Nourishing Connections

Forest School

Nourishing Connections: Nature-Based Parent/Child Enrichment

Come experience nature while enjoying the support and company of other parents. Our outdoor parent-child weekly enrichment sessions are comprised of about 12 parents and their child(ren).

The first half of each session will be open and exploratory, providing an opportunity for the children to settle into the space and allowing them to make their own connections to their surroundings. The parents are welcome to join their child in their discoveries or connect with other families during this time. The second half of each session will take place in the nearby pine forest.

We share in a warm and rhythmical morning of outdoor free play, circle time (seasonal songs, finger plays and rhymes), a meal blessing, snack, and parent conversation.

*Please note that Forest Lake Nature School is not responsible for your child during these enrichment sessions. The parent must be in close proximity to the child during the 2 hour session.

Our Rhythm:

Our morning rhythm follows an “expansion” and “contraction” like- feeling. This helps maintain a balance for the children (and adults) so our mornings together don’t feel too stagnant or over stimulating.

 
Open Nature Play 
Circle Time and Family Introductions 
Meal blessing and Snack
Nature Craft or Parent Conversation
Goodbye Circle and Song
 
Please bring:
– A healthy snack/ picnic lunch
– Blanket for sitting on
 
When the children settle into this built in rhythm, it’s so lovely to see them flow and flourish. The children thrive on this familiarity and consistency. It’s a sense of security for them, to know what comes next, and for a predictable rhythm they can count on.
 
Come join us outside this summer and connect with nature and a community of supportive families! This program is free, however, we do ask that families sign up through our email invites as spaces are limited. 

Rhythm is all around us:

We were born into a world of rhythms; Rising and setting of the sun, phases of the moon, changes of the seasons.

The patterns of nature and the seasons follow a dependable rhythm allowing children to connect to something beyond them. Noticing patterns, animals, textures, gives them opportunities to connect and interact with their environment in meaningful ways.