Forest Families 

Spring 2025 Info

location

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington, KY

Dates and times

Thursdays from 10 am - 1 pm

February 20 - May 8, 2025, No class March 27th for Spring Break

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 information is available here. New applications for support are due January 8, 2025.


About this program

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 caregivers in the process. While this changes the overall dynamics and the nature of the challenges children face when 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. 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. Attendees need to come dressed for the weather and to bring their own water and snacks.

SIGN UP

Registration for Spring Programming is open January 13, 2025 for members and January 15, 2025 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.