About Urban Forest Kinder

My best memories from childhood are of the times I spent in the woods with my mom, during the summers we spent in the Catskill Mountains. She showed me where to look for fairy rings, and how to catch frogs and salamanders, and how to find things that are hidden to most people, like the Indian pipe flowers that grow under pine trees, and rare lady’s slipper orchids at the edge of the forest…   

Out of that experience, I began a class in the park for families with young children to cultivate a similar appreciation for nature, and all it offers the young child. I believe that children need to be outdoors as much as possible — they learn to be resourceful and to collaborate, and they develop dexterity and skill in observing the world around them. They live in their limbs, and learn with their heart, mind and spirit.   
This forest school is for families who are really committed to the idea that an outdoor, play-based class is ideal for their child. We hold programs throughout the year, in all but the most inclement weather.

The world is moving faster and faster, and children are pushed to do more and achieve more, often before they’ve even left kindergarten. Their days are spent indoors, for the most part, and they sit at desks for hours at a time. If they spend any time outdoors, it is often on concrete or other man-made surface. Worst of all, screen time can play a dominant role in their lives.  

Our mission, as outdoor educators, is to give children a chance to balance that experience with one in which their senses are enlivened, their lungs fill with fresh air, their feet touch earth, their eyes take in natural light, the colors of plants, flowers and trees in all the seasons, and their ears are tuned to birdsong and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves over their heads.  

As the world becomes more complicated, more rushed and competitive, our outdoor program offers children a place to connect to their surroundings, their friends and the natural world at a pace that is gentler, calmer and which gives them the skills they need to develop into well-rounded human beings. And, it’s fun!