Bend Forest School

We have a few openings available for the upcoming season at our nature-based early childhood programs:

🌲 Bend Forest School
Now enrolling for:
• PreK openings in Tumalo & Bend
• Kinder openings in Tumalo

🎨🌿 Wondery Art Studio & BFS Forest Preschool
Now enrolling for:
• PreK openings in Bend

Our programs offer:
✨ Outdoor, play-based learning
✨ Small groups and nurturing teachers
✨ Creativity, connection, and hands-on exploration
✨ A gentle, child-centered approach

These spots tend to fill quickly, and we’d love to connect with families looking for a meaningful early childhood experience rooted in nature, art, and community.

Message us for details or to schedule a tour! 💛

We’re hiring PreK teachers for next year!
Bend Forest School is looking for grounded, curious, and compassionate educators to join our team! Please reach out via our website, www.bendforestschool.com if interested!

Join us at Pastini in the Old Mill for a delicious way to support Bend Forest School!

📅 Thursday, April 9

When you dine at Pastini that day, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Bend Forest School.

✨ Important: Please tell the staff you are there to support Bend Forest School when ordering so your purchase counts toward the fundraiser.

During free play and imaginative learning, our students often invent their own games.

Recently, two first-grade boys created a jumping game with a point system. Soon, third- and fifth-grade girls eagerly joined in. Watching an 11-year-old enthusiastically jump into a 7-year-old’s game is a powerful reminder of how mixed-age communities connect children across ages and experiences.

Each child grows on their own timeline. In our mixed-age classrooms, developmental readiness matters more than chronological age.

These environments:
• Reduce harmful comparisons
• Normalize developmental differences
• Encourage cooperation and mentorship
• Foster a family-like learning community

When children learn together across ages, they build empathy, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging.

🌲🎨 Forest + Art Adventure Preschool 🎨🌲

What happens when forest exploration meets creative expression?
A preschool experience full of curiosity, movement, and imagination.

Through our collaboration with Wondery Art + Adventure School, children spend one day in the forest and one day in the art studio — exploring nature, creating with their hands, and discovering new ways to learn and play.

✨ Small group learning
🌿 Outdoor exploration
🎨 Hands-on art experiences

Now enrolling! Learn more and join us for this unique preschool adventure: www.bendforestschool.com/forest-art-adventure-preschool

Parent Review:

“Our family’s journey with Bend Forest School began when our daughter attended the Preschool Program. It was her first school experience, and the teachers made her feel safe, supported, and deeply cared for as she learned the rhythms of forest school life.

Watching her grow through the seasons was incredible. Rain, hail, snow, and sunshine quickly became part of the adventure, and her excitement for school only grew.

Our daughter continued on at Bend Forest School through Kindergarten and First Grade, and each year we saw the same thoughtful approach from the teachers, holding high expectations while meeting each child exactly where they are.

Learning happened through hands-on projects, outdoor exploration, and meaningful challenges that helped the children build confidence and independence. From tracking animals and climbing trees to reading, writing, and problem solving, our daughter was able to learn deeply while staying curious about the world around her.

Today she is a more confident, capable, and joyful child. We are incredibly grateful to be a part of the Bend Forest School community.”

🍝 Support Bend Forest School at Pastini 🍝

📅 Thursday, April 9
📍Pastini Bend
Old Mill District
375 SW Powerhouse Dr.

Enjoy a delicious meal while supporting Bend Forest School. A portion of the proceeds will go directly toward supporting our programs.

Important: When ordering, please tell the staff you are there to support Bend Forest School so your purchase counts toward the fundraiser.

🌲 Exciting News for Kindergarten Families 🌲

Bend Forest School will be offering two Kindergarten classes!

Our Forest Kindergarten Program gives children the opportunity to learn through:
• Daily outdoor exploration
• Play-based learning
• Small, supportive groups

If you’ve been considering Bend Forest School for your child, we encourage you to begin the enrollment process by scheduling a site tour.

Learn more and reserve a tour →
https://www.bendforestschool.com/admission-events

Spots are limited and classes are already beginning to fill.

🎨 Learning Through Art & Inquiry

We are so grateful for our partnership with Wondery Art & Adventure School, who generously share their space with us when it is available.

This collaboration allows our students to integrate art into their inquiry work and provides a clean, dedicated space to create meaningful final projects.

This fall:
• Upper primary students built and climbed 3D topographic mountains
• Second graders designed shop posters
• First graders constructed a city during their study of community helpers

These experiences reflect our belief in the “100 languages of a child,” inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach — the idea that children express their understanding through many forms, including art, building, storytelling, and play.