Summer 2025 Programs
Babies and Toddlers Group
Tuesdays
10 - 11:30am
(90 minutes)
July 15 - August 12
(5 sessions)
This program welcomes families or caregivers with young children (suggested ages 0-3) to gather outside and get our feet muddy! Children can enjoy open exploration time, as well as participate in songs, stories, sensory activities, or crafts related to the season and local ecosystem.
This program is offered on a sliding scale.
Mixed Ages Group
Thursdays
9:00 - 11:30 am
(2 1/2 hours)
July 17- August 14
(5 sessions)
This program welcomes children of all ages with parents or caregivers, and is designed to engage both children and adults. We will explore local habitats and their resident plants and animals, work on related STEAM projects, and practice a few skills for fun and safety outdoors.
This program is offered on a sliding scale.
What is a Forest School?
Wood Creek Forest School is a summer pilot program for a forest school.
Forest schools are fully outdoor schools that make use of the richness of natural environments for child-led learning opportunities.
In an outdoor setting, children develop their physical strength, balance, and confidence as they navigate the world around them. They develop social skills while undertaking projects together, and they develop discipline as they are guided into managing their own safety outdoors.
In addition, the immersive outdoor environment allows for children's questions about the world to arise naturally. Forest school leaders can follow these questions right into science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics projects.
This allows for more engaging learning that makes use of children's natural curiosity.
If you have further questions, send them my way through the form below
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Contact Me
What kinds of things will we do together?
The most important thing we will do together is give your children the chance to be out in the woods, off-trail, but supported.
Each session will have a topic of focus and include guided activities, particularly for the older children and adults. There will be open time to dig in deeper on something that caught your attention, or to explore more broadly. Our specific activities will be determined by the ages present, the weather, and whether there are particular topics of interest to the group.
The mixed ages group might spend time evaluating the health of the creek, building a fire, and learning to recognize certain plants and animals. We may use some tools to undertake projects that connect us to the environment in a deeper way.
The infants and toddlers groups will connect to the environment through songs, stories, and lots of sensory experiences. At this age we bring our focus in closer. Some of our topics could include: mud and worms, exploring water and water animals, seasons, bird songs, and more.
My name is Helen Gilbert, and I grew up on this land.
I am an artist and a parent, and I dove into learning all about forest schools after my daughter was born. My mother was a Montessori teacher who stayed home with us, I worked at a Reggio style preschool, and I have been the song leader for a Waldorf play group. Through these experiences I learned a lot about progressive early childhood education: including ways to support social emotional learning. The most important lesson (I am always relearning) is to recognize when it's time to step back and give them room!
Additionally, I am Red Cross certified in pediatric and adult first aid and CPR, as well as NOLS certified in wilderness first aid.
Growing up here instilled in me a deep love and respect for the more-than-human world. I wish to offer others the same opportunity I had through Wood Creek Forest School.
Sample Shedules
Mixed Ages Group
Rhythm:
9:00 — Gather and hike to site.
9:30 — Introduction to the activity, with safety and stewardship considerations.
10:30 — Break for water and snack. Time for individual choice of open exploration or second activity.
11:15 — Gather and hike back.
Example with a topic:
9:00 — Play "Run to Shelter" while gathering, then hike to site.
9:30 — Introduce types of dens and shelters, and group decision on which to build. Overview of safety.
10:30 — Water / snack break.
Useful knots introduction for those interested.
Others may continue building their shelter or try a new one.
11:15 — Gather, reflect, and hike back.
Babies and Toddlers Groups
Rhythm:
10:00 — Gather at circle site
10:15 — Circle time for a mix of songs, puppets, or movement, and sometimes an animal guest
10:45 — Walk to "beach" for free exploration of the environment / sensory activity
11:15 — Hike back out