Playground Tales has been a tad quiet.
ReCreation hasn’t.
This summer, hundreds of meals were shared, children disappeared off to explore, friendships formed around the river, songs were sung, things were built, and families from all over the world became part of our little village in the Ardèche Mountains.
And now that things are a little quieter, we’ve finally had time to look back.
There have been some lovely milestones. ReCreation caught the attention of Condé Nast Traveller ( Top 9 bespoke family retreats in the world), we have a feature coming in the UK's The Green Parent Magazine, and this autumn our little corner of the valley became part of the After School documentary project.
But the thing we’re proudest of isn’t really any of that.
It’s what families have been telling us after they went home.
“This was so much more than a vacation — it was a gift of time, connection, and presence.”
“It’s not a hotel, you become part of the place, and that’s what makes it special.”
“A place I long to come back to because it leaves a feeling of belonging.”
Reading through this year’s reviews, the same words and feelings keep appearing: belonging, connection, presence, friendship, freedom, slowing down.
In many ways, those families have done a better job of explaining ReCreation than we ever have. And they’ve helped us get clearer about what comes next.
