Here’s whats new at
GRATEFUL GATHERING FOREST SCHOOL
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We love this local company and have been recommending their gear for years, and we are so grateful to be in partnership!
Forest Playschool and Adventure Club: Fall is in full swing in our outdoor classroom! We have had a blast celebrating Autumn together and are so excited to heading into the winter months soon!
With colder mornings starting to show up, our time together at Playschool (ages 3-6) is currently about acclimating and empowering our students to take care of their bodies and belongings. Learning how to listen to our bodies when we are cold or hot, how to successfully layer as the morning sun changes, keeping our gloves and hats safe, and tricks to warm up our bodies and hands on those especially cold days are just a few things we are working on right now. Our students continue to learn about friendship and safety through conflict resolution, teamwork and communication, and are flourishing in their independence and imaginative play while playing and working with each other at school. Each child is getting the opportunity to practice their skills and abilities of taking care of themselves both physically and emotionally (with teachers help of course).
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen great improvement in each child’s development in language, ability to regulate themselves, identify their feelings and talk through conflict. Some activities we are enjoying right now are reading stories, playing in our mud kitchen, climbing on the trees, rocks and playing on the mulch pile and big sandy hill in our outdoor classroom, exploring and playing imagination games. Our Friday Adventure Club Program (ages 5-9) continues to grow in fun and friendship! Our students have been enjoying great conversations, imagination games and building forts and fairy houses. They have loved learning about the fall through tree identification activities and pumpkin rolling. The afternoons are filled with of laughter and play. We love to see what fun they come up with each week!
WHAT WE ARE LEARNING: At this point in the year, we are learning about the changing seasons, weather and all the fun that these changes bring! As the changing weather brings the need to take care of our bodies, we are empowering the kids to put into play all that we have practiced at the beginning of the school year. Throughout the day we look for opportunities to have the kids take care of themselves and their belongings, listening to their bodies (hot/cold/potty/ hunger/ thirst), empowering them through difficult emotions, and continuing to build confidence in themselves and their friendships. As always, we practice our three classroom agreements: Play Safe, Play Fair and Have Fun. We are enjoying the colder mornings and love running around, dance parties, practicing our layering, spending time in the sun, and staying close to teachers and friends to warm up our bodies each day. The kids have naturally been inclined to play more physical games this season as a way to combat the colder days, and it has been so fun to see the bond they are all creating as they get lost in their imagination and creativity. The days have been particularly tricky to navigate as we have yet to have consistent temperatures and the mornings go from cold to hot very quickly! Teachers spend their mornings helping the kids with their gloves and layers, giving kids extra care during transitions and colder days, working with the kids through conflict, and connecting with the kids through play, help and conversation. Their mornings are filled with exploring, observing and joining in games with the kids and making sure everyone is safe and fair with their play. We continue to practice teamwork and encourage personal empowerment with the kids in all that we do.
* Remember to check Brightwheel for updates and personal pictures of your kiddo in class throughout the school year!
UPCOMING CLOSURES:
*Fall Break: November 24th - November 28th (one week)
*Winter Recess: December 22nd - January 2nd (two weeks)
FALL FOOD DRIVE: Calling all Forest School Families (enrolled or not)! During this season of gratitude and giving, we’re inviting you to join us in helping put food on the table for local families in need. Now until Friday, November 21st, you can bring nonperishable food items-like canned goods, pasta, rice, and peanut butter- to our outdoor classroom and give to any of our teachers to pass on to Director Mackenzy. At the end of the Drive, we will take all collected items to local food banks/ pantries in need. You can also donate via Venmo @gratefulgatheringfs with a subject “Food Drive”. 100% of donated funds will go directly to those food banks. Please Contact Director Mackenzy with questions or to schedule your drop-off. Every contribution, big or small, makes a real difference.
Let’s come together to share the spirit of gratitude and make sure everyone has a full table this fall!
NESTLINGS PROGRAM: Our newest Nestlings Program is for new (or new again) mamas! Coming Spring 2026, our first-ever outdoor enrichment program designed for littles 12 months + and their caregivers! Get outside, play and explore with your babe in a safe environment and among fellow parents, nannies, and caregivers! This program offers guidance, community, and support in parenting and outdoor care that align with the Grateful Gathering values. Hosted by Director Mackenzy and her son, Kemper!
Our poll is now closed and full details coming soon!
Be on the lookout for soft opening coming in early MARCH!
Email us with the subject “Nestlings” to receive the full details and schedule!
NEW TEACHER: Introducing Teacher Ben: Ben Vajdos was raised in rural Connecticut and was recreating out-of-doors even prior to learning to walk. He grew up going to Summer Camp in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and eventually attended Ithaca College, graduating in 2023 with a B.S. in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. Ben has previously worked for Outward Bound California, where he instructed backcountry expeditions in the Sierra high country and in Joshua Tree National Park.
Ben’s passion for outdoor learning stems from his own history of disinclination from “traditional” classroom/lecture-learning models. He is inspired by big hearts stored in small bodies that need a big world in which to play, learn, and explore.
In his free time, Ben enjoys rock climbing, riding his bike, or fixing things, whether it’s DIYing truck repairs, rebuilding bikes for friends, or mending clothing. If there’s a circle of people playing hacky-sack, Ben is likely found there, too.
Ben is looking forward to learning, playing, and growing alongside the students at GGFS!
*PARENT BOOK CLUB:
Kids Book: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
Adults Book: There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk
(If you are interested in joining the book club and reading and discussing together, contact Director Mackenzy!)
If you have a book you’d like to recommend, please send us a message through Brightwheel!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Forest Playschool?
Originated in Denmark, Forest Kindergartens (or preschools) are a type of education for children between the ages of three and six that is held almost exclusively outdoors. Now adopted and getting more popular in the US, Forest Schools are becoming an incredible child development tool for children of all ages. Grateful Gathering Forest School adopted the Playschool value system because we believe that the best and only true way for a child to practice everyday life skills with passion and curiosity is through play. And we believe the best teacher and playground for that learning is in nature. Our curriculum focuses on interest-led nature exploration, PLAY, and daily discoveries. We engage with our natural world and foster an environment for children to be empowered, develop life skills, friendships, and explore their creativity, while developing confidence and an innate interest in learning about themselves and the world around them.
What can I expect from school everyday?
Grateful Gatherings Forest School’s low teacher to student ratio (4:1 for ages 3-6 and 6:1 for ages 5-9) and our child-led approach to learning allows for every child to show up to school each day just as they are, with teachers able to take care of their individual needs and feelings. We begin each day with a “hello circle” of some kind where we tune into our bodies, talk about the weather for the day and what that means for our clothing (removing layers, feeling too hot/cold, etc.), go over our affirmations and agreements, and sing a song together. The rest of the day is unstructured free-play and in the moment learning about ourselves and our feelings, the natural world around us, and how to build and foster relationships with others. Each class includes: seasonal nature-based learning, unstructured exploration and play, songs & stories, team-building games, food and water to nourish our bodies, mindful practices, problem solving, creativity, skill building, and lots of friendships and fun!
Where is pick-up and drop-off?
We use multiple nature spots throughout Sandy based on season. Pick-up and drop-off will be in the parking lot of the location we are meeting at for the day. Location is seasonal based on sunlight. Teachers will message about location change for any reason.
How do we handle snacks and potty breaks?
Grateful Gatherings is an outdoor program. Depending on where we are at, we wont always have access to public restrooms. We ask that parents help their children get comfortable going to the bathroom outside before they begin our program. We do request parents pack an extra pair for clothing in case of an accident. One teacher will always be close by in case they are needed, and we always carry hand sanitizer for after a potty break. We allow kids to go to go to the bathroom and eat at their food on their own terms (we do ask everyone every day if they need to go to the bathroom and make sure every child has sat down to eat) and actively promote listening to their bodies every day at school.
What do we do in inclement weather or low air-quality days?
Safety is our main priority with the kids, and is a staple in what we teach at school. Because we are a 100% outdoor program, if the weather is unsafe for the children to be outside for extended periods of time, we will have to close for the day. We do not refund if we have to cancel for the day. Make up days are available, but up to the family to schedule.
How can I set my child up for success?
Before joining our program, a lot of parents ask us what they can do to help their child get ready for Forest School. What a great question to ask! We believe the best way to prepare them and make them feel confident in this exciting step is to show them what they will be doing! We ask parents to take them to the places they will be playing in and go for a hike and explore with them! Familiarize them with our website and our social media page and show them some of the activities we do. Practice going to the bathroom outside. Talk to them about what they can expect and what they might be feeling about it. Doing these things with your child will help make him/her more readily able to make that transition, and feel confident in their new outdoor environment!