Farm & Forest School

Once-a-Week Nature Programs for Ages 5-13

What is Farm &
Forest School?

At Farm & Forest School, children ages 5-13 practice problem solving, communication, critical thinking, and compassion through hands-on, play-based outdoor learning. Farm & Forest School is open to any child who is curious, independent, and excited to be outside all day. (See the FAQ link below for readiness guidelines.)

Sessions are conducted primarily outdoors. Rain and snow don’t disrupt our day since most of our activities can take place no matter the weather. Some special activities are even reserved just for rainy/snowy days, so we get excited for precipitation! Indoor space is available in case of severe storms and a wood-fired warming tent is used in the winter.

Each 6-week term Farm & Forest School will follow seasonal themes. Topics covered may include weather, plant and animal identification, water cycle, food chains, survival and homesteading skills, herbalism, foraging, and gardening. Meanwhile, 4-week mini-terms focus on specific skills or topics (see section below for this year's themes).

Each day includes 2.5 hours of facilitated educational activities. Lessons are taught in fun, hands-on ways that get kids actively engaged in the learning process. Most lessons involve games, getting messy, and lots of exploring. Specific activities and teaching methods will vary for different age groups. Adult-led activities, paired with child-led forest freeplay time create the perfect environment for social, emotional, physical, and academic growth.

26/27 Farm & Forest School FAQs

2026-2027 Registration Details:

Days:

6-Week Terms, year round, once-a-week on Tue. OR Thu.

4-Week Mini-Terms, once-a-week on Sat.

6-Week Terms:

Term 1: Sept. 22/24 - Oct. 27/29, 2026
Term 2: Nov. 3/5 - Dec. 15/17, 2026 (No sessions Nov. 24 or 26)
Term 3: Jan. 5/7 - Feb. 9/11, 2027

Term 4: Feb. 16/18 - Mar. 23/25, 2027
Term 5: Apr. 6/8 - May 11/13, 2027

4-Week Mini-Terms:

Winter: Feb. 6 - 27, 2027

Spring: April 3-24, 2027

Time:

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Ages:

5-13 years old. Groups will be divided by age (typically ages 5-7, 8-10, and 11-13). Please contact us before registering if you’d like to discuss placement in a group that matches your child’s social/emotional development better than grouping by age. Teens ages 14+ may register as apprentices to learn and assist with younger children (half price).

Cost:

$400 per 6-week term. $275 per 4-week mini-term. A $50 per child deposit is due at the time of registration for each term. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. A 10% discount for siblings registered for the same term is available after the first full-price child. Financial assistance is available for all youth programs. Requests can be made on the registration form. A payment plan is required if not paying in full at the time of registration. Payments will automatically be charged to your account based on your selected plan. All accounts must be paid in full at least 2-weeks prior to the start of the term. Cancellations made with at least 2-weeks notice are eligible for a refund, minus the deposit. Cancellations with less than 2-weeks notice are ineligible for a refund.

Click Here to Enroll

2026-2027 Enrollment Opening Dates:

Enrollment for FULL YEAR Tue/Thu sessions opens at 9 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2026.
Enrollment for individual terms and Saturday mini-terms opens at 9 a.m. on Aug. 4, 2026.

Upcoming 6-Week Terms (Tuesdays OR Thursdays):

Sunbury Urban Farm's 6-Week Farm & Forest School terms take place from Sept. to May each school year. Many children participate in Farm & Forest School for the entire school year, while other families pick just one or two terms that to fit into their homeschool plan. Each term begins with icebreakers, name games, and intro activities so new students can feel comfortable starting at any point during the year. Pick one day, Tuesday or Thursday to attend.

If your child will be turning 8 or 11 during the school year, we'll discuss whether you'd like them to start the year in the older group or stay in the younger group for the entire school year. In order to maintain consistency and routine, children will stick with the same group for the entire school year. 13-year-olds may choose to finish the school year after their 14th birthday or transition to a teen apprentice role.

Sign of the Beaver

Practice homesteading and survival skills with activities inspired by the novel The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. Try grinding corn and making campfire johnnycakes, experiment with archery, and learn foraging and food preservation.This adventurous term builds outdoor confidence, problem-solving, and appreciation for the skills people have used to live closely with the land. At home reading of the book is optional, but can enhance learning.

Tue. or Thu.: Sept. 22/24 - Oct. 27/29, 2026

Wordless

Wordless and near-wordless books will serve as a doorway into the natural world. Explorers will practice careful observation, visual storytelling, communication, and inference while discovering the farm and forest around them. Through hands-on projects, outdoor play, collaborative problem-solving, and creative reflection, we’ll investigate seasonal changes, animal habitats, food systems, and the hidden details that make nature’s stories come alive. With books that appeal to both younger and older students, this program invites children to slow down, look closely, wonder deeply, and discover that stories are everywhere—even when there are no words.

Tue. or Thu.: Nov. 3/5 - Dec. 15/17, 2026 (No sessions Nov. 24 or 26)

Season of Celebrations

Journey around the world through winter festivals, stories, songs, foods, crafts, and outdoor traditions. Each week, children will explore one global celebration while noticing how communities honor light, new beginnings, family, gratitude, courage, kindness, and seasonal changes. Through nature play, hands-on projects, music, and farm-and-forest exploration, students will build cultural awareness, curiosity, and respect for the many ways people celebrate connection and community.

Tue. or Thu.: Jan. 5/7 - Feb. 9/11, 2027

The Birchbark House

Explore the first signs of spring with activites inspired by The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, a story that views life in the mid-1800s through the eyes of a young Ojibwa girl. Explorers will investigate plants, animals, traditional crafts, campfire cooking, seasonal change, and maple sugaring, including the exciting process of turning sap into syrup. This term encourages careful observation, cultural respect, practical skills, and a deeper understanding of how people and ecosystems are connected. At-home reading of the book is optional, but can enrich the experience.

Tue. or Thu.: Feb. 16/18 - Mar. 23/25, 2027

Bees & Blooms

Get ready to buzz into spring with an exciting exploration of bees, pollinators, food systems, and ecological resilience. With bee-inspired stories and books as optional at-home companions, students will investigate the real science of honeybees and native pollinators, observe pollinator habitats, practice nature journaling, design pollinator-friendly spaces, and consider how caring for small creatures supports the health of the whole farm and forest community. This term blends science, stewardship, creativity, and wonder.

Tue. or Thu.: Apr. 6/8 - May 11/13, 2027

Upcoming 4-Week Mini-Terms (Saturdays):

Mini-terms are great for first-time attendees, experienced explorers who want to participate in more than one day a week (you can attend both a 6-week session and a 4-week session that happen concurrently), as well as summer campers who attend traditional school but still want to participate in year-round farm programming.

Bee Lab

Explore the amazing world of honeybees through fun activities, experiments, and outdoor discovery. Campers will learn how bees live, communicate, pollinate plants, and help make honey. Along the way, they’ll investigate the hive, discover why pollinators matter, and take part in creative projects inspired by bees. It’s the perfect camp for curious kids who love nature, science, and a little buzz-worthy adventure!

Saturdays: April 3-24, 2027

Maple Camp

Explore the sweet science of maple syrup making! This is no show-and-tell session; maple enthusiasts will do it all – identify and measure the trees to find the right ones to tap, collect sap, chop firewood, and tend to the fire as we boil sap into delicious maple syrup. On the final day, we’ll celebrate our success with a homemade pancake feast!

Saturdays: Feb. 6-27, 2027