🌱Forest Days

Children Ages 3 - 10
Twice a Month • 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Oleta River State Park & Enchanted Forest 

Our Forest Days program invites homeschoolers and their families into a living classroom—one shaped by wind, water, curiosity, and community. Rooted in the principles of nature‑based education, this three‑hour experience blends child‑led exploration with meaningful opportunities for caregivers to learn, reflect, and grow alongside their children.

🌿 A Program Designed for Whole‑Family Learning
Children ages 6–10 may participate as drop‑off learners, while children 3–5 attend with a caregiver. This mixed‑age environment mirrors natural communities, where younger children learn by observing older peers, and older children strengthen leadership, empathy, and problem‑solving through real responsibility.

🌱 What Children Experience
Our approach is grounded in unstructured, nature‑rich play—an evidence‑based foundation for developing the skills children need to thrive. Each Forest Day includes:

•     Child‑led exploration of forest, water, and trail environments
•     Loose‑parts play that sparks creativity, engineering, and collaboration
•     Opportunities for risk‑competence, resilience, and self‑regulation
•     Ecological literacy, cultivated through hands‑on encounters with plants, wildlife, and seasonal changes
•     Community building through cooperative games, shared discoveries, and storytelling
Children learn to trust themselves, navigate challenges, and develop a deep sense of belonging in nature.

🌿 A Learning Space for Caregivers Too
For caregivers attending, Forest Days also serve as a gentle coaching space into our own reality. Through observation, conversation, and real‑time guidance, adults learn:
•     How to support independence without rushing
•     Ways to nurture critical thinking through open‑ended questions
•     Strategies for fostering self‑regulation and emotional resilience
•     How to recognize and encourage emerging leadership
•     How to step back so children can step forward
This is not a lecture—it’s a living workshop where adults practice new approaches while children explore freely.

🌎 Our Locations
Forest Days rotate between two of Miami’s most beloved natural areas:
•     Oleta River State Park – mangroves, waterways, shaded trails, and abundant wildlife
•     Enchanted Forest Elaine Gordon Park – forested paths, open meadows, and rich biodiversity
We also schedule occasional field trips to other natural spaces across Miami to expand children’s sense of place and ecological awareness.

🌤️ A Community Rooted in Nature
Forest Days are more than a program—they’re a gathering of families who believe in childhood as a time of wonder, exploration, and connection. Together, we create a community where children feel capable, caregivers feel supported, and nature becomes a trusted healing and encouraging companion.