James Funnyhat's unplugged family retreat JULY 25-30 2025

Throughout the day, there are lots of chances for the young ones ideally between 4-12yrs, to head off with James or Kat to discover fun stuff in the woods, or to chill out and do art, play, or sing songs.  Yes, there will be songs by the fire for sure! 

Each day Kat and James will host a good balance of easy and relaxed activities to keep things fun and exciting, and to help You get a little quiet space. Because guess what? Our kids are grown up now! And we remember what it’s like to just need a little rest! 

We know an uninterrupted coffee can be pure bliss.

And we also know how great it is to spend time as a family together, without an endless stream of demands and activities. We will aim to hit the goldilocks zone- just enough excitement, not too much. 

We know how awesome it is to just sit on the dock in silence and watch the sunset.  Or to take a quiet paddle down the river to see the beaver dams, to slide up silently to take a peek at the loon’s necklace.  Or to wake up early when the mist still hangs over the water, before the birds sing, to smell that fresh cool air that carries all the forest freshness in her breeze.  We know how magical it can be to spot your first firefly, or to discover the glowing roots of a tree in the woods at night, or to gaze up at the sky with so many stars that you lose yourself in the wonder of universe.  We know and love those questions that nature inspires, the excitement and the delight in children’s eyes and minds when they get plugged back into mother earth’s battery.  

This family retreat is more than a typical family camp. It is a carefully balanced opportunity to truly Relax and to let go of the intense pressures of life, to release ourselves from those relentless, results based, ‘left brain’ oriented regimens our kids are overwhelmed with, even in their play time.

This gathering makes space to slowly watch a butterfly or to float a leaf down the river. It makes space for slow meandering, like the streams that wander through the forest. It allows real decompression and a kind of slowing down we all so desperately need. 

A lot of us parents know what it feels like to be totally burnt out, wishing we had more quality time with our children, longing for a holiday that doesn’t leave you needing a holiday.   This retreat is an answer to that real need. A gift to your children and to You.  

What kind of people does this gathering cater to?   This unique gathering will attract kindred spirits who share your same love of nature and desire for joyful, stress free time with your kids, unplugged and plugged in to what matters. There is a good chance new friendships wtill spark that might last far beyond these days at Starry Lake.  

Perfect if your kids are between 4-12 years old. The kids fill make friends too! 

This Family Retreat at Starry Lake will host a maximum of 12 families. We want it to feel warm and intimate- a great group of friends enjoying precious time together, with a whole provincial park to ourselves! Keeping it small means keeping it intimate and cozy. It allows a vibe that is a little quieter and more chill- but definitely not less enjoyable! Nobody will get lost in the crowd here... maybe lost in thoughts, or lost in the clouds...

At this family retreat each person will get warm attention and care.   We want each person to feel seen and appreciated, to have a chance to relax without pressure, to share quiet moments, to engage fully and to discover new things about the natural environment, themselves and what inspires them.  

Happy Kids Happy Mum! 

The Unplugged retreat will hit the sweet spot for kids ages 4-12.  Those who already know James Funnyhat will be thrilled to hang with him and to discover that he as much fun off stage as he is on! ( Again, James Funnyhat didn't write this!) But seriously... 2 of the "OG" Three Funny Hats music group as your hosts means we've left the 10000 hour mark in the dust when it comes to having fun with kids.  That means YOU get some breaks!  WHOOHOO! 

The drinking water at Starry Lake is so amazing you'll want to drink this water forever! We have two deep drilled wells on the property and the water is truly superb! It has been tested by labs and by the discerning pallets of many fine folks.  The water here is as amazing, pure and delicious as it gets!

The facilities at Starry lake offer all the closeness to nature of a true off grid camping experience but with some important comforts.

There are composting toilets and a very charming outdoor shower for when you hunger for some hot water. Of course there is also the pristine and faboulous private lake to make you feel fresh, alive and super clean.

Tracking is a really fun activity at starry lake. There are always lots of animal tracks to find... bunnies, squirrels, little mice and chipmunks will leave their tiny foot prints in the mud and you might see those little foot prints if you look closely. You will for sure meet the cute squirrels and chippies. You might see deer or moose prints too, but they usually are very shy and they hide away from humans most of the time. You will be very lucky if you actually spot a deer or moose.  At night you might hear the evening chorus of the coyotes, accompanying the frogs and loons, but also you are unlikely to see one. In almost five years we haven't been lucky enough to see a bear- most likely we won't! None of the bigger animals want to get spotted by us. But you can spot lots of different birds and it is really fun to learn their songs.