Logout Week, Season 10

21 teenagers, 6 days, 5 mentors, 3 volunteers, 0 minutes of screen time.

Episode 1 – The House on Pohorje

"Tell me it’s not time yet," pleads a veteran of the Logout camp with desperate eyes. "It’s time," the mentor declares firmly, and mercilessly collects phones, headphones, e-readers, and backup devices from the group of 21 teenagers on the train from Ljubljana to Maribor. The contents of the bag remain untouched from Monday to Saturday. After a few minutes of awkward silence, conversations start to unfold on various topics, the first friendships begin to form, and commonalities are discovered.

“How much longer?” We’re approaching Maribor station, where a bus awaits to take us up the hilly Hočko Pohorje to the now-familiar Dominik's home. “I keep wanting to check my phone, but it’s not in my hand!” The first signs of withdrawal start to appear…

…which the participants soon forget thanks to the camp's rich program. Room assignments, chore schedules, icebreaker games, expectation setting, countless new names—it’s no surprise that after dinner, groups naturally form for various evening activities: Uno, Catan, Princesses, Side Effects, and table football.

Episode 2 – Explosion in the Lab

“What?? We don’t get up at 10:00??” Shock washes over the teens as a regular daily routine is introduced. Another horror follows—15 whole minutes of morning stretching and light exercise! The inhumane conditions improve slightly when hungry bellies are greeted with a lavish breakfast—eggs, spreads, cereals, yogurt, bread, meats, cheese... buffet-style, just like in a hotel.

Recharged and with clean teeth, we meet for the first morning hotspot—a group check-in to talk about our feelings, ground rules, and ways to improve the experience. Games follow to solidify names and fun facts about one another, and everyone introduces themselves with a “wanted” poster, which stays on display until the end of camp. “Is it okay if I call you Nikola?”—nicknames and friendly relationships begin to take shape.

Later, conversations sound very different. “Okay, so I go straight, skip one room, then left? Then I should find it on the floor...?” That’s how teens prepare the next player for a game in which they enter a toxic lab to rescue victims. The gas is so dangerous that players must wear blindfolds and feel their way around. If they breathe inside the lab for more than 60 seconds, they join the other poisoned victims... A long rescue mission ends with a win for the morning team—thanks to solid teamwork.

Episode 3 – Relationship Salad

“I slept better today.” Slowly, a rhythm forms. “Can I fry an egg myself?” The teens start communicating more independently. A perfect moment for a workshop on healthy relationships—red and green flag behaviors among friends and partners, communication styles, and more. Participants share honest stories from their lives, both joyful and painful.

After lunch, small groups work on the visual identity of the camp. Each team creates a name, character, and backstory representing their group, a slogan and logo for the camp, and then votes for the winner.

The evening is marked by the strategic role-playing game Werewolf. “If she’s the hunter and the lover, we can eliminate her to take out her werewolf lover too, and then she shoots the other werewolf!” Did they manage to protect the village from the bloodthirsty beasts?

Episode 4 – In Search of Hansel and Gretel

Thursday is especially lively—the teens, after their morning routine, go on a short hike to a scenic lookout point at the final Maribor gondola station, clearing their lungs and briefly reentering civilization before preparing for the camp highlight: the traditional escape run.

It’s an orienteering walk with puzzles, clues, live characters, and a storyline the participants uncover as they go.

This year’s adventure follows Hansel and Gretel, sent away by their (somewhat old-fashioned) father. At Sleeping King Matjaž, they compose poems and search for magical items. With their mother (who fled to the forest for a more alternative lifestyle), they prove the honesty of their hearts. With a mischievous squirrel, they must guess the correct dance sequence.

“No way, they won’t figure it out.” This final riddle reveals which fairytale child is under a spell. Only one team solves it correctly. What about you, reader—could you solve it?

“Can we make pancakes?” Two participants eagerly offer to help, and the cooks, smiling, show them a mountain of freshly made pancakes. It’s clear now—the participants are no longer just cohabiting, they are becoming a true community.

Despite the day’s physical effort, the sports fields around Dominik's home come alive in the refreshing summer evening. Volleyball especially takes off—at one point, 14 players are on the court. “Come on, join in! –But I don’t know how to play. –Doesn’t matter, we’re just having fun.” A rare sight unfolds—every teen, outside and active, voluntarily.

Episode 5 – Human Canvases

On the final full day, we swap morning exercises for volleyball. “If you don’t start training in September, I’ll be mad.” and “You said you couldn’t play just to trick us?”—words of encouragement for continuing sports beyond the camp.

After breakfast, a group quiz follows. Categories like brainrot, national exams, Minecraft, and more cause bursts of laughter. End-of-round challenges ignite wild cheering. Did the cup survive one more drop?

In the afternoon, it’s time for creative workshops: teens make bracelets, draw henna tattoos, color mandalas, design posters for their life visions, decorate each other’s Logout shirts and shoes, and paint their nails. Among the artistic chaos, we hear spontaneous wisdom like: “You have to talk with your girlfriend,” and admiration for hidden talents: “If you posted one of your drawings every day, I’d follow that profile immediately.”

The last evening wraps up with massive games of volleyball, basketball, frisbee, romantic shenanigans, and stargazing—all bathed in the warm glow of the campfire. “You got this!” is probably the most frequently said phrase of the camp.

Episode 6 – The End of Camp, the Beginning of Connections

“I learned I can poop without my phone,” a line that makes the whole room laugh during the final evaluation activity. We talk about what we liked, what we’d change, and what we’re taking away from camp. Smiles on faces, signatures on shirts, and new contacts in diaries. “I still need your autograph! –Okay, but give me your Snap.”

We pack up and clean Dominik’s home together. Even though it’s usually an unpleasant chore, the participants do it quickly and with good spirits. In the right company, everything is easier.

Some teens don’t even notice their parents’ arrival, as they’re still enjoying ice cream and chatting with new friends. Phones lie forgotten in a bag on the steps. We see teary eyes, tight hugs, and promises to meet again.

Another successful Logout Week comes to a close.