Tribal Wisdom Academy — Local services in Los Gatos

Fantastic experience and very unique. Our daughter has been attending for 8 summers, multiple weeks each year. The kids have a truly ourdoor experience, rather than being stuck in a room, active and very hands on.

Before the age of 5, we used to hose down our daughter in the driveway from the dust after coming home - dirty yet a TON of fun. They did horseback ridinf lessons a couplemof times a week for an additional fee and it was a great add on. Exposure ro the anomals amd the forest is great for those that don't live in this environment (we are actually neighbors ourselves).

We have shared the camp info at my daughter's small school and have seen over 15+ kids from her school there last year.

Older kids build forts, burning things onto wood, making things out of wood (anything from a stool to a sword and bow and arrow). The staff is always very pleasant and clearly enjoys working at thr camp. They teach the kods to be familiar with tools and the kids love the responsibility.

Activities differ year tonyear and week by week so that kids dont get bored / repeat things if they are registered for several multiple sessions. The camp started to offer 1 and 2 week sessions recently.

The hours of camp have been extended in 2025, which is fantastic as everyone I know loves spemding there. The owners are great at accommodating a child who wants to be in the same group as a friend upon request - easy to coordinate.

Over the years, the camp road has been paved yet there's baserock at the child drop off area, which still makes cars very dusy. It's the only thing I wish they'd take care of and pave everything as I cannot show up to work in a dirty to meet clisnts nor is it practical washing it daily when the kid is in camp for multiple weeks.

Love the camp - you'll never...

This is the third year our boys have spent a few summer weeks in the woods with Tribal Wisdom Academy, and it continues to be such a rewarding experience. They come home every day dirty, happy, and proudly carrying tools they crafted themselves—sometimes entirely on their own, sometimes with a little guidance—out of wood and metal. Learning blacksmithing and other traditional skills is truly something special!

Beyond tool-making and survival skills, their days are filled with meaningful activities: cooking lunch over the fire, playing creative games, digging in the dirt, creating their own “tribal wisdom rules,” and learning from one another. Watching older kids teach younger ones is a wonderful dynamic that makes the camp experience even richer.

On a practical note, Claire, one of the camp creators, has always been responsive and thoughtful whenever I’ve had questions or concerns, which brings great peace of mind as a parent.

We highly recommend Tribal Wisdom Academy to any family seeking a unique, hands-on, and nature-filled...

Tribal Wisdom Academy was absolutely wonderful for my 8-year-old son this summer. Over two weeks, he got to explore, build and craft beautiful wooden and metal tools, dig for arrowheads in the mine, work on his archery skills, and collect countless Tribal Coins. I picked him up each afternoon covered in dirt, tired, and genuinely happy - which told me everything I needed to know about how much fun he was having. The mentors and staff are fantastic - responsible, friendly, and really encouraging with the kids. Camp directors Claire and Ben are supportive and such a pleasure to talk with. They created this perfect environment where my son felt safe to get out of his comfort zone and try new things he'd never done before. Now that summer's ending, he's got amazing memories, new skills, and an armory of wooden swords that will keep him busy planning next summer's adventures all winter long. We're already excited to come back in 2026! I'd highly recommend this camp to any parent looking for something that's both fun and meaningful for...