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. 

​

Tall Pines is SOL’s forest school program for elementary school ages (7-12), giving homeschool learners a community of their peers and ample time to experience the forest school fun that SOL is known for. Tall Pines go for longer hikes in the forest and have opportunities to advance their outdoor skills & tool use. We follow student interests in choosing activities, and learn about local habitats & wildlife throughout the changing seasons. Tall Pines is held on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and children attend 1-2 days per week. Treeschoolers who have been with SOL for at least one year may graduate to Tall Pines after age 6, and we make these decisions on a case-by-case basis. We take into consideration several factors when advancing a younger student to Tall Pines. For example, Tall Pine students must be able to attend to all their outdoor bathrooming with little or no adult support. They must be able to manage their own buttons and zippers on snow pants and jackets, and put on their own gloves/mittens without adult help. Tall Pines carry a heavier backpack for longer distances, sometimes through mud or snow. Most importantly, Tall Pines must show age-appropriate self-regulation and impulse control during risky and adventurous play, such as tree-climbing, stick play, and child-led games. 

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 

​

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 (Mon November 21–24)

• Winter Break (December 19 – January 12)

• Martin Luther King, Jr Day (Mon January 16)

• President's Day (Mon February 20)

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

• APS Easter (Mon April 10)

​

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