Little Mountain Forest School

We had so much fun at Kreher Preserve & Nature Center this weekend! They hosted our Alabama Nature-based Teachers and Schools (ANTS) gathering! We laughed, learned, ate, sang, problem solved and enjoyed the beauty of this space together! One of the most beautiful things about this forest school community at large is that we try to practice what we preach: we believe we are better together, that we rise by lifting others, that collaboration is better than competition and that we all have something to learn and something to teach.

If you want to join our Facebook group to be in the loop about future ANTS plans, comment below!

Nest are neat! Pathfinders enjoyed creating their own cozy nests out of recycled egg cartons. Kids selected materials and everyone’s nest was unique! From yarn to fabric scraps to moss and dirt, these kids enjoyed lots of sensory play and fine motor practice to make cozy habitats.

The bog is full of little life forms! Our Trailblazers found so many signs of creature reproduction!

We found…
🍓crayfish “in berry” (because the eggs on momma’s belly look like a bunch of berries)
🥚 salamander and frog spawn (eggs)
🐸 tadpoles and frogs
🦎 salamander larvae — not to be confused with axolotls, even while they both have external gills.

What a gift to learn in this vibrant place!

🌞 Exciting Summer Camp Update! 🌞

There are only a few spots left in our 6-8 year old summer camp program! Sign up for the waitlist and you'll get an invitation to enroll. Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so be ready to claim your spot when the invitation arrives! ⏳

Our 3-5 year old program is officially sold out. You can still join the waitlist and be notified if any spots open up.

We’re planning to offer caregiver-attended playgroups this Summer! Stay tuned for more details!

We can’t wait to see you outside! 🌿🌼

https://www.littlemountainforestschool.org/play-with-us

Check out the upcoming Friday homeschool classes hosted by our friends at Monte Sano State Park Huntsville, AL! Classes are led by engaging and knowledgeable naturalist and occasional guests that your whole family will enjoy!

🌑 So long, Worm Moon! This week at forest school, we were inspired by Wilder Child and Kids Moon Club to reflect on the wonders of worms. 🐛🌸 While they may seem simple, worms are nature’s little superheroes, turning something old into something new and beautiful!

We celebrated the season of spring as a time of refreshment, just like the worms’ work in the soil. 🌿✨ We also discussed our own personal strengths and created fun worm paintings to bring our reflections to life!

We are so grateful for the mentorship and support of Lala and the Asheville Farmstead School!

We’re working on some salamander swag! We’ve asked some of our students to help us document the kinds of salamanders we have on Monte Sano so we can make a teaching t-shirt to help identify these little critters! 👕

Here is a zigzag salamander admiring their portrait!

These reactions to the bluebells never get old! It may have been hard to tell Spring arrived when it was sleeting yesterday, but the bluebells are a great reminder that we’re well on our way! 🌱

This tree is a space traveler! Today Monte Sano State Park Huntsville, AL welcomed a Loblolly pine to put down some roots at the park after a trip on the Artemis 1 mission aboard a rocket developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center! On its 25-day mission in 2022, this seed traveled around the Moon.

Our Pathfinder class attended the dedication of the Moon Tree and heard from Mayor Tommy Battle.

You can visit the tree in the island of the parking are at John Scoble Memorial Pavilion, or the space we fondly refer to as “Acorn Valley.”

😅 As a brief reprieve from the weather preparedness posts for the day, let’s get pumped about Camp!

In just a few days we’ll begin inviting families from the waitlist to register for Summer Camp. We always have more interest than available spots and this year is no exception. If you’re interested in getting a Summer dose of forest school fun, get on the waitlist this weekend! More info at littlemountainforestschool.org/play-with-us

Stay safe today! ♥️

Reviews were mixed about our recent dissection 😆

Even if it wasn’t their cup of tea, our students took supported steps outside of their comfort zone! Even though these critters met their demise on the road, with the help of Heather Montgomery, we got to extend their legacy by learning from them! We learned about anatomy, adaptation and preservation!

Thank you, creature teachers!

🏕️We are looking forward to CAMP!🏕️
This drop-off day camp will take place at our Forest School home-in-the-woods at Monte Sano State Park.

We will be exploring the theme of Communication with our play this Summer. Using expertly designed play invitations, we will use verbal, non-verbal and symbolic means to practice expressive and receptive communication, all while we rely on our creative pretend play to “camp” together! We will prepare our “campsite” and enjoy many variations on this theme– critter camp, band camp and space camp just to name a few!

Classes for two age groups will both meet Monday, June 2nd - Thursday, June 5th. Friday, June 6th will be a make-up day if needed for weather related cancellation.

🎉Registration Lottery🎉

In order to accommodate demand, we will open the waitlist before we invite families to enroll based on a lottery system. Please add each child you would like to enroll to the waitlist for their appropriate class. We will begin sending invitations to enroll starting March 19th. To ensure your spot, please register within 48 hours of receiving the email.

🤸Sponsorship🤸

Don't let the price keep you from playing! Included on the registration page to apply for sponsorship.

More info @ littlemountainforestschool.org/play-with-us

🗓️ SAVE THE DATE! We will be offering one week of half-day, drop-off summer camp for two age ranges this year!

Because we experience a high demand for camp, we do our registration on a lottery system. When we have all the details organized, we will share a window of time during which you can join the waitlist. From there, we will begin inviting families to enroll!

More details coming soon, but for now, mark your calendar!

Some of our staff had the opportunity to attend the Environmental Education Association of Alabama (EEAA) conference this weekend at the beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park-Alabama! We learned from creatures teachers, peers and experts and the more than human world about how to continue the good work of cultivating an appreciation for nature and the practice stewardship and conservation.

We loved seeing familiar faces and making new friends! We hope to see you all at the Alabama Nature-Basted Teachers and Schools (ANTS) gathering in April as well! Comment below if you need more info!

Playgroup registration is open! Join Ms. Becca on Friday afternoons. A perfect opportunity for even our indoor-school friends to get some forest school fun!

LittleMountainForestSchool.org/play-with-us