Program Guide

Welcome Families!

Please review carefully the details below regarding what to bring and what to wear to ensure your child’s comfort and enjoyment of our programs.

Communication

We communicate with families through weekly email, as well as an app called Band. We use the Band group to disseminate information quickly and share pictures. Information on how to join our Band group will be provided upon registration. Any communication specific to a particular child will be conducted via phone or email with their family.

What to Wear

Expect a mess every time and please do not send your child in a beloved outfit. For children to fully enjoy our outdoor environment, it is essential they are appropriately dressed. For their safety, children who arrive to program not dressed properly may be asked to return home to be outfitted with the proper gear.

  • Consider picking a few “play school” outfits to dress your kids in each week. So they know these are their messy play clothes.

  • Be sure to label everything! We teach children to keep track of their things and we are always picking up items that are taken off - but inevitably, things may go missing. We reccomend purchasing bright colors to help with this.

    Fall and Spring

    • Layers. Long pants with a short sleeve tee-shirt and a long sleeve shirt over that is great for spring so kids can take a layer off if they get warm as the day warms up. No cotton as it doesn’t dry when it gets wet.

    • Waterproof pants - for fall days that are not as cold but still wet and muddy. We recommend rain suits for this (a buckled overall style)

    • Shoes! Comfortable shoes that can get muddy. Rain boots, Bogs boots, closed toed sandals like Keens or costco often has knock off versions of these, or even sneakers that can get wet/muddy. 

    • Wool socks. Wool socks will keep feet warm and comfortable if they get wet. Check out kids Smartwool selections at REI or LL Bean. Consider buying a size up as my children haven’t minded wearing slightly bigger socks and then they last longer. 

    • Rain gear. You know your child best! My kids always were fine with a rain jacket. We have several friends who love rain suits, and we have found that the rain suits with overalls instead of full body suits tend to give the most flexibility for playing. 

    • Hats! We like Sunday Morning hats at REI or Amazon. Baseball hats are also a great option for kids who do not like big hats. Some kids will not tolerate hats at all, and that is ok. 

    Winter

    • Base layers- Top and bottom layers made of wool, silk, or ‘Heat tech’ material. Do not use pajamas or other cotton as it holds in moisture and will make kids colder.

    • Fleece layer - some type of fleece/wool sweater and pants (wear fleece top UNDER snow suit for easy bathroom trips).

    • Snow suit or snow pants (even on days when there isn’t snow, to keep bodies warm). Snow pants should have functioning buckles so we can help them toilet or change diapers without removing their winter coats.

    • Winter boots must be insulated and waterproof.

    • Wool socks! Wool socks will keep feet warm and comfortable if they get wet. Any time kids are in boots, they should be in wool socks. 

    • Waterproof mittens/gloves (and several spare pairs). Please clip these to their sleeves so that they can take them on and off as needed.

    • Hat/balaclava and/or scarf/gaiter. If children do not wear hats, be sure their coat has a hood. 

    • Be sure to pack the following in a gallon ziplock bag labeled with your child’s name: extra underwear, extra wool socks, extra base layer, & 2 pairs of gloves.  

  • A hearty snack. Consider packing slightly more snack than you expect your child to consume, as activity outside can produce more hunger. Adjust as needed as you see how much food your child needs.  Many of our families pack a full lunch for morning playschool as kids are typicall hungry from so much activity. For children attending morning and afternoon please pack a lunch and snack.

  • At least 12 but up to 20 oz of fresh water in a leak proof cup/bottle, if temps reach 80+ we will bring fresh water to refill. 

  • Diapers if needed.

  • A backpack that is an appropriate size for your child. Backpacks should be at least 11"x5"x12", Do not send children with small “preschool backpacks” or hiking backpacks. A backpack with a chest strap is helpful for smaller kids learning to wear a backpack. You can also buy a chest strap separately and fasten it to the backpack.

  • We will encourage your child to carry their own bag, but will provide support as needed.

  • We ask each family bring a new pack of wipes on the first day of each session for communal use.

What to Pack

  • Please apply sunscreen to your child prior to the start of our group if you feel your child needs it. 

  • Please apply a bug spray of your choice to your child prior to the start of our group, if you desire. We recommend two types of bug spray.  Picaridin is a pesticide that can be sprayed on clothing or skin. It tends to be less of an irritant than DEET.  You may use DEET if you wish of course, however we prefer Picaridin. Permethrin. Permethrin is a pesticide that you can treat your children’s clothes with. This is a great option, but please do not feel like you must do this!

  • Mosquitos are an issue in spring, summer, and early fall. Ticks are an issue almost year round. While we’ve never found our greenspaces to be overly tick ridden, it’s always a possibility. If we find a tick on your child, we will remove it and clean the area. There is minimal risk of tick borne illness if ticks are attached for less than 24 hours. We will watch kids for ticks and recommend parents do a tick check after group or at the latest at bedtime the night of our groups.

Sunscreen & Bug Spray

Bathrooms & Diapering

  • If your child is not toilet trained, please send them to playgroup with a fresh diaper, and be prepared to change them upon picking them up. We will only change diapers if your child has had a BM or if they have gotten it very wet, like from sitting in a puddle or sitting down in the creek.

  • We encourage you to have your child use the bathroom before group. We have a small travel potty set up for use in the forest. Children may also find a private tree and pee out of doors. This is a common practice in the backpacking world and we can help them find a safe private place off the trail. 

  • We can not support potty training at this time, so if your child is working on that please explain to them that they can wear a pull up to group and we can support with the bathroom, but please do not send them without a pull up if they are having frequent accidents. 

  • If your toilet trained child has an accident we will handle that with grace and respect and help them get changed, as accidents happen.