Hands-On Community Programs
Day Group Experiences
Are you an educator, organization, parent, or family seeking an immersive wilderness experience for your group? Or are you simply in need of a beautiful, natural setting near Missoula for your own programming?
Montana Folk School offers customized, hands-on programs focused on wilderness living skills, traditional crafting, and nature connection, tailored to meet the needs of day groups. Our skilled instructors can guide your group through a range of activities, including friction fire-making, tracking, foraging for wild foods and medicinal plants, natural dyeing and eco-printing, traditional hide tanning, shelter building, stone tool crafting, carving, cordage making, and wool felting.
If you’re looking for a wild space to host your own program, we also offer land rental options close to Missoula. Reach out to discuss how we can help create the perfect outdoor experience for your group!
For inquiries, contact us at info@montanafolkschool.org.
Weekend in the Woods
Annual Western Montana Family Traditional Skills and Nature Connection Gathering
Each fall, we host a memorable family-friendly gathering focused on traditional skills and nature connection. Held over a long weekend when the weather is warm and the evening air is crisp, this event is the perfect introduction to wilderness skills, camping, traditional crafts, and outdoor living.
Join us for hands-on activities and an immersive experience designed for families to connect with nature and each other.
Dates: Friday, September 5 - Sunday, September 7, 2025
Location: Larry Creek Group Campground in Florence, MT
Camping available for all interested. Bring your own meals.
Cost:
Families: $275 (2 adults max and 2 youth/kids ages 0-17). $25 extra for each additional youth or child.
Individuals: $75
Focus:
1) outdoor wilderness skills centered around connection with Montana forest ecosystem, self and each other
2) intergenerational learning bringing together children, parents, grandparents, family, and friends in a community setting
3) students of all ages engaging with one another through sharing their practical and self-sufficiency skills as well as learning new ones.
2025 Guilds:
Guilds are the smaller groups you spend time in for part of each day, learning skills, connecting with people and exploring the land.
Examples of Possible Guilds Themes:
Invisibility in nature
Interspecies communication
Leather sewing
Wild edibles and medicines
Shelter building
Twigs (parents and children aged 0-6yrs)
Basketry and cordage
Wool Felting
Soul work
Carving skills
This gathering is NOT
a hippy camp, barter faire, rendezvous, renaissance festival, motorsports rally, bonfire, political platform, clothing optional, or a place to be intoxicated on drugs or alcohol.
This gathering IS
a family-friendly camping weekend for like-minded folks who want to spend time in nature connecting with each other, learning wilderness living skills, working on traditional craft projects, playing, and exploring the woods. We are safe for children. Keep this in mind please.
Community Crafting Together
Burn Bowl Bonanza - Burn with us! April 12, 2025, 1-4pm
Spoon Saturday - Carve with us! May 31, 2025, 1-4pm
Cordage Campfire - Twine with us! June 28, 2025, 1-4pm
