Frequently Asked Questions
- What is farm school?
Farm school follows the forest kindergarten model that began in Denmark in the 1950’s. These outdoor playtimes for children were called “walking kindergartens” based on the Waldorf philosophy for early childhood education- a child-led and play-based approach. Today there are now hundreds of forest schools (also referred to as outdoor, nature, farm or garden schools) across the United States, with one of the first forest schools in the US started in our very own state, on Vashon Island. Now more than ever, families are searching for alternatives to the traditional school system, and the outdoors provide the perfect background for a holistic and enriching education. Our all-weather outdoor classes promote children to freely explore our farm at their own pace, engage in risky play like climbing and balancing, and to collaborate with their peers in cooperative activities and games. - What do you teach?
Our curriculum is created by our very own talented educators, and is 100% place-based and nature inspired! Each week we study a different nature theme, and incorporate literacy, math, science, history, geography, music and art into the lessons. Gardening and homesteading skills will also allow for plenty of hands-on lessons and activities! - Where are you located?
We are located in the beautiful PNW town of Enumclaw, nestled right below Mt. Rainier on 10 acres of farm, pasture and forest. We are 10 min from downtown Enumclaw. - Where do kids go to the bathroom?
While “nature pottys for #1” in discreet locations are encouraged, we do have a Porta Potty that is cleaned weekly on the farm as well. - When do you close school?
Since we’re an outdoor school, each morning our team follows local weather reports to make sure our outdoor classroom is completely safe for our students. While we stand by the motto “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”, there are some weather systems that are not conducive to a safe learning environment. Extreme freezing temperatures, large amounts of snow, high winds, and thunder storms are all grounds for canceling class. Messages will be sent out to parents about the closure ASAP in the morning. We will also follow the Enumclaw School District for weather-related closures. Please see our Family Policy book for more specific weather information.
