Homeschool Programs Overview
Carefully crafted since 2011, our programs provide a progressive learning journey and comprehensive foundation in deeply relating to the natural world.
Fall 2024 is also now open for registration with the schedule listed below.
Through games, stories, and exploration children learn about: Outdoor safety and awareness, animal tracking, edible and medicinal wild plants, wilderness survival skills, bird language, ancient crafts, ecology, community, self-discovery, storytelling, singing, fire, and much, much more.
What’s new for Fall 2024? We’re back with some favorites, have a new pottery program, and are back for a second season with our new West Buncombe location (Leicester/Sandy Mush) with a Friday program!
Why Choose Forest Floor?
We help children have fun, be healthy, and achieve their fullest potential with nature connection mentoring.
Health benefits of nature connection
- Learn wilderness skills & traditional crafts
- Meet new friends and reunite with old ones
- Unforgettable adventures every day
- Skilled and caring mentors
- Exciting wilderness experiences
- Convenient in-town drop-off & pickup
- Boost long term cognitive & social development
Mondays
MONDAY
Ages 7-11
Mountain Mondays
September 9 – December 16, 2024
Registration is now open.
Soak up the Fall sun and enjoy the forest changing color as the heat of Summer fades. We’ll explore, play games, learn skills and connect guided by our experienced nature connection mentors.
Tuesdays
TUESDAY
Ages 6-8
Secrets of the Jedi: Wild Younglings
September 10 – December 17, 2024
Registration is now open.
Deepen connection to nature and grow attuned to its life force, while honing the physical skills of survival. Build self-confidence while testing and training in community.
TUESDAY
Ages 9-12
Secrets of the Jedi: Forest Padowans
September 10 – December 17, 2024
Registration is now open.
Deepen connection to nature and grow attuned to its life force, while honing the physical skills of survival. Build self-confidence while testing and training in community.
TUESDAY
Ages 11-14
Blacksmithing – All Levels
September 10 – December 17, 2024
Registration is now open.
Create useful tools by heating metal in the forge and shaping it on the anvil. Students will come home with beautiful and useful handmade items created using many techniques. Our seasonal project is Knives.
Wednesdays
WEDNESDAY
Ages 6-8
Heartwood: Acorns
September 11 – December 18, 2024
Registration is now open.
Our core nature-connection curriculum offers a progressive learning journey with games, stories, and exploration in the natural world, beginning here with our youngest age bracket.
WEDNESDAY
Ages 9-12
Heartwood: Saplings
September 11 – December 18, 2024
Registration is now open.
Saplings is for children to continue to grow into greater awareness and maturity, with increased challenges and deepening level of inquiry, as they set roots in the forest.
WEDNESDAY
Ages 11-14
Heartwood: Oaks
September 11 – December 18, 2024
Registration is now open.
The Oaks provides an opportunity for long-term nature connection students to continue challenging themselves in a group of peers who share their ability & passion. Application is require.
Thursdays
THURSDAY
Ages 7-11
Forest Ninja
September 12 – December 19, 2024
Registration is now open.
Develop the skills of the Forest Ninja! Move silently across the landscape, and track wildlife without being seen. Stalking, awareness, camouflage and other related skills are our focus.
Fridays
FRIDAY
Ages 6-8
Forest Fridays
September 13 – December 20, 2024
Registration is now open.
Time to turn away from the screens and walk out into the magical forest for a day of guided nature connection with our experienced mentors.
FRIDAY
Ages 9-12
Forest Fridays
September 13 – December 20, 2024
Registration is now open.
Time to turn away from the screens and walk out into the magical forest for a day of guided nature connection with our experienced mentors.
FRIDAY
Ages 7-11
Otherside Forest Adventures at Otherside Farm
September 13 – December 20, 2024
Registration is now open.
Learning, community, and deep nature connection at our new West Buncombe location in the Leicester / Sandy Mush area.
FRIDAY
Ages 11-15
Pottery – All Levels
September 13 – December 20, 2024
Registration is now open.
Create beautiful functional pieces exploring the full range of clay with handbuilding, wheel-throwing, and surface decoration in our newest artisan endeavor.
In-town Location
We are no longer at the Asheville School in West Asheville.
Our new location since 2020 is Haw Creek Commons, in Asheville off Tunnel Road.
Haw Creek Commons is a community co-work and activity center where Forest Floor has a presence. See the location on Google Maps.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up
All programs may drop-off and pick-up at Haw Creek Commons for onsite programming or van transportation to Shope Creek. Address: 315 Old Haw Creek Road.
Parents may also drop-off and pick-up at Shope Creek Wilderness for all programs except Blacksmithing and Oaks. Address: 472 Shope Creek Road.
Scholarship Information
Overview
We offer limited partial scholarships to individuals who otherwise could not afford our programs.
Donate
If you are a family with means, please consider donating to our scholarship fund. Donations of a 1/4, 1/2, or FULL scholarship can be made during the standard registration process. For more substantial donations please contact us to discuss details.
Apply
Limited partial scholarships are available. Scholarship funds are generated exclusively from generosity of donations toward the scholarship fund. Scholarships are limited to the sum of these funds and are awarded based on equitable distribution. Full scholarships will be considered for families in great need, but most scholarship applicants should expect to pay at least half of tuition.
To apply for a scholarship FIRST please register for the program/camp, choose the payment plan option, and only pay a $100 deposit at time of registration.
AFTER RESERVING A SPOT, please follow the link below to fill out the application.
If your scholarship request can't be approved or isn't the amount of discount that you need, we will provide a full refund of the deposit.
COVID Safety Policies
Homeschool 2023-2024
Our COVID-19 safety policy is based primarily on pre-screening and monitoring. It is our current position that the single largest preventative factor at our programs is the fact that we are open-air and outdoors.
Pre-Screening and Monitoring
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Any child arriving in the morning with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 will not be permitted to attend programs that day. If during the program day a child displays signs or symptoms of illness they will be separated from other students and parents contacted to pick them up.
- All staff will be self-monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19. If they develop symptoms, they will notify their supervisor and stay home. Any staff person who develops symptoms of illness during the work day will be separated from students and other staff and sent home ASAP.
Masks:
- As of Fall 2022, we will no longer require masks to be worn on our shuttle vans transporting students
- Children and staff will not be required to wear masks, but will be fully supported if they choose to do so.
We will do our best to fully support any child or staff who self-selects for more restrictive social distancing or mask wearing than the policies outlined above.