registration for SCHOOL YEAR 2024-25 NOW open
IRVINE’S fully-immersive classes are designed to connect children engaged in homeschooling, unschooling, or distance learning with the natural world through hands-on, child-led experiences.
In Earth Friends Homeschool, all classes:
- engage in hikes, live animal encounters, and on-trail investigations across Irvine’s 211 acres.
- benefit from small group investigations with 12-17 peers and 2 or 3 wonder-filled guides.
- spend their entire class time outdoors except for inclement weather and during forays into our exhibit hall.
- use ancestral practices to stay warm in the elements, like building/using shelters to protect from the wind and cold, engaging in movement, and enjoying fire and warm drink.
Trimester, full-year, and single-day classes offered! Please see details below.
TRIMESTER-LONG CLASSES
Join us for a 13-week Fall, 12-week Spring, or 5-week Winter miniseries. Develop and nurture strong relationships with the land and a regular group of peers and guides. All Earth Friends classes offer opportunities for play- and place-based learning. Irvine Days and the Nature Lab & Studio classes also incorporate multiple areas of learning including math, science, social studies (natural history), literature, creative arts, and physical development. Classes also provide documentation to aide in homeschool portfolio reviews and offer one possible makeup class at the end of the trimester, in the event of any class cancellations. Our full cancellation policy is available here.
Health and Safety are paramount at Irvine. Weather appropriate gear is mandatory. This includes layers, snow pants, waterproof outer layer and boots, hats, and multiple pairs of waterproof mittens/gloves. Rainboots and raingear are strongly encouraged and needed year-round. A recommended gear list will be provided before class begins. Please find our Respiratory Illness Guidelines below.
Pricing Information
- All Earth Friends Homeschool classes are eligible for a member discount. Homeschool families qualify for an Educator membership, which can be purchased for $40 and includes the same benefits as the Pacesetter level, including 10% discount on homeschool programs. View all Irvine membership benefits here.
- A sibling discount is available to families enrolling more than one child in an Earth Friends Homeschool trimester class. Each additional child enrolled is entitled to 5% off. Please note that sibling discounts are not applicable to the drop-in Bauer Explorers class. When registering, please select “Pay in Installments.”
- Earn a full-year discount when registering for all three trimesters of Earth Friends Homeschool and get an additional 10% off your registration. Discount will be applied to the full-year price. Full-year registrations must be completed by 09/09/24 in order to qualify.
FOREST EXPLORERS (AGES 4.5-7 YRS*)
The trees, animals, and seasons are our guides as we play and learn in nature. Modeled after Forest Kindergarten, there are no pre-set lesson plans as we organically discover and learn with what the
trails present us each day! We explore ponds and streams, play in the meadow, climb trees, and develop a deep respect for the natural world as we grow to love and trust one another. In our all outdoor gatherings we collect natural items, listen to and create our own stories, build shelters and fires, record our learning in our journals, and create nature art all while emphasizing mindfulness, compassion, and gratitude for the land and its inhabitants. Two sections offered. Meets Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 OR 1:30-4.
*Child must be 4.5 yr old within 1 month of the start of the class and may not turn 8 yr old within 2 months of the start of the class.
nature lab & studio (AGES 8-12YRS*)
Investigate and relish the mysteries and beauty of the land through a STEM meets arts integration approach. Explorations of ecosystems, elements, flora, and fauna will inspire questions, experiments, and our own creations. Students will dare to wonder and dig deep to find exciting connections, places, and new projects. Bring your hiking boots and curiosity about nature! Two sections offered. Meets Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 OR 1:30-4.
*Child must be 8 yr old within 1 month of the start of the class and may not turn 13 yr old within 1 month of the start of the class.
IRVINE DAYS – FULL DAYS (AGES 6-11YRS*)
Students in this new full-year*, 6-hour class will explore the woods, meadows and waterways to learn through the seasons and play in nature’s classroom. Our daily destinations change as we combine outdoor education, nature awareness, and ancestral skills, nurturing our connection to the land. Topics may include:
- Naturalist knowledge of flora and fauna
- Fire building and outdoor cooking
- Nature arts, crafts, tools use
- STEM concepts and nature tinkering
- Foraging
- Storytelling
- Fort and shelter building
- Caring for the land and our spaces
- Leadership, social connection and fostering a culture of community
This mixed age class will allow for both whole group inquiry driven learning and small group work based on interest and experience with the help of three teacher guides. We will break for lunch and snack that students must bring from home.
*We strongly encourage students to sign up for the whole year to benefit from longer term relationships with peers, teachers, and the land, but semester enrollment is available. Meets Thursdays, 9:30-3:30.
*Child must be 6 yr old within 1 month of the start of the class and may not turn 12 yr old within 1 month of the start of class.
| TRIMESTER CLASS SCHEDULE | FALL (13-weeks) | WINTER (5-weeks) | SPRING (12-weeks) | COST |
| FOREST EXPLORERS (AGES 4.5-7YRS)
Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 |
9/11- 12/11
(no class 11/27) |
1/15-2/12
|
2/26-5/21
(no class 4/16) |
$654.50 (Fall)
$252 (Winter) $604 (Spring) |
| FOREST EXPLORERS (AGES 4.5-7YRS)
Wednesdays, 1:30-4 |
9/11- 12/11
(no class 11/27) |
n/a
|
2/26-5/21
(no class 4/16) |
$545 (Fall)
$503 (Spring) |
| NATURE LAB & STUDIO (AGES 8-12YRS)
Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 |
9/11- 12/11
(no class 11/27) |
1/15-2/12
|
2/26-5/21
(no class 4/16) |
$654.50 (Fall)
$252 (Winter) $604 (Spring) |
| NATURE LAB & STUDIO (AGES 8-12YRS)
Wednesdays, 1:30-4 |
9/11- 12/11 FULL, accepting waitlist applications
(no class 11/27) |
n/a | 2/26-5/21
(no class 4/16) |
$545 (Fall)
$503 (Spring)
|
| IRVINE DAYS (AGES 6-11YRS)
Thursdays, 9:30-3:30 |
9/12-12/12
(no class 11/28) |
1/16-2/13
|
2/27-5/22
(no class 4/17) |
$1308 (Fall)
$503 (Winter) $1207 (Spring) |
Please note, full year enrollment in a Wednesday afternoon class includes a change in time for the winter trimester. For winter only, all Wednesday classes will be held in the morning (9:30-12:30). If the morning time will not work for your family, please do not sign up for full year.
If interested in a full year class for your child but they will age out during that year, or if you are interested in registering for a program that is already underway, please contact Stephanie Holzman, Head of Homeschool Programs at HolzmanS@ExploreNature.org.
BAUER EXPLORERS: MONTHLY ENRICHMENT (SINGLE DAY CLASSES)
Registration for Bauer Explorers will open May 9, 2024.
If you are looking for single day classes for your homeschooler, Bauer Explorers is perfect! 
Join a small group of nature loving kids as they learn through exploration throughout Irvine’s 211 acres. Offered select Tuesdays throughout the year. Register for a specific date, or sign up for the year-long series and get a discount (see below)! Membership discounts apply! All classes are drop-off.
BAUER EXPLORERS (for 5-9YRS) – VIEW DATES & REGISTER
This 3 hour class is designed to connect children with seasonal nature study, creative arts and messy maths exploration. We promote respect for plants, animals, the land, and each other through a nurturing environment. Hikes, live animal encounters, and open-ended wild nature play are integral to our learning each session. Non-member price: $45/session or $648 for all 16 afternoons. That’s a 10% discount!
BAUER EXPLORERS (for 10-14YRS) – VIEW DATES & REGISTER
During this 2 hour class, we engage in place-based learning and hiking. Students will explore many topics such as land stewardship, wild plant identification and recipes, and natural arts. Non-member price: $30/session or $171 for all 6 afternoons. That’s a 5% discount!
What Families Are Saying
We love all the teachers!! Both kids feel very comfortable and safe in their care and free to go on adventures and get wild. I really appreciate that the teachers bring their authentic selves and interests and really connect with the kids and enjoy the journeys. Lots of cool book selections. A great blend of planned experiments/info giving for context as well as exploring and open ended experimenting and discovery.
