Forest Families
Ideal for ages 2-5, however, we welcome younger children to join us as well! In this program, parents and kids join our guides through engaging songs and gratitude around the fire circle, along with plenty of unstructured play in the woods. Each session begins and ends with circle time, but includes a variety of different activities in between, depending on the season and the weather. Forest Families involves a lot of flexibility and time for child-led activity.
This program is similar to other forest kindergartens, including our Mighty Acorns program, but includes parents in the process. While this changes the overall dynamics and the nature of the challenges children face because they have a parent close by, it still provides all the benefits of free play in nature, such as reduced stress and anxiety, teamwork, cooperation, fine and gross motor skill development, and many more physical and mental benefits. Learn more about the Nature-Wellness connection here. The format of Forest Families allows children who need some extra support or aren’t quite ready to attend a drop off program to participate.
Our main rules are to be safe and to be kind. Our goal is to provide children with not only the tools and materials they need to facilitate play and inspire STEAM learning, but also the freedom to find their own approaches and the autonomy to explore their own interests. Attendees need to come dressed for the weather and to bring their own water and snacks.
location
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington, KY
Fall session* Dates and times
Thursdays, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
September 12 - December 5, 2024
No classes October 17 and November 28
** This class is currently full, please email info@redoaksforestschool.org to be added to the waitlist **
*Hablantes de Espanol bienvenidos y apoyados! Ayuda Financiera Y Becas Disponibles.
Cost
Members: $275 for parent and one child, $137.50 per additional child
Non-Members: $310 for parent and one child, $155 per additional child
Drop-ins welcome if there is space, inquire for details.
Red Oaks is for everyone! We encourage people from all backgrounds to join us. Scholarships and financial assistance is available in order to remove any barriers to participation. Please inquire for more information to info@redoaksforestschool.org.
Please use this link to apply for financial support. Please email info@redoaksforestschool.org after you have completed this form to let us know of your interest.
SIGN UP
Registration for Fall Programming is open May 28, 2024 for members and May 30, 2024 for non-members.
If the sessions are full, email registration@redoaksforestschool.org to be added to a waiting list.
Members get priority registration among other benefits. If you aren’t a member yet, sign up today! Join us here.
