.png)
Weekend Fuzzy Mare/Weekend Playdate
Teacher to learner ratio (1:5)
Join our weekend playdate program, where through unstructured play and continuous engagement with the natural world, children develop creativity, confidence, and social skills in a joyful and enriching environment.
​
Our weekend program follows the forest-school-once-a-week model and is especially beneficial for children enrolled in traditional schools during the school year, offering them the opportunity to explore the woodlands, pursue their own curiosities, acquire new nature-based skills and knowledge, and above all, freely play in nature!​​​
Why play?
“Play is the foundation of learning, creativity, self-expression, and constructive problem-solving. It’s how children wrestle with life to make it meaningful.”
​Susan Linn
Play is defined as an activity that has 3 main characteristics;
​
1- Being freely chosen,
2- Being personally directed
3- Being intrinsically motivated
​
Given this description it’s not an exaggeration to say that play is, as Friedrich Froebel puts it, “the highest expression of human development in childhood” as well as adulthood and that humanity's greatest creations, inventions and discoveries are mostly achieved through play, which is a personal and unique passion and can be a very serious and focused but joyful and highly driven endeavor.
​
Play is how children self actualize, find their true passions and reach the peak of their potential. Play also goes hand in hand with creativity as it encourages flexible, imaginative, out-of-the-box thinking. There is no recorded society — even in times of social upheaval and collective trauma — where young children didn’t play. Play is a cultural universal that has served human development well for many thousands of years, helping children to make meaning, test hypotheses, think symbolically, build relationships, express ideas, and work through difficult feelings and experiences.
​
When playing in nature and free from commercial toys and predefined activities, children's creativity flourishes as they invent games, build with natural materials, and explore their surroundings. This open-ended play encourages them to collaborate, find each other in shared adventures, and connect on a deeper level, forming stronger bonds with friends through the joy of discovery and imaginative play.
Why nature?
“Nature captures them, draws them in, and engages with them at a deep and meaningful level, providing a place to learn, grow, and even heal through play.”
Ginny Yurich
In the past two decades the amount of time children spend outdoors or in a natural setting has declined rapidly, which is concerning. Playing in nature is incredibly beneficial for children's overall well-being in ways indoor environments simply can't match. Studies show that kids who spend time outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious. Nature offers a less structured environment, allowing children to explore freely, make their own choices, and build confidence. This unstructured play fosters creativity, imagination, and responsibility, as kids learn to care for living things.
​
In addition, nature provides rich, multi-sensory stimulation, engaging all senses—sight, sound, smell, and touch—in ways that screen-based or indoor activities cannot. This kind of sensory engagement is crucial, as reducing the time spent in natural surroundings can narrow children's senses and diminish the richness of their experiences. The sense of wonder that nature inspires prompts children to ask questions about the world and the life it supports, fostering a love of learning and curiosity. Finally, spending time in nature reduces stress and mental fatigue. Unlike urban environments that require directed attention and can overwhelm the brain, natural settings offer a form of "soft fascination" that is both calming and restorative. This effortless attention helps alleviate stress, allowing children to relax and feel more at ease.
The Weekend Fuzzy Mare program is crafted to provide children with a space for free, imaginative play amidst the beauty of the forest. Our goal is to nurture a strong sense of community, helping children forge new friendships and deepen connections. We also encourage families to apply together with their existing friends, allowing their children to enjoy a regular weekly "playdate" in the woods, making the experience even more special and familiar.
-
When? Every Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (we will add another session from 12.15 PM to 3.15 PM subsequently)
-
Where? Tilden Regional Park
-
Start Date? The program will start once we reach the minimum required number of participants, at which point we will confirm the launch date.
-
Commitment: We ask for a seasonal commitment (12 sessions).
-
Fee: We operate on a sliding scale between $22-$30 ($264 - $360) per month. (a whole season is 3 months)
-
Age Range: 3 to 5 years old
-
Mixed Age Learning: Mixed-age learning environments provide unique opportunities for children to interact with peers of various ages, fostering a sense of community, empathy, and cooperation. Older children naturally take on mentorship roles, while younger ones benefit from guidance and support. This dynamic encourages social and emotional development, as children learn to navigate diverse relationships and collaborate effectively and by emphasizing collaboration over competition, these environments cultivate essential skills and social behaviors such as compassion, altruism, teamwork and problem-solving.
-
More Questions? Contact us