Dress for the weather. Rain boots, waterproof jackets, cold weather suits, gloves, hats, and bare feet will all be needed. Also, make sure your children have adequate water (water packs work great!) and snacks each week.

We suggest a Forest School backpack to help keep all your supplies in one place and make getting out the door easier. Hikes are more fun when you’re prepared! Optional supplies would be:  a whistle, field guides, a microscope, a magnifying glass, multi-purpose tools, binoculars, a compass, and a net or bug catcher. You will also need a whittling kit…

Our motto is “Parents are their child‘s teacher.” We leave control to the parents. We also believe it is more important for children to hear what their own parents believe and want to teach about worldviews. Our activities and nature journals  and lessons are neutral and do not endorse, add in, or exclude any particular religions (or lack of religion.)…

Absolutely! We have tons of kids and adults in our program with disabilities. Please be aware that hiking is sometimes a part of forest school and not all trails are handicap accessible. Your community leaders can help navigate this for you. For additional help or support on this issue please reach out to Kristin Palen, our support liaison for Barefooters with…

Your supply fee covers a yearly nature journal or book, but that’s just the beginning! Some supplies come straight from nature (sticks, stones, and muddy magic), and BU will provide the rest. Occasionally, we’ll ask you to bring something from home that you probably already have lying around (like scissors, a Sharpie, or binoculars). Your group leaders will give you…

Younger siblings are free and always welcome! Most of our activities can be done “family style“ and younger siblings can easily share and join in the fun on their own.  However, since some of the more skilled activities are geared toward school-aged kids, we do not offer supplies for younger siblings. We often sell the same supplies your Barefooter(s) get…

For liability reasons, we ask that you don’t bring friends unless they’re enrolled in BU. We do have “open house” and “family and friends” events occasionally. Ask your leader for more information.

Enrollment for our full groups opens in April and closes June 30. These 36 week Rhythms run September – May. Midyear group enrollment opens in October and ends November 30th.

Transfers will be approved as long as there is room in the group you’re transferring to. You can submit a transfer request from your account dashboard.