Enrollment for our FAll 2025 Program is opening soon.
Fall 2025
Gritty Explorers is an outdoor farm to forest program to enrich the children in the community. Our Fall farm to forest programs are designed to expose children to the joys of the outdoors in all seasons, with its setting based on a small, regenerative farm. Children will experience a play-based program where days are lightly structured to incorporate learning and exploration while providing safe and engaging activities to get little hands dirty, in community with their peers.
About the 12-week drop off program:
When: Tuesday and Thursday mornings
Time: 9am – 1pm
Dates: September 2nd- November 20th
Location: Love & Grit Farm 22525 Wildcat Rd. Germantown, MD
Ages: 4-9 year olds
Price: $1,465 (Tuesday AND Thursday) or $799 (One Day: Tuesday OR Thursday only)
Payments: $100 non-refundable deposit upon registration
Three payments of $455 for the 2 day option or $233 for the 1 day option (Invoiced in September, October, November)
**We offer a rolling admission option, please send us an email if you are interested in learning more or signing up after the program has started.
***There will be a 3% fee for all credit card payments.
**Upon completion of registration, you will receive a welcome and confirmation email within 3 business days.
Sample Schedule
9:00-9:30
Drop off and morning gathering in the big red barn
9:30-10:30
Hands-on farm/nature educational based activity
10:30-11:00
Snack & story (children are to bring their own snacks)
11-12:00
Free play, creek time, arts & crafts
12-1:00
Lunch (children are to bring a packed lunch), Games, Journaling, free time, clean up
**Sample activities include– learning about compost, picking vegetables from the garden, planting seeds, learning how to identify trees, plants and birds, making nature related crafts using items only found in the nature (pine cone bird feeders, leaf bracelets, bird nests, potato stamping), and exploring our big world from a smaller perspective using magnifying glasses.
Registration
2-day Option: Tuesday and Thursday
**Children must be potty trained and 4 years old before the start of the fall program, September 2nd.
$1,465
$100 non-refundable deposit due upon registration
Three payments of $455 will be invoiced
1 Day Option: Tuesday OR Thursday
**Children must be potty trained and 4 years old before the start of the fall program, September 2nd.
$799
$100 non-refundable deposit due upon registration
Three Payments of $233 will be invoiced
Meet our Fall Program Leaders:
Laura comes to us with a background in outdoor education, nature mentoring, and as a fellow mom to a 12 year old daughter. During the onset of covid her Chinese Medicine private practice which she opened 10 years prior got put on pause – and suddenly she had time to explore her other passion: outdoor education. She received training and mentorship out west at the Wilderness Awareness School in Washington State and through several mentors here in Maryland. She now splits her time as a field instructor in various outdoor programs and as an acupuncturist in her Kensington clinic.
Laura has a passion to share the wisdom and beauty inherent in the outdoors and loves to see that inner joy and confidence that just being in Nature ignites in her students. She regularly leads Nature Immersion workshops around Montgomery County and loves to share her knowledge of the ecosystem, plants, and wildlife that surround us. Background checked and first aid certified.
She joined our Gritty Explorers team in the Fall 2024 as a Leader.
Meet our Fall Program Leaders:
Ms. Jessica comes to us with over 15 years of early childhood teaching experience. She is a mom of two teenage boys. She would describe herself as an educator by accident; she started her teaching journey taking over for her mom’s daycare program each summer while she was in college. She spent 10 years teaching preschool inside a classroom.
After many years of loose parts, messy art and being inside she was inspired look for a nature school after attending a conference. Her passion for meeting each child where they are has led her to outdoor education. Jessica has spent the past five years working toward this goal and is currently working to complete coursework for level 1 Nature-Based Teacher Certification from ANBE (Association for Nature-Based Education). In addition, she has a 90-hour Maryland Department of Education lead teacher certification in early childhood education as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University.
Jessica’s connection to and love of nature started when she was a young girl spending every summer in the mountains of New York’s Adirondak Park. She goes back to visit her family every chance she gets. The hours exploring the woods, climbing trees, and picking wild flowers helped to create the connection she has to nature today. She loves to craft, paint, dance, find new nature trails to walk with her family and will never turn down homemade chocolate chip cookies.
She joined our Gritty Explorers team in Fall 2024 as a Leader and is looking forward to another year.
01
Community
Engagement Activities
Gritty Explorers emphasizes community building through group activities that encourage teamwork and social interaction among participants. This helps children develop essential social skills.
02
Review
Nature-Based Education
Our program integrates nature-based education, allowing children to learn about local ecosystems, weather patterns, and sustainable practices. This holistic approach nurtures a love for the environment.
Our program integrates nature-based education, allowing children to learn about local ecosystems, weather patterns, and sustainable practices. This holistic approach nurtures a love for the environment.
03
Nature
Outdoor Exploration
Children engage in hands-on activities that promote learning about nature and farming. This feature encourages curiosity and connection with the environment.
Skills
Development Focus
Motor Skills Growth
Through various activities, children enhance their motor skills while exploring the outdoors. This hands-on approach fosters confidence and physical development.
