FALL AND FULL-YEAR REGISTRATION OPENS MAY 21,2026
IRVINE’S fully-immersive classes are designed to connect children engaged in homeschooling OR unschooling 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 12-15 peers and 2 or 3 wonder-filled guides.
- spend most of their time outdoors
- 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 and full-year classes offered! Please see details below.
TRIMESTER-LONG CLASSES
Join us for the school year or 13-week Fall, 12-week Spring, or 4-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. Classes also incorporate multiple areas of learning including math, science, social studies (natural history), literature, creative arts, and physical development. Irvine staff provides documentation to aid in homeschool portfolio reviews. In the event Irvine must cancel class due to weather or staff illness, one potential contingency date is provided at the end of the trimester. 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.
Pricing Information
- Irvine membership discounts apply! Homeschool families qualify for a $40 Educator membership, which gives you a 10% discount. View all Irvine membership benefits here.
- A sibling discount is available to families enrolling more than one child in an Earth Friends class. Each additional child enrolled is entitled to 5% off. When registering, please select “Pay in Installments.”
- Earn a full-year discount when registering for all three trimesters for an additional 10% discount. Discount will be applied to the full-year price. Full-year registrations must be completed before the first Fall class in order to qualify.
- If paying for the full year upfront is a financial burden, payment plans may be available. Please email Stephanie Holzman and Laura Ferarra for more information.
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. We collect natural items, listen to and create 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. Meets Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30.
*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.
science in a trail bag (AGES 8-12YRS*)
Exploration of our woods, wetlands, and meadows, provide children limitless opportunities to investigate nature’s hidden gems. The tools we find in our unique class trail bag will help set the tone and lesson for the day’s theme. We’ll fuel our creativity with tons of hand-on/minds-on investigations of ecosystems, flora and fauna across our vast 210-acre property!
Meets Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30.
*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 (AGES 6-11YRS*)
Students in this 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 2-3 teacher guides. We pause for lunch and snack (brought 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 (4-weeks) | SPRING (12-weeks) | COST |
| FOREST EXPLORERS (AGES 4.5-7YRS) Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 |
9/9-12/9 (no class 11/25) |
1/13-2/3
|
2/24-5/19 (no class 3/24) |
$680.50(Fall) $209.50 (Winter) $628.00 (Spring) |
| SCIENCE IN A TRAIL BAG (AGES 8-12YRS) Wednesdays, 9:30-12:30 |
9/9-12/9 (no class 11/25) |
1/13-2/3
|
2/24-5/19 (no class 3/24) |
$680.50(Fall) $209.50 (Winter) $628.00 (Spring) |
| IRVINE DAYS (AGES 6-11YRS) Thursdays, 9:30-3:30 |
9/10-12/10 (no class 11/26) |
1/14-2/4
|
2/25-5/20 (no class 3/25) |
$1,361 (Fall) $419.00 (Winter) $1,256.50 (Spring) |
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.
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.
