After-School Registration 2022-23 School Year

Registration is available by the session. Your child may only attend one session per week and must attend the session for their current grade. Please contact us if you have any questions.

ABOUT OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

At Friends of Rye Nature Center’s Forest School, we believe a deep understanding of and connection to nature starts when we allow our environment to teach us. The 47-acre forest at the Rye Nature Center is so much more than a park. It is the place where we begin to understand our role in our greater ecosystem, how we can shape our future, and why the freedom of the outdoors ignites our imaginations and intellects.

Our afterschool clubs give elementary and middle school students the opportunity to spend some much-needed time at the end of their day exploring the outdoors. Each session will focus on a different topic to help participants connect with nature and have fun. Registration is available by the session.

We will not be holding spots via the phone or paperwork. Your online registration includes a 2.3% credit card processing fee. In the event of severely inclement weather, class may be cancelled. No refunds will be available in the event that classes must be cancelled due to weather or changes in state guidelines.

PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Grades K-2 | Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. | $143 per child per session

Nature Crafts
Feb 28, Mar 7, Mar 14, Mar 21

Each week, kids will create arts and crafts using whatever they can forage out in nature! Whether weaving baskets, crafting clay bowls, or making fairy houses, everyone will have a beautiful piece of natural art to bring home!

Friends of the Forest
Mar 28, Apr 11, Apr 18, Apr 25

There are many animals that call the Nature Center their home, such as hawks, deer, and salamanders! Each week, we will focus on a different animal found here at the Nature Center, and get to know where they live, what they eat, and try to spot them up close!

Sensory Explorers
May 2, May 9, May 16, May 23

Become one with the woods by exploring your various senses! Dare to walk the woods blindfolded, melt into your surroundings through camouflage, test your sense of direction by mapmaking, and use your eagle eyes to spot hidden clues in the forest!

Grades 1-4 | Thursdays 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. | $143 per child per session

Naturalist Scientist Training
Mar 2, Mar 9, Mar 16 (no class Mar 23 - session prorated to $108)

Learn to identify various organisms in our ecosystem, from the smallest flowers to the largest trees, and all of the birds and bugs in between! Kids will use field guides to gain experience and create their own nature journals to observe and document patterns at the Nature Center.

The Art of Bushcraft
Mar 30, Apr 13, Apr 20, Apr 27

Explore the Nature Center and collect your own materials to create art and other crafts that can be brought home! Make nature paint, weave Wisteria, forage for edibles, get into knots, and learn to build a sturdy shelter! Who knew survival skills could be so fun?

Bug Exploration
May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25

Are you brave enough to get up close and personal with the world of bugs? Explore entomology and learn about insect life cycles, the importance of pollinators, and what you might find flying or crawling around Rye Nature Center!

Grades 5-6 | Wednesdays 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. | $143 per child per session

Rockin’ Out
Mar 1, Mar 8, Mar 15, Mar 22

How much do you know about the very earth beneath your feet? Explore plate tectonics, natural disasters, volcanoes and more by discovering geology! Hands on activities with rocks, minerals, and fossils will show kids that the science of the Earth on a geological level is complex and fascinating!

Survival Guide to the Nature Center
Mar 29, Apr 12, Apr 19, Apr 26

Calling all survivalists! If you have ever wondered whether or not you have the grit to survive in the woods, look no further! Kids will have the opportunity to learn various skills such as fire building, shelter construction, and navigating with a compass. 

Food, Glorious Food
May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24

Kids will learn how our ancestors lived off of the land before grocery stores! Skills like foraging, hunting, fishing, and preserving are all ancient ways of feeding ourselves that are still used today! We will learn what it was like to provide for ourselves by relying on nature, knowledge, and instinct.

*The 5th and 6th grade session of afterschool is subject to cancellation based on enrollment.*

Registration Steps

STEP ONE: Create an account. WE RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS BEFORE THE DAY OF REGISTRATION USING THIS LINK. This will minimize the amount of information you will have to submit the morning of registration. If you have attended a program or supported FRNC in the past, we should have an account on file for you that you can recover using your email address and the forgot password option. If you are new to the Nature Center and our programs, you can create a new account.

STEP TWO: Register online. You can register online at the date and time of registration using using the link on our website or the quick links section in your system account.

STEP THREE: Pay through PayPal. Once you submit the online form, you will be redirected to PayPal to complete your payment. If you do not have a PayPal account you can still use the platform to pay with a debit or credit card. Your payment will be incomplete if you navigate away from PayPal before submission. We must receive the payment in order to process your application.

No refunds or credits will be given towards other programs, camps, or events if you cancel your enrollment. In the event you need to cancel, a tax receipt will be issued to you indicating that the program fee was converted to a charitable donation. Membership is non-refundable.