What to Expect

There is no “right” way to participate in Forest Friends. Some children may spend twenty minutes investigating one patch of mud; others may be ready to wander, build, collect, or move. We follow their lead.

Our mornings balance plenty of unhurried exploration with simple invitations to gather, connect, and notice the world around us. We’ll be outdoors in all kinds of weather, allowing children to experience how the natural world changes from week to week.

Across out time together, you can explect:

• Child-led outdoor exploration and play
• Storytelling
• Simple nature-based activities you can recreate at home
• Connection and community with other caregivers and young children
• Conversation about supporting social-emotional development, independence, curiosity, and healthy risk-taking through play
• Plenty of time to get muddy, investigate, wonder, move, and simply be outside together

For Grown-Ups, Too

Forest Friends is designed as a caregiver-and-child experience because meaningful outdoor play doesn’t have to end when the class does.

Alongside your child, you’ll have opportunities to connect with other caregivers, notice how young children learn through nature and play, and gather practical ideas for creating more open-ended outdoor experiences in everyday family life. No expertise—or elaborate backyard—is required.

Why Nature Play?

For young children, the outdoors is an extraordinary classroom. A stick can become a tool, a bridge, a measuring device, or the beginning of an imaginary world. A puddle raises questions about water, movement, depth, and cause and effect. A walk through the woods invites children to use their bodies, senses, language, creativity, and problem-solving skills all at once.

Forest Friends makes space for this kind of learning without rushing children toward a predetermined outcome. We trust that curiosity is powerful—and give children the time to follow it.