After School STEM in Nature is a weekly after school drop-off program on early release Thursdays for elementary-aged children (grades 1-5). Drop-off for the program is between 2:15-2:30 and pick-up between 4:15-4:30 at Castle Hill (290 Argilla Road).
Dates in this series: March 5, 12, 19 & 26
Each session will begin with a walk from our home base (the barn at the Crane Estate) to our outdoor base camp. There we will have an opening circle to help us get to know each other, a hands-on STEM activity, and then nature play time.
Unstructured, child-initiated, spontaneous play is incredibly important for social and creative development. Nature play is about connecting children to their envirnment, to their bodies, and to their peers. This kind of play has been shown to positively affect childrens' physical, mental, and emotional health including reducing stress and anxiety and improving coordination, attention, and creativity. Unfortunately most children currently spend less than 30 minutes per week in unstructured outdoor play.
Please send your child with a water bottle, a snack, and outdoor clothing appropriate to the weather including sturdy shoes, a raincoat, and clothes that can get dirty. We will be outside rain or shine! If there is risk of lightning we will move our activities into the barn. Please note that pre-registration is required and participation in this program requires a completed drop-off program waiver/release that will be sent to you after you register.