Homeschool with Bluestone
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. Through curated activities and experiences, our Homeschool Co-Op promotes a deep connection to the natural world while meeting learning outcomes in a way that celebrates each child's unique learning needs.
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.
Is Bluestone right for your child?
Does your child love to learn through real life experiences? Are you looking for an alternative education that allows for creative, age appropriate opportunities to discover, make friends, connect with the natural world, run, play, climb and explore? Then Bluestone's Homeschool Co-op is right for your child!
The Bluestone Homeschool Co-op is for families of children ages 4-10 years old (pre-K through 5th grade) who want to balance home school or online learning with social play and nature connection in a small group setting.
This program meets twice each week for the full school year (with an extended winter break), allowing us to create a tight-knit learning community. Note: Enrollment is for a semester commitment unless otherwise noted. If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the semester you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot.
Classes meet entirely outdoors, rain or shine! You will receive complete details about gear and policies when you register. Your child must be four (4) years old by September 1st to meet the age requirement. (If your child is NOT four by Sept. 1st of the enrollment year, they are eligible for nature playschool.) Early registration is strongly recommended; spaces are available a first come, first serve basis. Additional policies related to outdoor learning, gear, etc. are provided upon registration in your confirmation email.
As a program operating in the state of New York, we require all children to be up-to-date on immunizations. Upon registration you will submit emergency paperwork to keep on file.
What does a day at Forest Days Homeschool look like?
Our new home, on the campus of Camp Koinonia, is the perfect site for our homeschool co-op! Students will benefit from an indoor shelter we'll use for work, to display student work, and as a safe space to wait out extreme weather. Our home base at Bluestone Village features a farm, allowing us to include farm-based education in our curriculum (*our 2025/26 class will work on bringing the farm back to life).
Each gathering includes opportunities for students to develop strong social-emotional skills, to practice academic skills in a nature-based setting, and to learn about the world around them. Our skilled Mentors provide families with a weekly newsletter highlighting each week's work, and each student maintains a nature notebook which becomes part of your homeschool portfolio*.
Each day is different, but we follow this general guiding rhythm:
11:30 am Arrive to nature-based invitations, projects, and farm chores
12:30 pm Welcome gathering with daily guiding questions, big idea, or investigation
12:45 pm Age groups separate and dive into big projects, exploration, and work
2 pm End of the day gathering with snack, stories of the day, and sit spot
2:30 pm Clean up and goodbye!
*Bluestone does not submit portfolios to the state on behalf of students. All homeschool documentation required by your state is the responsibility of the family.
Family Commitment to the Co-op
By joining the co-op, a parent from your family agrees to provide support to the co-op. This might include attending class with your child, providing a lesson, providing a snack, or another creative contribution.
Caregivers who choose to attend with their learner provide helpful support to teachers and get a bird’s eye view into their child’s learning experiences. As an added bonus, caregivers learn nature-based education approaches and best practices from our skilled Mentors! All caregivers attending class must pass a background check.
What are my options?
2025/26 Options (September-June)
Bluestone Homeschool Co-op meets weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 am-2:30 pm. We meet at Bluestone Village on the campus of Camp Koinonia in Highland Lake, NY.
To allow for flexibility, we offer a fall and spring registration. But, we encourage families to attend the entire school year!
Note: If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the session, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot.
If you need financial assistance, limited funding is available. We never want funding to be a barrier to our program, but please know that assistance is limited and designed for families with significant financial need. Please contact our Director, Emily Woodmansee, to learn more.
Financial Commitment & Enrollment Process
Financial Commitment
For the 2025/26 school year, the financial commitment to Forest Days Homeschool Co-op is as follows:
Fall semester (September 8-December 17, 2025)
One day per week, per student: $675
Two days per week, per student: $1200
We offer a 10% sibling discount. Thanks to grant funding, we are also able to offer scholarships to qualifying families. In your registration application, please indicate if you would like scholarship funding of 25% (Scholarship A), 50% (Scholarship B), 75% (Scholarship C), or our 100% Repair Fund for BIPOC, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
Enrollment Process
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Review the website and read through what our program is all about.
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Enroll! Everything you need to enroll your child is available online and will be shared after your initial registration.
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Fill out and return all paperwork by the due date. Be sure to also read our Family Handbook, sign, and return it.
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Get ready! Nature play is a unique and fun experience. Start gathering appropriate gear for your student, talk about what it will be like to go to school, and spend time outside as a family!
*Bluestone Village and Bluestone Nature Programs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity).
