SOL Forest School
We're celebrating 5 years around the sun!
Soulful ~ Outdoor ~ Learning
Current Program Overview
Weekly Sessions:
Mon – Thur
9:30am – 1:30pm
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1st & 3rd Sats
Sept – May
9:30am – 12:30pm
2022 – 2023
School Year:
August 22 – May 18
Summer 2023:
June – July
Locations:
East Mountains
(east of Albuquerque)
Albuquerque Bosque
(forest along river valley)
Age Range:
Treeschool &
Explorers
(3-6)
Tall Pines & Adventurers
(6/7-10)
Time in Nature:
100%
Forest School
Year Round Sessions:
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 6/7-10 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 blocks in June and July.
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
Our sites are currently based in the East Mountains (Cedar Crest, Tijeras, and Sandia Park) and in the Albuquerque Bosque, with our East Mountain sites 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.
Our Programs:
Treeschool
Ages 3 - 6
East Mountains & Albuquerque Bosque
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
Ages 6/7 - 10
East Mountains
Tall Pines is SOL’s forest school program for elementary school ages (6/7-10), 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.
Saturday / Summer Explorers & Adventurers
Ages 3 - 10
East Mountains (Saturdays/Summer) & Albuquerque Bosque (Summer)
SOL Saturdays during the school year and Summer SOL are offered for Explorers (ages 3-6) and Adventurers (ages 6/7-10). Saturday sessions typically run 3 hours (9:30am - 12:30pm) and Summer sessions will run 4 hours in 2023 (8:30am-12:30pm), before the heat of the day intensifies. Options for one or both Saturdays per month during the school year, or for Summer, one or both 3-week blocks June & July, one or more days a week may be possible as space is available. For Summer 2023 we will also offer a 5-Day Camp Week in July for enrollment of the full week.
SUMMER SOL 2023
Anticipated Offerings:
3-WEEK BLOCKS in both June (6/5 – 6/22) & July (7/17 – 8/3), with an option to register for one or more session days, Mon–Thur, for either or both months (as space is available) with locations in the East Mountains & the Albuquerque Bosque. *NOTE: These will be 4 hour sessions, 8:30am – 12:30pm
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For ages 3-6
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Tuition for 3-week Block: $185 + tax for 1 enrolled day per week
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Mon/Wed locations are in the Albuquerque Bosque
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Tue/Thu locations are in the East Mountains
(For the safety of our students, we do not disclose our precise locations online. You can access our locations by creating an account with us through brightwheel, or please contact us).
NEW! 5-DAY CAMP WEEK: July (7/10 – 7/14) – Enrollment is for the full week, Mon–Fri, 4 hour sessions, 8:30am – 12:30pm
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For ages 3 - 10
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Tuition for 5-Day Camp Week: $285 + tax
FAMILY WEEKEND CAMP OUT – June 30 - July 2
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SAVE THE DATES! (more details available in late Spring)
Registration is now open!
OAK Club – After School
Outdoor Adventuring Kids, Ages 3 - 10
East Mountains
SOL is excited to announce a NEW after-school club for K-5th students at the Vista Grande Community Center! Under the guidance of SOL Forest School's trained staff, OAKs will enjoy engaging in forest school activities such as nature journaling, mapping/orienteering, Coyote games, tool-work, hiking, STEM learning, & nature play.
OAK students venture out "into the wild" from the Vista Grande Community Center on early-release Wednesdays. We welcome students that are either enrolled at VGCC, or with parent transportation to/from VGCC. Children participating in OAK Club will need to come properly dressed & prepared for all kinds of weather & commit to register for the full series of 10 classes (3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/29, 4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3 & 5/10).
This program is currently FULL
Tree Tots
Pilot Program: for children under age 3 and their families
We have been wanting to offer programming for children under 3 & their families for quite some time now & hope to pilot a weekly 90-minute session running for 6 weeks in duration this Spring in our Albuquerque Bosque location. Cost will be $150 for the session series & parents will stay with their tots. There will be opportunities to connect with other like-minded families, as well as a chance to help us plan for what this offering might look like in the future.
TREE TOTS Spring Session Dates: April 12, 19, & 26 ... May 3, 10, 17
Session Time: 10am – 11:30am
COST: First child - $150 for the full series, due by April 5.
Additional siblings over 18 months - $99 for the full series
(Additional Siblings under 18 months old may attend without charge).
This program is currently FULL
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:
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Labor Day (Mon September 5)
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Thanksgiving Break (Mon November 21–24)
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Winter Break (December 19 – January 12)
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Martin Luther King, Jr Day (Mon January 16)
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President's Day (Mon February 20)
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APS Spring Break (week of March 20–23)
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APS Easter (Mon April 10)
Upcoming Programs for 2022-2023-2024
New! OAK Club for Spring '23
After school Club on WEDs in partnership with Vista Grande Community Center
SOL School Year 2023-2024