A tent for the night, vegetables gathered on a farm, or two days in a mountain cottage: autumn break offers plenty of reasons to travel a little farther. First, settle one question: once your child is with the staff, can you leave?
These nine options from Tokyo fall into three groups: staff take over at a meeting point, parents drop children at the venue and may leave, or parents accompany children throughout. The first three children’s camps all run on weekends; they do not replace a full week of weekday care. A Tokyo day camp is included at the end as a backup.
Start with the comparison
A Staff-led travel: leave after handover and collect at the specified time. B Venue drop-off: parents arrange the longer journey to and from the venue but may make their own plans in between. C Family participation: accommodation or farm activities for families, without independent childcare.
Scroll the table sideways to compare all details.
| Parent arrangement | Option | Dates | Ages | Meeting or handover | Accommodation | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Staff-led | YACS outdoor cooking camp | 24–25 Oct | Japanese kindergarten middle year–Grade 6 | JR Chiba 08:15; collection next day 16:15 | 1 night in tents | Primary pupils ¥17,500; preschoolers ¥18,500 (non-members) |
| A Staff-led | STS old-school mystery camp | 31 Oct–1 Nov | Final kindergarten year–Grade 6 | Tokyo meeting point; details in departure notice | 1 night indoors | ¥48,400 |
| B Venue drop-off | Kashiwazaki Yume no Mori | 24–25 Oct | Grades 1–2; confirm Grade 3 | Park 14:30; collection next day 12:00 | 1 night in tents | ¥20,000 including 2 meals |
| C Family together | RISONARE Nasu | Subject to rooms; Halloween until 31 Oct | Families; check activity conditions | Parents bring children to hotel; no drop-off care | Hotel room | Check room rate; farmer lesson free for guests |
| C Family together | Noen Stay Nasu Orion | Ongoing accommodation; ask for dates | Families; check farming ages | Parents bring children to property | Room with kitchen | Ask about room and activity prices |
| C Family together | THE FARM, Katori | Ongoing stays; extra event 31 Oct | Families; check activity ages | Parents bring children to resort | Cottage or glamping | Depends on room and dates |
| C Family together | Seisenryo cottages | Subject to rooms; family hike 1 Nov | Infants welcome for stays; hike primary age and up | Parents bring children to Kiyosato | Private cottage with kitchen | Room extra; hike adults ¥4,000, primary/junior high ¥2,000 |
| C Family together | Lodge MOTOI, Hakuba | Ask about stay and farming dates | Families; check farming ages | Parents bring children to lodge | Guest room, not whole-property rental | Adult 1 night/2 meals ¥10,500–13,500 plus tax; reconfirm |
| C Family together | Laboland apple-orchard work | 24–25 Oct | Preschool rate offered; check child participation | JR Kawanakajima 10:35; parents participate | 1 night in shared lodge rooms, separated by gender | General ¥8,500; preschool ¥3,000, incl. 3 meals and insurance |
“Middle” and “final” kindergarten years refer to Japanese school groups. Confirm age equivalence for international-school children. All amounts are in yen and are not live availability or room quotations. Booking a room does not secure an activity.
A Staff take over: parents do not travel with the group
01 YACS: sleep in a tent in Chiba and cook your own meal
YACS’s outdoor cooking camp includes fire lighting, sweet-potato snacks, bread baking and autumn walks. Hand over at JR Chiba Station at 08:15 on 24 October; staff take the group to Kasamori campsite in Chonan, returning to Chiba at 16:15 on the 25th. Alternatives are JR Mobara at 09:45, collection next day 15:00, or venue drop-off 10:15 and collection next day 14:15.
Parents do not stay at camp. The published fee covers return transport from Chiba, accommodation, activities and meals from the first evening through lunch the next day; bring lunch on day one. Staffing is about one adult per seven to eight primary pupils or five to six preschoolers. Check remaining places and the exact station handover position when booking.
02 STS: travel from Tokyo for Halloween in an old school
STS’s school mystery camp takes children to Hoshifuru Gakko Kumanoki in Shioya, Tochigi, for puzzles, exploring and night missions. They sleep indoors in bunk-bed or tatami rooms. Departure from Tokyo is expected between 08:00 and 09:00 on 31 October, with return at 17:00 on 1 November. Staff accompany the group throughout.
Published information says Tokyo departure but does not confirm a station, exit or meeting point; follow the departure notice. The published trip fee is ¥48,400 and applications close on 27 October; availability is unconfirmed. It may suit children happy with group living who are not yet keen on tents.
B Drop off at the venue, then make your own plans
03 Kashiwazaki Yume no Mori: children camp, parents stay nearby
This autumn camp at Kashiwazaki Yume no Mori in Niigata includes pitching tents, exploring the forest at night, making cookies and feeding park creatures. Persimmon picking may be possible depending on the day’s programme. Reception opens at 14:00 on 24 October, with handover at 14:30 and collection at 12:00 on the 25th. Parents bring children to the park, complete handover and may leave without camping.
Parents may arrange their own nearby stay, meals or sightseeing, but these are not included and the organizer offers no accompanying adult itinerary. The published ¥20,000 fee includes two meals. The description says Grades 1–2 while the age table says Grades 1–3, so confirm Grade 3 eligibility. Places left after the earlier lottery are first come, first served; confirm acceptance before travelling.
C Go together: farms, cottages and autumn walks
04 RISONARE Nasu: a hotel stay with a short farmer lesson
RISONARE Nasu’s farmer lesson is available to overnight guests year-round: around 45 minutes, five groups per session, free, with booking after check-in. Children cannot join alone and parents remain responsible for supervision afterwards. October also has a farm Halloween programme.
One family review from September 2026 liked the range of activities; another guest noted that restaurants, baths and rooms are spread out. Ask about room location and walking distances if bringing a stroller or older relatives.
05 Noen Stay Nasu Orion: make time for harvesting
Orion offers farm accommodation with kitchens. Stay together as a family and check the seasonal harvesting activities separately. What is ready in late October, and on which days, depends on crops and farm arrangements; this is not a fixed-date camp. A family guest in 2026 appreciated staff-led harvesting and a clean kitchen; another review mentioned hearing neighbouring rooms. Ask about sound insulation and room location when booking.
06 THE FARM, Katori: a cottage stay with time in the fields
THE FARM offers detached cottages and glamping. Regular harvesting activities run twice daily for about 30–60 minutes, with crops and weather affecting the programme. Inclusion in room rates depends on the accommodation plan. A Halloween field event limited to 15 groups runs on 31 October; confirm the room and event separately. Parents accompany children throughout. There is no convenience store or supermarket within walking distance, so pack snacks and night-time essentials.
07 Seisenryo: slow down in a cottage with a kitchen
Seisenryo cottages welcome families with infants and have kitchens; some also have fireplaces and washing machines. A family autumn-colour hike on 1 November, 09:30–12:30, is for primary-school children and older: ¥4,000 for ages 16 and up, ¥2,000 for primary and junior-high pupils. Book accommodation separately. A family review from July 2026 praised the space, microwave and nappy bin, while noting that the restaurant and large baths are in the new building, requiring a walk or drive.
08 Lodge MOTOI, Hakuba: stay at a guesthouse for a farming autumn
Lodge MOTOI has its own fields and offers farm work by arrangement, including autumn potato digging and winter preparations. Ask about dates. Accommodation is in guest rooms, not an entire house, and there is no fixed children’s camp. The official price list gives ¥10,500–13,500 per adult for one night and two meals, plus tax, with primary pupils paying 80%. No effective date is stated, so reconfirm before booking. It suits families whose parents also want a night or two in Hakuba.
09 Laboland: help in an apple orchard, rather than pick fruit
Laboland and JUON’s farm-work programme runs on 24–25 October. The main task is removing leaves to help apples colour, not harvesting. Meet at JR Kawanakajima at 10:35; drivers also join at the station before going to the orchard. Work finishes around 13:00 the next day, followed by the return to the station.
Plan to attend as a family and ask about child participation. Accommodation is in shared lodge rooms separated by gender, not a private family cottage or independent childcare. General admission is ¥8,500, preschoolers ¥3,000 and under-threes free, including one night, three meals and insurance; bring lunch on day one. Confirm parent–child room arrangements, availability and weather changes when applying.
What about weekdays?
Elev8’s Roppongi day camp is a backup: 19–23 and 26–30 October, ages 5–12, arrival 09:00 and collection 16:30–17:00. Book by the day; there is no overnight stay. Sorting out the busiest weekdays first and choosing one weekend trip may be easier than travelling somewhere every day for two weeks.
Before booking a children-only camp, ask about language support, overnight supervision, allergies and emergency contacts; do not assume English-speaking staff. For accommodation options, confirm the room and the activity separately. Kodomo Go! separates these choices so parents can first decide whether to accompany their children, then compare dates and transport.
Checked on 19 October 2026 for plans between 20 October and 2 November. Current availability is not guaranteed. Guest reviews describe individual experiences, not a general consensus; sufficient independent, current-season reviews were not verified for the three children’s camps. Confirm final prices, cancellation terms and weather arrangements before paying.