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Homeschool in the Forest!
Options for children ages 5-10 years
(K-5th grade)
Registration for 2025-26 now open!
Not all classrooms have four walls! Homeschool in the Forest is a drop-off program for children that invites nature connection and social play in a small group setting while supporting your homeschool journey.
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The K-2nd full year program has drop-off class options available on Monday-Thursday for the full school year (Sept. - May) from 9-1 p.m. The Afternoon Nature Club is a drop-off program open to K-2nd graders from 1-3 p.m., so your child can join as a stand alone class in the afternoons or add the club as an extension of the regular day (extending the day from 9-3 p.m.).
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Our monthly Forest Fridays program has drop-off class options for ten (10) Friday classes (one per month, Sept. 2025 - June 2026) for K-5th graders. Read on for detailed information about each program.
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Note: Enrollment in the K- 2nd Full-Year program requires a commitment for the full school year. View current pricing here. If you must cancel your enrollment early, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot. Open enrollment is first come, first serve. A tour is strongly suggested before enrolling in any of our programs and may be required in order to access certain registration pages.
K-2nd Full Year Homeschool Program
Sept. 2, 2025 - May 27, 2026 from 9 - 1 p.m.
Class Options:
Monday: Hands-on Science and Social Studies Inquiry (K-2nd)
Tuesday: Language and Literacy Exploration (K-2nd)
Wednesday: Wild Math and Outdoor Cooking (K-2nd)
Thursday: Creative Nature Arts: Music, Art, and Dramatic Play (K-2nd)
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​Classes meet entirely outdoors, rain or shine! You will receive complete details about gear and policies when you register. Your child must be five (5) years old by September 1st to meet the age requirement. (If your child is NOT five by Sept. 1st of the enrollment year, they are eligible for the Forest Preschool) Early registration is strongly recommended; spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. Additional policies related to outdoor learning, gear, etc. are provided upon registration in your confirmation email.
Each day provides a different daily focus, allowing teachers to balance intentional learning experiences with emergent, child-driven explorations. We reference MSDE’s curriculum standards to ensure that children meet homeschool requirements (see MSDE’s homeschool info or components of homeschool instruction video here).
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Ready to schedule your tour and enroll? Limited spaces are still available for 2025-2026. Contact Tressa, the Program Director of Notchcliff Nature Programs at tressa@anbe.org.
Fall Afternoon Nature Club (K-2nd)
Sept. 8 - Oct. 31 from 1 - 3 p.m.
Register Now!
Enjoy crisp Autumn afternoons exploring nature! If you attend our Full-Year homeschool program, join the Nature Club to extend your day! Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Register for 1 afternoon or all four!
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*Note: This is a new option and we will continue to reassess demand for the afternoon session; if there is strong demand, we will offer the p.m. session for the full school year. We appreciate your patience while we determine what our learning community needs.
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​Forest Fridays: Earth Skills & Activism (K-5th)
Sept. 2025 - June 2026 from 9 - 1 p.m.
Register Now - hurry spaces are filling!
Class meets once per month to explore seasonal themes (10 classes total).
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Join naturalist and educator Julie Biedryzcki each month from September to June as we explore a range of seasonal topics and try our hands at earth skills such as botanical dyes, fire, shelters, and more. Julie will share an activism extension to build off of each skill (either as a group or between classes). We utilize a communication app where we upload photos and videos of our adventures, which can be used in your homeschool portfolio.
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Forest Fridays will inspire and encourage young naturalists on their paths to deep connection with the natural world. We will be exploring local ecology, looking back into natural history, and thinking ahead for the future of our environment. Developing one's own sense of meaningful relationship with nature is the first step on an eco-activist's journey. This course is designed to offer that first step through science, earth skills, creativity, current events discussion, critical thinking, and lots of wild play!
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This is a drop-off class for children homeschooling in K-5th grade. Your child should plan to attend independently. Participants should dress in layers for the weather, bring a backpack, water bottle, peanut-free snack, and unlined nature journal or sketchbook to each class. Details will be included in your confirmation email.
Schedule (once per month on Fridays; topics subject to change):
Sept. 5, 2025 from 9-1 p.m.
Oct. 3, 2025
Nov. 7, 2025
Dec. 5, 2025
Jan. 9, 2026
Feb. 6, 2026
Mar. 6, 2026
Apr. 3, 2026
May 1, 2026
June 5, 2026​​​​​​​​​
FAQ's about
Homeschool in the Forest
What is the structure of this homeschool program? Homeschool in the Forest is a drop-off homeschool enrichment program. Notchcliff Nature Programs, including Homeschool in the Forest, is operated by the 501c3 nonprofit Association for Nature-Based Education (ANBE). The ANBE staff, which includes the Notchcliff team, hires, sets budgets, determines curriculum, reviews handbook policies, etc. to provide safe, meaningful nature-based learning opportunities. The Notchcliff Parent Group holds monthly meetings to encourage feedback and support for various activities, fundraising, and community events at Notchcliff. We hope you will get involved!
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What does family involvement look like? Families are encouraged to attend our community-building events and volunteer where possible to support us! Opportunities include:
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Notchcliff Parent Group holds a monthly meeting to determine upcoming volunteer needs for events, etc.
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Community Service Days are for families to help in the garden, on the trails, and in the outdoor classrooms; these are usually on Saturday or Sunday from 10-12 p.m.
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Family events such as Friendsgiving, Winter Solstice Gathering, and Spring Equinox Night Hike are exclusively for the Notchcliff community to share and celebrate gifts of the season
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Field Trips enrich learning in the local community; parents to attend with their children
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Volunteering opportunities are also available; teachers share a list of topics and projects that align with curricular goals and families are welcome to choose a lesson they would like to share with their child's class
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Community events such as Fall Harvest Day or Earth Day Fairy Fest are held in October and April; these introduce the larger community to our work and provide more fun ways to honor nature
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Night for Nature: An Autumn Benefit is a fundraiser held in October to raise funds for a range of projects and services that helps fulfill ANBE's mission of nature-based education
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What about Homeschool Portfolio Reviews?
The children’s nature journals, photos, and other learning artifacts will provide you with documentation to support your child’s learning adventures at Notchcliff. While much of the children's time is devoted to nature play, we also translate our adventures into activities that align with grade level expectations and standards. We use Storypark to document learning and communicate with families. This makes it easy to print out and share during your homeschool review. We will send an invite to join your child's Storypark class upon enrollment.
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Pricing and Payments: View current pricing here. Initial Deposits are non-refundable and are due at time of registration. Remaining balances will be broken down in equal payments and will be invoiced separately.
Year-round enrollment: Initial Deposit, then 8 monthly payments (Sept.1 - April 1).
Other enrollment: Initial Deposit, then second payment due Sept. 1
​Note: If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the program year, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot. If you have questions about payment, contact Jasmine Atkins, our Administrative Assistant.​​
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Have questions about our homeschool programs? Contact the Program Director of Notchcliff Nature Programs, Tressa, at tressa@anbe.org for more information.