Children ages 4 – 14+ are invited to come together in a small community of children and Teacher Naturalists to explore, imagine, and learn on the farm and in the forest. The NatureYear program is conducted almost entirely outdoors!
Our explorations take us onto the farm, through the gardens and animal yards, and into the forested trails of West Rock Ridge State Park. Activities follow the seasons and the interests of the children.
Fall brings harvesting and cooking from the gardens, jumping in leaf piles, fort building, nature hikes, and helping to put our farm to bed for the winter. Winter is wonderful for animal tracking and searching for signs of wildlife, cooking and being cozy around a campfire, snow play and snow shoeing, and nature arts in our farmhouse classroom on the coldest of days. Spring brings the magic of baby animals on the farm, a wetland full of frog eggs and tadpoles, seeds to be started, and forest streams to be stomped in!
Children develop self-confidence and an “I can do it!” attitude as they problem solve, try new things, and learn from challenges. Encouraging children’s curiosity and persistence as they develop as thinkers and explorers is a core value of the NatureYear program.
Friendships, community, and group building are also an important part of the NatureYear experience. Children and their teachers will practice group decision making, positive peer interactions, problem solving, and teamwork as they determine the group’s daily activities and adventures.
Age Groupings and Schedules
NatureYear is offered Mon – Fri and Saturdays. Most children are enrolled for one day per week. Age groupings and program offerings vary by day of the week. An overview of the different age groups and schedules for the 25/26 program year is HERE.
- Ages 5 – 14+: full day or half day from 9 AM – 3 PM or 12 PM – 3 PM, both with optional extended day through 5:30 PM
- Ages 4 – 5: half days from 12 PM – 4 PM
Handbook
The NatureYear Parent Handbook has details about our program philosophy, policies, and more.
A Typical Day at NatureYear
Part of the philosophy behind the NatureYear program is to not let schedules get in the way of authentic learning. For that reason, we have a daily structure that is flexible depending on the weather, child interest, or what is happening in the forest or on site at any given time. However, we know that all children benefit from routines and from knowing what to expect.
Our half day HAWKS and FOXES groups enjoy a modified version of this schedule and will also have a balance of child-led play time and teacher-led activities.
8:50 – 9:20 AM: Arrival
Arrive dressed for the weather and ready to play outside! A teacher will be waiting by the parking lot for curbside drop off from 8:50 – 9:20 AM, or parents are welcome to park and walk their child to the farmhouse anytime after 9:20 AM.
Morning play and chores
Immediately after arrival time, children make their way up to the cabin and have time to enjoy morning play in the forest. This is an important time to make social connections, engage in imaginative play, and connect with our outdoor space. Children also have the option to participate in morning chores and helping jobs. These chores vary with the season. Examples include splitting firewood, gathering kindling, caring for farm animals, watering in the garden, and sweeping and tidying our cabin.
Morning Meeting and Snack
After morning play time and chores, we gather and greet each other and talk about the things that are happening on the farm and in the forest – this is our “Nature Note” time, and it is one opportunity to learn about the seasonal happenings in nature. Morning meeting is also when we talk about the teacher-led activities that will be offered. Children have a hearty snack (brought from home) during this time.
Tree Time
After our meeting we take a few minutes for each child to visit their chosen tree. At our special trees, we take some time to sit quietly, to pay attention to our surroundings and to observe the way the environment changes throughout the year.
Teacher Led Activity Time
Teachers offer activities each day that take advantage of the season and the interests of the group. Children choose the activity that is most appealing to them and join that teacher. Activities are a combination of instruction, exploration, learning, and discovery. Some activities are more skills-based and teacher-directed (for example, learning how to split firewood with an axe), and some start with inspiration from a teacher and then follow the children’s interests (for example, a hike to a vernal pool to check out salamander eggs that turns into following fox tracks in the mud and building forts in nearby brush). We usually eat lunch in our small activity groups and then meet back at the cabin around 1 PM.
Free Time and Child Led Activities
Most afternoons include time for free play and child led activities. The group gathers and each child who has a skill or an idea that they would like to share makes a proposal for their activity. Children who did not elect to lead an activity choose which of the proposed activities they want to participate in or go to an agreed upon area for free play, and teachers supervise and facilitate as needed. Child led activities are often inspired by our morning adventures. Examples have included games, nature arts (nature masks with mud and leaves!), imaginative play (make a tree stump band and a bakery!), and extended time with the farm animals, garden, and wetland. This time helps develop leadership skills as well as cooperative decision making and social skills.
Journal Time
All of our age groups use journaling time to encourage students to reflect on their day. Examples of journal prompts include: What was something new that I tried today? What did I learn today? What was challenging for me today? Something I am proud of is…. Students may write or draw in their journals and teachers provide support as needed.
Closing Circle and Dismissal
At the end of our daily adventures, we gather and close out our time together. The pick-up window is 2:45 – 3 PM.
Is it all unstructured play?
Each day includes free play time, teacher led time, and kid-led time. Free play times are unstructured (but not unsupervised – boundaries and reasonable choices and teacher supervision always apply). Teacher led times have many opportunities for student choice and voice, and students are expected to make a choice and participate in the activity they choose. Child led times usually revolve around play, and students can choose the activity they are most interested in.
Parent Communication
At the end of each day, the teacher team writes an email to share with that day’s families. The daily email shares a recap of the day’s learning and play. It is a great springboard for questions and conversation at home. Examples of emails we previously sent are HERE.
We post to Instagram daily, including children whose parents have signed off on permission to do so.
Once per year, we offer parent/teacher conferences. These are a great chance to connect more deeply with one of your child’s NatureYear teachers if you choose to sign up for a conference!
Once each season (fall, winter, and spring), we offer Parent Tag-Along Days. On these days, a parent or other special adult is invited to join their child for a partial or full day of NatureYear! Many parents look forward to these days as a way to see some of the special things their child tells them stories about.
Learning and playing outside in all weather
We really do spend our days outside in all weather! We will give you all the information you need to prepare your child for outdoor learning and play in all weather. We have Gear Guides for each season that specify the kinds of layers and outerwear your child will need to be comfortable. None of the needed layers are hard to find, and none need to be very expensive. We try to keep it simple and realistic. We also have loaner gear available for families that need it.
In case of severe weather:
- We will operate as usual in the rain, enjoying outdoor activities
- Severe weather that may bring the group inside includes lightning, high wind warning (we use open field spaces as much as possible if it is too windy to be in the woods), extreme cold, hail, heavy downpours that feel unsafe to stay out in.
- We may close or operate on an altered schedule if we can anticipate severe weather for the majority of the day.
- We will close for snow/ice days as usual if travel would be dangerous for families and staff.
- Refunds or credits will not be issued for severe weather closures.
A video from our first year
