Family Forest School
Bluestone Nature Programs celebrates the whole child through unstructured play, ample time in nature, community building, and place-based learning. The natural world serves as our teacher, with developmentally appropriate opportunities to foster social-emotional development, challenge cognitive thinking, awaken our senses, and express our creativity sprinkled throughout each day.
Bluestone follows best practices in nature-based education, meaning all outdoor sites are assessed for risk, learning is documented and shared with families, safety practices are in place for all aspects of programming (i.e. families submit medical and emergency contact information, etc.) and children’s developmental needs drive curriculum.
Please take a moment to learn more about our philosophy and hear what other families have to say. Then, read on below for important information.
What is Family Forest School?
Every family has different needs for child care, and sometimes our Nature Playschool drop-off program isn't the perfect fit. If you're looking for a program to attend with your learner so that you, as the caregiver, can benefit from increased outdoor time, mentoring in early childhood care and nature-based learning, and community, then this is the program for you!
The following criteria are good indicators for a child’s readiness for this nature program:
Must be confidently walking
Must be able to signal their needs (even if non-verbal)
Able to follow a set of 2-3 simple instructions
Able to feed self without the need for a bottle
Able to make it through the morning without needing a nap
Like our Playschool, Family Forest School is for kids ages 20 months-5 years. We welcome children still wearing diapers and working on toilet training*. We build in time throughout the day for diaper changes carried out in privacy.
*If this applies to your child, please let us know so we can discuss this sensitive topic and how to best support your little one.
A caregiver must attend with each learner.
What does a day at Family Forest School look like?
When your classroom is the great outdoors, the seasons and child interest guide exploration, interest, and inquiry. Bluestone Mentors embrace the role of observer and follow the children’s lead, scaffold learning, and build upon their experiences, skills, and knowledge. We provide the space, time, and permission for children to explore and use our knowledge of early childhood education and the natural environment to capture curiosity and wonder. While every day at Bluestone is different, we balance intentional activities and experiences with free, unstructured nature play to mindfully honor each child’s developmental needs.
Bluestone Nature Programs looks at child development through the lens of these excellence standards as well as by nurturing skills and values including environmental literacy and ecological identity; caretaking on the land; development of empathy, gratitude, and kindness; self-help skills; mindfulness; supported risk-taking; independence; self-advocacy and consent; spirituality and gardening. Through this, we also support whole child health and well-being.
The goal of Family Forest School is to offer children the space and time to develop social-emotional skills as well as a deep and meaningful connection with the natural world. We follow a daily rhythm, include children in carrying out daily tasks, and build self-help skills by moving at the pace of the children.
Our Daily Rhythm
As we follow the interest and needs of the children, each day will look different and time frames of this
rhythm may vary.
1-1:45 pm
Arrival with open-ended nature play, invitations for play, small group explorations
1:45-1:50 pm
Welcome circle gathering with gratitude practice and an intentional experience such as storytelling, artifact sharing, tool use, movement, etc.
2-2:45 pm
Exploration, child-led play, intentional provocations, hiking (includes time for snack, water, and restroom breaks)
2:45-3 pm
Closing circle with snack, story of the day, and good-bye song
What are my options?
2025/26 Options (September-June)
For the 2025/26 school year, Family Forest School runs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10 am-12 pm. Families register by the semester, with the all semester starting September 9th, 2025 and running weekly through December 16th, 2025.
Families will be billed monthly for Family Forest School fees. If your family is unable to continue enrollment for the rest of the semester, you will be responsible for each month's fees until the space is filled.
Each semester's class is limited to 8 students.
2025/26 Program Rates
The fee for one child to attend with their caregiver is:
Part-time (one day): $120/month
Full-time (two days): $225./month
Each additional participating child is $80. Worn and carried babies are free.
2025/26 Calendar
September 9: Classes begin
November 27th-December 2nd: No classes, Thanksgiving break
December 22nd-January 5th: No classes, winter break
March 30-April 3: No classes, spring break
June 11th: Last day of classes
Seem like a good fit? Register for the fall semester today!
