurants, including the very popular Sussie’s Sushi Bar. They had created a town, Hampstead Village Woods.

A Quick Evolution

With multiple establishments in place, they quickly developed a barter system which evolved into a monetary system using walnuts, leaves, and sticks. Sticks were of the most value to build better forts. By the beginning of October, the village was well established and students were bringing up issues concerning their village at the school wide Monday morning meeting. They wanted to create a set of rules for the village that all would abide by. With facilitation from a respected teacher, students created and agreed to rules all would follow when in the village, taking their first steps toward establishing a village government.

Within a few days, the students held an election for a Mayor who then created a police force and even instituted a tax system for all the “residents.” But by the beginning of the third week of October, the students decided having a Mayor was not the right choice for the village and revisited the idea at the school's Monday morning meeting where it was unanimously decided to abide by the community “laws” originally created.

Lessons Learned in Practice and at Play

What started as simply building a fort in the woods quickly evolved into an operational micro-society right in our own Natural Playground. It has been a joy for teachers and administration to watch students put knowledge into practice as they built forts, created an economy, set rules to live by, and even elect, then question the value of having a leader of their society.

As adults helping guide student learning, we truly enjoyed seeing these bright young minds instinctively put to practice lessons learned from the classroom. This spontaneous application of skills, and the excitement of putting knowledge to practical use is a statement of exactly what makes Hampstead Academy a unique and exceptional place for creative young minds, the minds of our future leaders.

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