FAQ

You can expect the daily rythm to look a bit like this:

10am Drop off, Sign-in Time, Free Play

10:45am Morning Gathering Circle & Snack

Drumming, Singing and Movement

Question of the Day and Helper Roles

Adventure Plan

Gratitude & Environmental/Sensory Awareness Practice

Group Game or Engaging Activity

11am Hike and Exploration

Child led wanderings

Spontaneous games and activities

Observation and Interaction with nature, plants, creatures, etc.

Foraging

11:45 Sit Spots

Through our program, your child will find and choose a quiet spot in nature to return to each day to build an intimate relationship with a place in the forest and the creatures, plants, and changes that happen within that space. They will share time here observing, drawing, writing, listening, focusing their attention, and sitting in quiet meditation.

12:30pm Site Location, Group Fire Building, Lunch & Story

During our hike, we will discover a spot where everyone wants to settle in for the remainder of the day. Here, we will work together to find a suitable and safe fire location. We will then gather kindling, fire-starter, and wood to get a fire going. Everyone will work together to set up hammocks, unpack supplies, blankets, and backpacks, and ‘make camp’ for the afternoon.

Munching

Making (kid-harvested) tea from our forest findings

We will either read a story, create stories from our experiences, surroundings, and imagination, sing songs, or tell tales 

12:45pm Focused Activities & Exploration

Individual and/or group based activities

Examples may include artistic projects, whittling, foraging, gathering firewood, tracking, survival skills, making tea or food, and so much more!

1:30pm Closing Circle, Hike Back, and Free Play

Sharing and Gratitude Practice

Song and Story

2:00pm Pickup and Farewell

The idea that we shouldn't go outside because of unfavorable weather is really something that we see more here in the United States than anywhere else. If you look at many European countries, you'll find that they have what we would call bad weather more than they have clear skies. If they waited for only the nice days to go outside, they would rarely get out. It is natural and beneficial to be out in the rain, snow, cold and hot days... As they say, "there's no such thing as bad weather.. only bad clothing/gear choices". See the "What to Wear" section for our recommendations. 

However, there are times when the risks outweigh the benefits of being outside such as during lightning storms, severe cold, ice storms, severe wind, etc. and during these times, we may reschedule, adjust the hours of our meeting, or meet at an alternative location. More details on specific inclement weather protocols are provided in the parent handbook.

Nature school provides a holistic approach with a focus on child-led learning in a relaxed, explorative and cooperative environment. The physical, mental, and emotional benefits of schooling outside are countless. This way of learning fosters and promotes creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, encourages risk and self assessment, independence, reduced stress, social bonding and a deep connection to our beloved planet. 

Furthermore, "Nature is a great equalizer. It provides an intriguing learning platform for learners of all abilities. From children who may struggle with attention challenges and a beautifully full reserve of energy to those looking for a greater academic challenge, all typically find increased enthusiasm for learning in a nature-based environment – leading to happy children and the development of lifelong learners and engaged citizens". (https://theriveredgeschool.org/faqs/)

Since nature school has been so successful in European countries, there has been a lot of scientific research to document the positive outcomes of nature- based learning, some of which you can find in the links below. 

Benefits of Outdoor Education- Natural Resources Foundation WI 

Children & Nature- Peer Reviewed Studies 

WALNUT (Ages 3-4)

Tuesday's & Thursday's 10am-12pm

Wednesday's 1pm-3pm

BALD MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

Our Monday- Thursday "Cedars" program is a sliding scale based on # of days attending and income. See the pricing page for more tuition information. 

Please see our events calendar/sign- up for summer camps and pricing for family & miscellaneous  programs.

Safety is of the utmost importance to us and for this reason, all teachers & leaders are First Aid/CPR certified and trained in risk assessment. We always keep a first aid kit on hand and teach the kids about the things to look out for while in the woods. Of course, injury comes with the territory.

We strive to maintain a healthy balance of overall safety while allowing the children to take risks which is both physically and emotionally stimulating for them. Children often prefer risky play where their abilities and physical strength are tested. It not only empowers them but it also teaches them risk assessment and healthy independence. We encourage this important behavior by helping kids make self-observation and tune into their own senses. An example of how we would encourage risky play while maintaining safety would be: if a child was picking up a rock and about to throw it, we might say "before you throw that rock, what do you need to look out for?" or if a child was climbing a tree and got stuck, we might help them by saying "try moving your foot to that thick branch". The idea is to give guidance without undermining their innate abilities. 

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities please contact us. Some opportunities may include:

• Monitoring littles

• Providing snacks/lunch

• Helping to teach a specific skill

• Field trip help

• Anything else you feel will be beneficial!

We strongly recommend children come in clothes that you don't mind them getting exceptionally dirty in. Also, please remember that it is better to be over dressed for the weather than under. 

The list below is our recommendation but you don't need to go out and buy everything brand new all at once.. there are many gently used on Facebook marketplace and we may have extras to lend. Although, good quality outdoor gear is a great investment as many will last multiple seasons as hand-me-downs. The Outdoor School Shop has great clothing and resources such as this layering guide .

ALL SEASONS CHECKLIST

• Light Backpack

• Water bottle

• Lunch

• Any important medications

• Extra change of clothes

SPRING/FALL CHECKLIST

• We highly recommend a rain suit or coverall like this one to go over all clothes. You can find these used on Facebook marketplace and we might have a few to borrow. Rain shell pants/bibs or a Rain/Shell jacket is a fine alternative-  though the shell pants and jackets tend to be more durable and breathable

• Rain or shell mittens 

• Rain hat or hood is fine but visibility is often better with a hat vs. hood

• Rain boots/ mucks boots 

• Wool socks

• Base layers- wool or high-tech poly or function fleece- cotton not recommended

WINTER CHECKLIST

• Well- Insulated waterproof snow jacket & pants or a one-piece insulated waterproof snowsuit can be more convenient and in many cases, warmer. 

• Insulated Waterproof snow mittens or gloves

• Wool socks 

• Winter hat 

• Insulated waterproof snow boots

• Base layers- wool or high-tech poly or function fleece- cotton not recommended

SUMMER CHECKLIST

• Sunscreen or UV blocking clothes

• Summer hat and glasses if your child prefers them

• Wool socks recommended - will wick sweat

• Depending on activity, we might ask you to bring coverall or long pants  

Wondering how these two programs differ?

• The Oxford Virtual Academy (OVA) program is a state-funded program through Oxford Public Schools. This program allows for parents to have a customizable learning experience. It is parent-directed and teacher-mentored. This program is perfect for parents that do not want their children to have the traditional public school experience but also aren't wanting to fully homeschool. 

The OVA program is state-funded making it accessible for those that can't afford the self-pay option. Because Michigan is a school of choice state, those living outside of Oxford are able to take advantage of this program. 

This class has a weekly online component as well as a weekly 2-hour in-person class that meets at our Bald Mountain Rec Area location in Lake Orion. Classes are 1 or 2 semesters (14 weeks each). This program is available to kids K-5th grade and has a 6:1 child to teacher ratio with a maximum class size of 12*).

• Our drop-off Cedar Group program is a self-pay program (see pricing on the programs page) available to kids aged 3 (potty trained) to 9. The student to teacher ratio is smaller (5:1 with a maximum class size of 10*). This program is great for preschoolers & those wishing to take their child's schooling in their own hands (no government involvement). This class also meets in-person for longer sessions (4 hrs per day once or twice a week), and goes from September - June. We have parent- teacher reflections throughout the year and hold a Graduation Ceremony at the end of the year. 

Learn more about our programs here. 

*Class sizes are dependent on the groups overall experience & comfortability

Any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! 

For all of our programs, we provide an assortment of nutritious organic snacks for hungry adventurers to enjoy and refuel. We do our absolute best to provide food that is nutritious and allergen-free for everyone in our community! Click HERE to see our snack list!

Ticks are a nuisance we have to deal with but they shouldn't cause enough fear to keep ourselves from the countless benefits of being in nature. Just like we have to wear our seatbelts when we drive or protect ourselves from getting sunburns, we just have to practice some precautions when it comes to ticks. Ticks are unfortunately a part of living in Michigan and we need to deal with them with diligence. Meaning, the best way to prevent a tick-borne illness is to tick check regularly and by regularly I mean everyday. Here's why:

The tick species we have to worry about the most is the Deer or Black-legged tick which is the type that carry Lyme Disease. We have a lot of them at Bald Mountain but here's the thing- a tick has to be feeding on you for at least 24 hours for any likelihood of it transmitting the disease. On top of that, ticks generally take a long time before they even find a spot to latch. So just getting in the habit of checking yourself and your kids daily is going to give the most security. 

*Ticks like to crawl up and find darker places to latch so check everywhere but especially check waistlines, groin area, under arms, naval, scalp, in and behind the ears and behind the knees*

Other ways to help prevent ticks are wearing light colored clothing, brushing hair out before getting in the car and putting clothing straight in the washer when you go inside. You can tuck pants into socks to make a tick's journey up to skin harder and longer- and therefore you might find them faster- but that's not always doable in barefoot and shorts weather. The number one preventative is DAILY TICK CHECKS. Even on days. you don't go outside- they can come inside on pets or hang out in the car for a couple days. 

Other ways to prevent:

Deet- this repels them but doesn't kill them and has been banned in some countries for its health and environmental concerns.

Permethrin- Kills them and all arachnids (yes, ticks are in the same family as spiders). It is somewhat known to be safer than Deet because it is generally applied to clothing rather than skin. 

Nantucket Spider Natural and Deet- free spray- There's no scientific evidence to the effectiveness of essential oils but we have used this with success and have heard from many others that this is the best natural spray on the market that we've found so far. 

Picardian- Not banned in other countries and seems to be safer than Deet or Permethrin. This one goes directly on skin. 

For Kira and I, we generally use the Nantucket Spray and when we know we're in higher tick areas, we put the Picardian on but do what feels right for your family.

Using any of these methods doesn't take away the need for Tick checks- tick checks need to just become a daily habit for preventing disease. 

Lastly, we recommend keeping some tick removal spoons on hand. These are the easiest method of removal we've found. 

We hope this information is helpful and somewhat comforting. I know I used to have so much fear around ticks until I did more research and found a 5 minute a day tick checking routine. If we can offer more support or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!