Forest Kindergarten Overview
Delight, discovery, and adventure fill the outdoor days at Earthroots Forest Kindergarten, a nature-immersion program designed for children ages 3-6 and their caregivers. In this child-centered program, nature is the teacher. Through hands-on exploration and play, children develop a deep connection with the natural world while cultivating compassion and gratitude.
The day has a rhythmic flow that includes morning circle, songs, shared snack, journaling, quiet sit, story time, craft or gardening and exploration of the forest and creek at Big Oak Canyon. Throughout the day, there is ample time for child-led, discovery, and free exploration. Each day features a unique, nature-based theme corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. The day’s activities—stories, journaling, and hands-on tasks—are all tied to that theme.
Though new themes are introduced weekly, children thrive on rhythm and repetition. As such, many songs, gratitude blessings, verses, and games are repeated throughout the year. These songs and verses are chosen to blend fun animal lessons, seasonal changes, Earth connection, and a variety of languages. Hands-on activities bring the story of the land to life, nurturing a deep connection to the natural world.
Children will learn to identify plants, look for animal tracks, notice the phases of the moon, grow food from seeds, and make crafts from what they find on the land. Rooted in an Indigenous perspective, we honor the Earth not as a resource but as a deeply respected relative, one who cares for us, and whom we care for in return.
Earthroots Forest Kindergarten offers many correlations to Kindergarten California Common Core State Standards, and Earthroots is a state-approved vendor for many local charter schools. Safety and nature connection are Earthroots’ top priorities. Letters and numbers will be introduced through oral storytelling and practiced with full body and sensory activities.
“Big Oak always delivers! Peaceful, like a deep breath for my soul.“
Forest Kindergarten parent
“It was wonderful, I also learned so much!”
– Forest Kindergarten parent
Parent/Caregiver Participation
Earthroots requires parents to attend Forest Kindergarten with their child. We offer the following guidelines for parent participants:
Please model exemplary attentive behavior and full engagement during circle and activity times.
We recommend parents to bring a personal handwork project and to practice being benign parental presences during wilderness exploration times.
Parents may drop off independent older children (older than 4 years 9 months) pending instructor approval. Parents must attend the first one or two classes with their child, after which the instructors will let you know if they may be dropped off for future classes. Instructors will be looking for readiness skills including but not limited to being able to follow directions, use the restroom independently, staying with the group, and carrying their own backpack.
We recommend parents read Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young and Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne to better understand Earthroots mentoring philosophies.
Session Information
Forest Kindergarten begins in September and ends in late May. Classes fill on a first come first served basis. While most families enroll for the full year to experience the changing seasons and growing friendships, we also offer the option to enroll in either Fall or Spring sessions when space is available*. Each session is 16 weeks long, similar to the semesters of the academic year.
*Session rates (Fall or Spring) are slightly higher than paying for a full year.
Class Details
WHO: Children ages 3-6 with parent/caregiver. We strive to maintain a ratio of no more than 7 students to 1 Earthroots Mentor.
WHERE: Big Oak Canyon* (in Silverado Canyon) | *The first few fall classes are typically held at Moulton Meadows or other coastal locations for cooler weather during the hot months.
WHEN: Tuesdays or Thursdays | 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Spring 2026 Semester (Tuesdays): January 20, 2026 – May 19, 2026 (16 classes)
Full Year (Tuesdays): September 9, 2025 – May 19, 2026 (32 classes)
Spring 2026 Semester (Thursdays): January 22, 2026 – May 21, 2026 (16 classes)
Full Year (Thursdays): September 11, 2025 – May 21, 2026 (32 classes)
HOW: Click the Register Now button on this page (once registration opens). We require a deposit of $250 or full payment to hold your spot.
Your deposit can either be refunded at the end of the term, rolled over to hold your spot in a future semester, or held on account for additional program or purchase (up to 18 months).
If your child is attending a charter school, visit our Charter School page for more information about paying with Charter Funds.
Sibling Policy
Siblings who are within the age range of class (3-6 years old) must be registered as a regular participant. Siblings outside the age range of class (age 2 or older than 6) are called ACORNS. We invite ACORNS to attend with their parents. There is a $35 fee per day for siblings ages 2 years old or older than 6. There is no additional charge for children younger than 2 years old. Payment for ACORNS must be received at least one week prior to the date of class.
Registration Information
Registration information and payment must be received by us prior to the first day of class. Your registration is complete only when we have received payment in our office. If space allows, we may accept late registration once the session has begun. Class fees will be pro-rated after the first month of the session and a $50 late fee will apply.
Review our registration and cancellation policies and procedures HERE.
2026 Pricing
Private Payment Rate
Spring 2026 Session Only (16 classes):
Tuesdays or Thursdays: January 20 / 22, 2025 – May 19 / 21, 2026 (16 classes)
$1425 for first child/$1375 per additional sibling
2025-2026 Full Year (32 classes):
Tuesdays or Thursdays: September 9 / 11, 2025 – May 19 / 21, 2026 (32 classes)
$2710 for first child/$2615 per additional sibling
Please contact us at [email protected] about monthly installment rates.
Note: Students can enroll mid-year pending space availability. The class fee would be based on the number of classes remaining in the session/year.
Drop-In Rate
$93 per child per class
Drop-in classes are available for age-appropriate siblings of children currently enrolled in the class, when space is available. To schedule a drop-in date please contact us for availability [email protected]
Payments
Please note that processing fees will apply to online payments. In order for Earthroots to retain 100% of the price for this class, we kindly request that you check the box on the registration form to make an additional donation to cover the online processing fees (3.2% of the class total). Otherwise, to avoid the fees altogether, we invite you to make an offline payment via Zelle ([email protected]) OR by mailing in a check to:
Earthroots Field School
P.O. Box 504
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Along with the check or in the Zelle comment box, please include the following information: Student(s) Name
Parent/Guardian Name
Class you’re registering for (Class Name | Semester or Full Year)
Email
Phone number
Refer to class payment amounts above or simply send in the $250 deposit (per child) if you intend to make monthly payments.
Scholarships Available
Earthroots is committed to creating nature connection opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) participants and families in need.
For more information, email us at [email protected]