Adventure After School Programs in Asheville

We are excited to offer new weekly after school programs designed to supplement an altered online school day at our 100-acre Adventure Center, minutes from downtown Asheville, for 5-8 year-old and 9-15 year-old students.

$129/week from August 31-October 2 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays Ages 5-8 years old: 12:00 pm-2:45 pm Ages 9-15 years old: 3:00 pm-6:00 pm

Limited spaces available! Reservations are required by calling our welcome center at 828.225.2921 or online at this link

Our drop-off outdoor program will incorporate age-appropriate outdoor education immersive learning, experiential science lessons, outdoor wilderness hard skills, low ropes team building, and challenge by choice high adventures at our Treetops Adventure Park and our TreeQuest climbing challenge. Combining science with high adventure, each day students will conduct experiments, learn through hands-on programs, and then participate in high adventure activities. Using our 100 acres of outdoor space, students will figure out how science relates to fun real-life experiences. We have been successfully hosting day camps all summer in the great outdoors, and are excited to extend our programs into the Fall.

The weekly after school programs in Asheville will include:

• Teambuilding ice breakers, problem solving and critical thinking
• Outdoor hard skills such as fire building, orienteering, knot tying, first aid, and shelter building
• Physics experiments to learn about pulleys, ziplines, and laws of motion
• Ecology experiments to learn how to identify trees, how plants need to survive, and native fauna
• Challenge by choice at the Treetops Adventure Park aerial obstacle course
• Learn about our 150-year-old trees, use our double rope system to climb one at TreeQuest, then problem solve to get a noodle ring all the way around the tree

For less than the cost of a babysitter, we offer kids a great way to get their wiggles out in an outdoor, fresh air setting with hands-on learning.  And:

• Socialization with peers
• Outside learning and exercise in the fresh air and off screens
• A way to build their developmental tool kits: task completion, communication, connection, critical thinking, problem solving, working in teams, cooperation & trust
• Immersive, experiential learning with inquiry-based experiments
• Outdoor exploration learning wilderness survival hard skills

How we are different

• Our entire program is outdoors!
• We offer weekly sign-ups, so parents can plan/pay by the week
• We offer high adventure challenges with low ropes facilitated team building, outdoor education and wilderness skills, and science lessons with a lot of fun!
• Every week our programs will be personalized for the group
• Group size is limited with an 8:1 ratio of students/instructor

Experience and Leadership

For 50 years, The Greiner family has been a prominent leader in the guided outdoor adventure industry in the Southeastern United States.  Jeff Greiner, managing owner of the Adventure Center of Asheville, grew up in the outdoor adventure industry with his family. That small family business has grown into one of the largest and most respected professional outfitters in the United States with five locations and over 20 different adventures to choose from. Seven years ago, the Asheville Summer Camps at the Adventure Center were created to offer the younger generation an option to get outdoors in the summer months.  This year, even with the pandemic, we hosted hundreds of campers successfully with our strict COVID-19 operating procedures including social distancing and wearing masks. We are excited to continue those programs into the Fall with our Adventure Afterschool Director, Callie Stevens, who has worked in the outdoor education field for over 10 years, teaching environmental education and leading high adventure activities. With an undergraduate degree in Outdoor Education and a Master’s in Environmental Education, Callie is our ACA Assistant Director who manages the Treetops Adventure Park and KidZip, teaches outdoor education programs, and facilitates our team building program.

Social Distancing and Cleaning Procedures

• Participants and Staff have COVID-19 screenings and temperature checks on arrival each day.
• All students are asked to maintain a 6-foot distance from staff and other campers when possible. While on the ACA aerial adventures, we can’t always maintain a 6-foot distance, however, our staff and students will be wearing face coverings
• Participants and Staff are required to bring a 2- layer hands-free personal face covering for when the 6-foot distance rule is not possible (on the aerial activities, etc.) while that recommendation stands from the health department. This can include a 2-layer buff if it covers nose and mouth.
• In addition to our standard cleaning procedures, we have added extensive ongoing cleaning and sterilizing procedures in public and work areas.
• Extra breaks to wash hands or use hand sanitizer
• As these procedures are fluidand will change as recommendations from local, state, and federal agency requirements change, all registered campers/students will receive an email explaining our current plans and procedures.

Come join us for an unforgettable adventures in our after school programs this fall!

• Ages 5-8 years old: 12:00 pm-2:45 pm
• Ages 9-15 years old: 3:00 pm-6:00 pm
• $129/week from August 31-October 2 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays

Limited spaces available in these unique programs for after school in Asheville! Reservations are required by calling our welcome center at 828.225.2921 or online HERE.