Homeschool Open Play

Mondays, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. beginning September 16

Open to all ages

***This is not a drop-off program. Parents or caregivers must supervise children at all times.

Enjoy some casual social playtime in our lovely outdoor play yard and forest, and in our indoor classroom space full of science tools, math manipulatives, literacy materials, art supplies, and more. This open play time is designed as a space where families can connect with one another and build community. Come say hi! No registration is required.


Homeschool Drop-off Enrichment:

S.T.E.A.M. Adventures in the Forest

Green Group: Geared towards learners ages 4-7

Yellow Group: Geared towards learners ages 8-12

(age ranges have some flexibility depending on individual needs & preferences)


Full day option: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (aftercare available)

Half day option: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.


Fall Session: September 17 - December 10 (no session November 26)

Winter Session: January 7 - March 25

Spring Session: April 1 - June 17


Come discover the bounty of Art and Science confluence found in our forest!

This program will involve cycles of play studies in which we use an interdisciplinary approach to explore topics and questions emerging from children’s interests. Each week, our staff will guide the group in identifying areas of curiosity and developing inquiry questions to delve into. The group will then set about finding answers through hands-on exploratory play in our forest and classroom.


Investigation topics may include:

Winter Weather - First hand observations of changes through the season

States of Water - ice, snow, slush, sublimation, and more

Forest Systems - Where does the forest come from?

Bugs & Other Friends - Who lives in the forest?

Forest Gardens - What eats the forest?

Forest Structures - What can be built from the forest? For the forest? In the forest?

Water Ways - How does water effect change?

Counting the Forest - Identification and observation at play

Forest Technology - What tools come from the forest?

Art Outside - How does nature inspire us?

Forest Puppets - Can we make the forest “come alive” to tell its stories?

Forest Music - What sound does the forest make? Can we play music in the forest?


Flow of the Day

9:00 Welcome & Open Play

9:45 Morning Circle & Games

10:15 Group Investigation & Curiosity Planning

10:30 Snack 

10:45 Exploratory Investigative Play & Shareback

11:45 Lunch & Break

1:15 STEAM Station Project Work

2:30 Clean Up

2:45 Closing Circle & Shareback

3:00 “Toodaloo”

Class Fees & Our Sliding Scale Approach

We believe that access to education should be open to all, regardless of financial resources. As a result, many of our community programs are free of charge. For other programs, we charge a sliding scale fee to cover our costs. You may self-select your sliding scale fee upon registration. We provide income brackets as a guideline, but we also understand that each family’s situation is different. As you select your sliding scale fee, we ask you to be mindful of the fact that the long-term sustainability of our programs depends on our community members stretching a bit to contribute what they can, while also being realistic about what they need.

Fee Guidelines (please self-select your rate after reviewing these suggested guidelines. Yes, you really just pick the amount you can pay!)

Tier 1 - Subsidized Rate: Recommended for households with annual income below $40,000

Tier 2 - Standard Rate: Recommended for households with annual income between $40,000 - $90,000

Tier 3 - Sponsor Rate: Recommended for households with annual income above $90,000

Rates per session:

Full Day

Tier 1 - Subsidized Rate:  $550/12-week session

Tier 2 - Standard Rate:  $700/ 12-week session

Tier 3 - Sponsor Rate:  $850/12-week session

15% Sibling discount

Half Day

Tier 1 - Subsidized Rate:  $350/12-week session

Tier 2 - Standard Rate:  $460/ 12-week session

Tier 3 - Sponsor Rate:  $570/12-week session

15% Sibling discount


Questions?

Please email alanna@catskillwheelhouse.org