Brooklyn Nature Days Relaunches Beloved After School Program

On hiatus since March 2020, Brooklyn Nature Days after school classes are back in Prospect Park!

Brooklyn Nature Days is excited to relaunch our after school program! Our after school classes allow children the freedom to actively learn while regularly immersing themselves with nature in the wild heart of Brooklyn, Prospect Park. Using the seasons, plants, and animals as inspiration and provided with simple tools and found/recycled materials, children are invited to lead the way: hiking, climbing, creating, singing, digging, painting, playing, and working together while connecting with nature. In the true spirit of forest school, we embrace the weather and meet year round in the sun, rain, and snow.

The benefits of time spent in nature for children's health, creativity, confidence, and cognitive, social, and emotional growth are innumerable. We offer a small group size and a ratio of one teacher to every four to five children, allowing us to move through the park with ease and ensuring all the children are safe and seen/heard as we explore.

About After School Classes – Back for Fall 2024!

Location:

Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Drop off & pickup is in Prospect Park at the 15th street entrance of the park.
Please note: this is a park drop-off class only. We do not offer a school pick-up option at this time but will revisit this option based on enrollment, demand, and logistics on our end. If you would like us to consider bringing our program to your child's school in the future, please contact us at enrollment@brooklynnaturedays.com

Two after school drop-off programs:

Lil’ Nestlings: A mixed age class for preschoolers, kindergartners, and 1st graders on Tuesdays.
The focus of the Lil’ Nestlings group will be “Nature Rocks!” Kiddos can collect, study, and identify rocks and create a rock museum that they curate and design themselves! We will use the book (among many other books!) “Everybody Needs A Rock” by Byrd Baylor as our guide throughout the semester. Meets Tuesdays weekly, 3:15pm-5:30pm for the following 12 weeks:
- September 17th, 24th
- October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
- November 5th, 12th, 19th
- December 3rd, 10th
Fledglings: A mixed age class for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders on Thursdays.
The focus of the Fledglings group will be “Make me a Map!” Kiddos can study park maps, chart their routes through the park, and learn how to use a compass for outdoor orienteering! We will use the book (among many other books!) “The Boy Who Loved Maps” by Kari Allen as our guide throughout the semester. Meets Thursdays weekly, 3:15pm-5:30pm for the following 12 weeks:
- September 26th
- October 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
- November 7th, 14th, 21st
- December 5th, 12th, 19th
- January 9th

Please note that our educational philosophy is inquiry-based & child-led, which means we will offer play invitations & materials that encourage / inspire this learning, but the focus of the class will ultimately go where the kiddos lead us. Teachers will support students’ discoveries & scaffold their learning as the kiddos lead the way.

Brooklyn Nature Days offers a variety of classes throughout the year:

After School Drop-off Program in Prospect Park
Preschool alternative classes for kiddos ages 20 months - 4 years
PreK-2nd Grade classes
Summer with Brooklyn Nature Days (at capacity for this summer)
Brooklyn Nature Days also offers workshops and professional development opportunities to educators and schools; please email enrollment@brooklynnaturedays.com if you’d like them to tailor a workshop for your team of educators!

FAQs

Do you still meet in the rain? The snow? The cold?

Yes! We meet in all weather: rain, sun, snow, and cold. Inspired by the true nature of forest schools and outdoor education philosophies, our primary goal is to spend as much time outside as possible. Cancellations will only be made in the case of dangerous weather: hurricanes, blizzards, etc. Classes canceled by Brooklyn Nature Days will result in affected families receiving a makeup day (scheduled by Brooklyn Nature Days).

What is your curriculum and daily schedule like?

Across all programs, our curriculum is inspired by Prospect Park, our natural surroundings, and the interests of the children. Our primary goals are for the children to feel safe, respected, and supported in their nature interests & exploration. We are inspired to follow the wonder and spontaneity of nature and the group's discoveries as our day unfolds together. Please see our philosophy page for more.

How do you keep the group together and safe?

The well-being and safety of the children as we explore and play is our primary focus. Our small class size and small child-to-teacher ratio allows for us to make all of the children are safe, heard, and supported during our time together. Each day when we arrive to our location, we establish physical boundaries for play, verbal cues for staying close to each other while exploring, and strategies for respecting our natural surroundings and each other. All teachers are trained in CPR and First Aid.

Is Brooklyn Nature Days awesome?

Yes! We feel that our commitment to each child’s individual needs, the skill and experience of our teachers, the freedom and child-guided way in which we explore nature in Prospect Park, and our love and passion for nature education sets us apart from other programs. We are here to keep your children safe while also having fun and immersing ourselves in nature--and we are also silly! Silliness and humor plays a large role in our child-teacher dynamic and we feel that it’s an important aspect of development to nurture senses of humor, fun, and a zest for life. We focus on respect for self, others, and our environment through an immersion in nature that both calms and excites the kiddos. We love what we do and look forward to sharing our love of nature with you and your child!