Join us for afterschool classes in the park!

Enrollment is open!

We are excited to announce the relaunch of our beloved after school program (on hiatus since March 2020)!

This drop-off after school option is a small pilot program we are launching to gauge interest and get more kiddos outside in nature—join us this fall! 🍁

📌 Update: due to demand our fledglings Thursday’s group will now be open to children from Pre-K through 4th grade!!!

Our after school classes allow children the freedom to actively learn while regularly immersing themselves with nature in the heart of Brooklyn. Using the seasons, plants, and animals as inspiration, and provided with simple tools and found and 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 heard as we explore.

Please note this is a park drop-off class only. We are not offering 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

Details

Where we meet? Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Drop off & pickup is in Prospect Park at the 15th street entrance of the park

Who makes up our classes? We are offering 2 drop off programs for Fall 2024

Lil’ Nestlings: A mixed age class for preschoolers, kindergartners, and 1st graders. This group meets after school on Tuesdays each week.
Fledglings: A mixed age class for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. This group meets after school on Thursdays each week. 📌 Update: due to demand our fledglings Thursday’s group will now be open to children from Pre-K through 4th grade

What will they be learning?

The focus of the Lil’ Nestlings group this fall 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. 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.

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. 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.

When do we meet? Each group meets once a week from 3:15pm-5:30pm for 12 weeks. Details below:

Lil Nestlings: 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: 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

(Thursday class starts two weeks later to accommodate the time it can take to finalize after school schedules for older kiddos)

Cost: Each class meets once a week for 12 weeks as outlined above. Prices below

$840 for the semester

Our tuition ensures fair pay for our teachers and covers the cost of our supplies, materials, and administrative fees as well as land reparations based on recommendations from The Lenape Center. It also allows us to offer financial aid & sliding scale pricing for families that need it. If our program is cost-prohibitive to your family, please reach out to us at enrollment@brooklynnaturedays.com.

Please see Discounts & Payment Policies below for more information.

Tuition, Discounts, Transfers, Payment Policies, and Other Important Information for Families:

Please look over your selections carefully before submitting your enrollment form. Once payment is submitted, all selections are final.
There is a $50 registration fee per family
Tuition is non-refundable and due in full when registering your child for classes. Families are responsible for checking to ensure schedule requested is correct prior to submitting payment. Once payment is submitted, all selections are final.
Families are responsible for the full balance due, regardless of the days their child actually attends.
No refunds, credits, or makeups will be given for classes missed, including those due to travel, illness, or schedule conflicts. Only in the case of Brooklyn Nature Days canceling classes due to severe weather or other unforeseeable events will makeup classes be offered.
Transfers: Families who purchased a semester they can no longer use may transfer that enrollment to another interested family. Families are solely responsible for finding another family to take their child's place, and are solely responsible for negotiating payment details and conditions with each other.
Brooklyn Nature Days is not responsible for any communication, agreements, or payments between families. Families, however, must ensure the new child is eligible for the program selected in regards to age. In order to keep to proper class ratios, changes to days and times of attendance will not be honored. (ie. If you signed up for 5 days (M-F, 9am-3pm) but circumstances have changed and now you only need 3 of those days (M W F, 9am-3pm) you can transfer Tues/Thurs, 9am-3pm to another family and no other combination of days/times.)
Once an agreement between families has been finalized, Brooklyn Nature Days must be provided with the names and contact information of the new family within 5 business days prior to the start of their classes.
Schedule Change Fee: Please look over your selections carefully before submitting your enrollment form. Once registration and payment are submitted, all selections are final. Any changes to scheduling are subject to availability and will incur a $85 schedule change fee.
Updated Health Form and Immunizations are required for each child attending. All updated health forms must be submitted to Brooklyn Nature Days at least 5 business days before your child’s first scheduled class with us.
Late fees (for payment plans only) A late payment fee in the amount of $25 will be applied to payments made 3 business days past due and a late payment fee in the amount of $50 will be applied to payments made 5 business days past due. Payment must be submitted by due date to secure your child’s spot in our classes.

Enrollment is now open!