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Airie's Forest School

Our Forest School classes are designed for children to immerse themselves

in a world of wonder.

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The A.F.S. Experience

A PLAYce for an Authentic Childhood

  • Rooted in the Forest School philosophy, we provide children with time, space, and tools to take the lead in their learning, developing new skills through hands-on play in the great outdoors.​

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  • All-weather immersive experiences 

    • Rain, Snow, and Sunshine ​

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  • Process art and creative expression

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  • Developmentally appropriate curricular experiences embedded in play

    • Our teachers encourage children to engage in open-ended, outdoor play every day.

    • Invitations to learn come from the children's curiosities, developmental needs, and natural instincts, rather than a forced, scripted structure.

      • Inspired by the seasons, wildlife, and our local ecosystems.

    •  Airie's instructional approach is inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational philosophies.​​​​

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  • Exclusive Airie Community clubs, celebrations, and trips!

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Forest  Families

Families that enroll in Airie Forest School are seeking to: 

  • Prioritize playful learning inspired by nature

  • Cultivate literacy through rich, hands-on experiences

  • Build resilience and creative tolerance

  • Support emotional intelligence through collaboration and strife

  • Slow down and connect with other homeschooling families

  • Partner with Airie educators

Reggio-Inspired Forest School Enrichment Classes 

August - May

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Seeds

Forest Preschool

  • Ages: 3 - 5 years

  • Days: Customizable Options

    • Choose 2 to 4 mornings

    • Mon, Tues, Wed, or Fri

  • Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  • Intention: Building confidence, coordination, relationships, emotional intelligence, cognitive skills, and a love for nature.

Seeds is a morning Forest Preschool class for young children learning to enjoy nature and weather immersion.

Sprouts

Nature-based Junior Kindergarten 

  • Ages: 4 - 5 years​​​

  • Days: Customizable Options​

  • Time: 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.​​

  • Intention: A gentle introduction to Kindergarten experiences through play-based learning in nature.

Sprouts is a nature-based Junior Kindergarten class for curious innovators who enjoy learning through play as part of their homeschooling education. 

Learning Pod

Nature-based Homeschool Cooperative 

  • Ages: 5 - 8 years​​​

  • Day: Wednesday Afternoons​

  • Time: 12:45 p.m - 3:00 p.m.​​

  • Intention: To support children as they develop a relationship with the natural world.

The Learning Pod is a nature-skills class for families to learn together through Forest School activities as part of their homeschooling journey. 

Wild Play Dates

A Nature-based Play Group

  • Ages: 3 - 7 years​​​

  • Day: Select Mornings​

  • Time: 9:30 p.m - 11:30 p.m.​​

  • Intention: To build connections with each other through play in the natural world.

This Wild Play Date is an opportunity for families to enjoy connecting with other nature-friendly families who want something flexible, commitment-free, with zero parent prep.

This play group's schedule will be posted in our calendar. Look for Wild Play Date.

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 Children should always arrive dressed for the current weather conditions.

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  • Parent Play from 8:55 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

  • Open-play in the Outdoor Laboratories

  • Morning  Meeting 

  • Mindfulness Hike

  • Storytime

  • Adventure Play

  • Farewell at 12:00 p.m.

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Children are encouraged to monitor their own hunger cues and are welcome to enjoy their personal whole-food snacks in our designated spaces.​

Seeds' Daily Rhythm

Customizing Your Child's Journey

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​Step 1) Choose how many days:​

  • Two

  • Three

  • Four

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Step 2) Choose your mornings:

  • Monday

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

  • Friday

Seeds Class

A  morning  Forest  Preschool  program  for  budding  naturalists.

The days of early childhood should be filled with the right to choose, move, create, be read to, sing, connect, be outside, ask questions, observe, discuss, reflect, express feelings, make mistakes, and solve problems—all accomplished while playing.

 

Play-based learning invites your child to:

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  • Learn how to solve problems through dedicated periods of Adventure Play (unstructured time).

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  • Practice focus, flexible thinking, and self-regulation as they plan, adapt, and carry out their ideas.

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  • Enhance cognitive and process skills.

 

  • Enjoy a rich, hands-on foundation for growth and development.

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  • Explore foundational concepts in biology, physics, and Earth sciences.

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  • Begin to investigate literacy through storytelling, vocabulary, and meaningful communication.

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  • Connect with passionate educators who value and understand the learning process.​​

The intention of our Forest Preschool is to invite young explorers to take their first steps into the world of outdoor learning and play on a 10-month journey.

Airie Seed's class is a semester-long membership that has rolling enrollment from

August - May.

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Sprouts Class

A  nature-based  Junior  Kindergarten  for  wild  innovators.

Who?  WHOA!  What?  OOPS!  When?  WOW!  Where?  LOOK!  Why?  YES!  How?  Let's do that again!

 

These are the insights we hear from our young explorers. Harnessing the power of children's inquiries enables our students to allow their imaginations to soar. Forest School experiential learning  invites the children to:

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  • Learn to live in rhythm with the land.

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  • Engage in hands-on experiments and meaningful inquiry by asking their questions and pursuing the answers in nature.

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  • Gently explore foundational literacy concepts through play and guidance.

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  • Gain confidence and precision while challenging their body through games, exercise, and guided movements.​​​​​

Young children dive into learning through this playful, nature-based class

built for bold discovery.

Airie Sprouts' class is a year-long partnership that has rolling enrollment from

August - May.

 Children should always arrive dressed for the current weather conditions.

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  • Parent Play from 8:55 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

  • Open-play in the Outdoor Laboratories

  • Morning  Meeting 

  • Mindfulness Hike

  • Literacy Workshop

  • Adventure Play

  • Farewell at 12:00 p.m.

 

Children are encouraged to monitor their own hunger cues and are welcome to enjoy their personal whole-food snacks in our designated spaces.

Sprouts' Daily Rhythm

​​​​

​Step 1) Choose how many days:​

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Step 2) Choose your mornings:

  • Monday

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

  • Thursday - Invitation  Only

    • 5 years = option for full day 

  • Friday

Customizing Your Kindergarten

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 Families should always arrive dressed for the current weather conditions.

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  • Arrival from 12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

  • Open-play in the Outdoor Laboratories

  • Outdoor Skill Activity

    • The younger sibling(s) will continue to play in the outdoor laboratories during the guided skill-based lesson.​

  • Adventure Play

  • Chores & Reflective Meeting

  • Farewell at 3:00 p.m.​​​

What Happens During Class?

Learning Pod

Learning Real Outdoor Skills Through the Rhythm of the Seasons

Our Homeschool Co-op is rooted in the belief that children learn best through meaningful, hands-on experiences in the natural world.

 

Each month, we will focus on a seasonal set of forest skills such as

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  • Whittling

  • Knot-tying

  • Shelter Building

  • Tracking

  • Risky Play & Agility

  • Foraging

  • Nature crafting

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These playfully guided lessons will be led by our Forest School-trained instructors. This program is designed to be a cohesive journey where skills are introduced, practiced, and deepened over time.

 

As the seasons shift, so do the children’s experiences, allowing them to build real competence, confidence, and a lasting connection to the land and to their own growing capabilities.

The intention of our Forest School Learning Pod is to encourage children to learn, practice, and deepen their abilities week by week, helping them grow into capable, confident participants in the natural world.

Airie Homeschool Cooperative is a semester-long membership that has rolling enrollment from August - May.

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The Investment

Please click the link below to learn more about the financial investment for Airie's offerings.

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"We chose Airie because we wanted our daughter to have the opportunity to step away from screens and experience more unstructured, natural play. I have always felt that being outside is so important for both physical and mental health, and I wanted her to have more of that in her life." 

— Lystash Family

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"Airie’s approach to learning through nature, where play and creativity are a priority, felt like exactly what our daughter needed. We love the multi-age group setup, which gives kids the opportunity to learn from one another and helps them develop leadership skills in a natural way.

 

It just felt like the right place for our daughter to explore, grow, and connect with the world around her."

— Williams Family

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