Forest School

We offer a full school year program from August to May, Monday – Thursday from 9:00am - 1:00pm for children ages 3 to 6 in our early years Treeschool group and Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00am - 1:00pm for ages 6-10 in our Tall Pines older kid group. We also offer Summer sessions that typically run 6 weeks, Monday – 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 (6-10), 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 school year is Aug 16 – May 27. 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 (Sept 6)

• Thanksgiving Break (Tues 11/23 - Fri 11/27)

• Winter Break (Dec 17 - Jan 9)

• APS Spring Break (Mar 21-25)

Upcoming Programs for 2021-2022