Hello fellow homeschoolers, Below is information about the Winter Session of a mixed-age learning program being offered by the Directors of Free Spirit Nature Camp and Watershed Learning Center in Middletown, NY. The program has a few openings and is currently welcoming new families. Click here ( http://www.freespiritnaturecamp.com/Forest%20Friends.htm ) or see below for details. Thank you! ****************************************************************** “Forest Friends” Child Centered Learning Group at The Interactive Museum, 23 Center Street, Middletown, NY. 10am – 3pm Mixed group, ages 4 – 12. Meeting Mondays Jan 11 – March 8th. This special homeschool program is led by the Directors of Free Spirit Nature Camp and Watershed Learning Center, and is based on the same philosophy of nature-based fun free choice learning activities. Our student-led activities encourage socialization and problem-solving. Participants will define the direction and activities of the group through daily community circle and will develop communication skills, respect, and cooperation. Themed activities such as nature crafts, science study, natural history, reading, music and singing, library research, art, drama, fact exploration and community building will be offered. Children choose the activities they participate in: the details are generated by the children, supported and facilitated by the adult staff. A healthy dose of supervised unstructured group creative playtime is built in to the program. This session is a continuation of a program offered this past fall at the site of camp in Westtown, NY. We hope you can join us! If you are interested in arranging for a trial class, or want more information about the program, please contact us for details. camp@FreeSpiritNatureCamp.com or (845) 361-2267 This session will begin on Monday January 11 and continue for 8 Mondays until March 8th, with no session on February 15th for Presidents Day. The cost is $25 per day, for a total of $200, or for more than one child in the same family $20 per day for a total of $160. To enhance the community-building aspects of this program, we request that you enroll and intend to attend all of the sessions. Flexible payment arrangements are available. This is designed as a drop-off program. In the event of cancellation due to inclement weather, a makeup day will be offered. For More Details and a link to a registration form click here: http://www.freespiritnaturecamp.com/Forest%20Friends.htm SCHEDULE Mornings begin with all-group morning circle, where the day’s activities, ideas and choices are discussed. Afterwards, we will offer stations and reading groups, with each site visited for approximately 30 minutes. Stations will include the reading activity, a craft project, board games, and a themed free play activity. Age- appropriate options will be offered at all levels. After lunch, the group will decide collectively which activities to work on together, with adult support and assistance, and with access to supplies and materials. Options include community explorations, creation of puppet show or play, large craft projects, crafts with recycled materials, map adventures and virtual field trips, development of a museum exhibit, Native American studies and crafts, simple machines, model making, and more. Our staff strive to support and encourage creative, cooperative, child-centered and directed explorations. The program emphasis is on community-building, cooperation, healthy group process and communication, conflict-resolution and creative problem solving.