We offer a full school year program from August to May, Monday – Thursday from 9:30am - 1:30pm for children ages 3 to 6 in our early years Treeschool group and Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30am - 1:30pm for ages 7-12 in our Tall Pines older kid group. We also offer Saturday sessions from 9:30am - 12:30am (every 1st & 3rd of the month between Sept - May) and Summer sessions in two 4-week blocks in June and July, Tuesday – Thursday, 9:00am – 12:00pm.
 

Treeschool is SOL’s original forest school program for early childhood years (age 3-6). Under the guidance of trained and experienced educators, our "Treeschoolers" experience firsthand the joy and wonder of nature and have ample free time for risky and adventurous play. Treeschool is play-based, welcomes children with or without outdoor experience, and is held daily Monday – Thursday where children attend 1-4 days per week. 

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Tall Pines is SOL’s new forest school program for elementary school ages (7-12), designed to support homeschool learners & led by Miss Brie, a trained plant ecologist and science educator. Tall Pines study local habitats & wildlife, engage in scientific data collection, and also have ample free time to enjoy the forest school fun that SOL is known for. Tall Pines is held on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and children attend 1-2 days per week.

Our sites are all currently based in the East Mountains (Cedar Crest, Tijeras, and Sandia Park), and are approximately 20-45 minutes by car, depending upon where in the Albuquerque metro area you may be traveling from.
 
Our sessions are held in beautiful forested areas that are carefully chosen with the criteria of safety, proximity, outdoor classroom use, potential environmental impact & opportunities for nature immersion in mind. 
 
Parents are asked to participate as Parent Volunteers at least 1 to 2 times per semester. Our third adult for forest school sessions is a Parent Volunteer or a Volunteer from the community with a dedicated interest in early childhood and outdoor education.   

We encourage parents to use the session time for self-care through hiking or relaxing in nature, enjoying some quiet time sipping coffee or tea at one of our several eateries & cafes, or working virtually without interruption while your child / children are enjoying themselves under the sun.  The East Mountain Library in Tijeras is a wonderful spot for reading or working, too.  We encourage parents to carpool to save on time & fuel, if they are comfortable doing so.

Please see our FAQs tab for more information about a typical experience of Forest School.

Learn more about our PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS and the Rhythm of the Forest School Day 

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A note about our school calendar: SOL’s upcoming school year is Aug 22 – May 18. If you have school-age children, please be aware that their school calendar may differ from SOL's calendar. No classes will be held on the following days/dates: 

• Labor Day (Mon September 5)

• Thanksgiving Break (Tues November 22–24) - open Monday November 21

• Winter Break (December 19 – January 12)

• APS Spring Break (week of March 20–23)

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A note about SOL Saturdays & Summer SOL:  SOL Saturdays during the school year and Summer SOL are offered for Explorers (ages 3-6) and Adventurers (ages 7-12). Saturday and Summer sessions run 3 hours (9:30am-12:30pm & 9am-12pm, respectively), before the heat of the day intensifies especially in summer. Options for one or both Saturdays per month during the school year, or one or both 4-week blocks of summer programming, one or more days a week may be possible as space is available. 

Upcoming Programs for 2022-2023