Fridays in the Park

Our Teachers

Our educators are more than just teachers—they are passionate guides who bring the wonders of nature to life for your child. Each of our teachers is highly qualified, trained, and certified, with a deep commitment to outdoor education and experiential learning. They have honed their skills in child development and outdoor instruction, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment where kids can explore, discover, and grow.

Our teachers love being in nature just as much as the children do. They understand the unique benefits of outdoor learning and are dedicated to fostering curiosity, creativity, and a love for the environment. With a focus on hands-on activities and nature-based exploration, they inspire children to connect with the world around them in meaningful ways.

Philosophy

When we expose children to nature and more holistic learning experiences, we allow them to explore their self-awareness and gain a sense of the world around them. We provide the environment and tools your child needs to thrive to the best of their abilities.

Location

Nestled within the natural splendor of Cedar Park, our program takes place against the enchanting backdrop of Twin Lakes Park and Brushy Creek Trail. It’s a captivating playground of discovery where the wonders of nature become the canvas for exploration, fostering a deep connection with the environment and igniting the spirit of adventure in every learner.

About our program

Embark on a weekly adventure like no other with our Fridays in the Park program. Every Friday from early September to mid May, we invite local homeschoolers to join us at Twin Lakes Park and Brushy Creek Trail where we immerse our learners in nature studies, forest school, and unstructured free play from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Highlights:

Immersive Learning- Dive into science sessions (Anthropology, Hydrology, Biology, and more) through 6 engaging 4-5 week sessions.

Character Building- Foster kindness, trustworthiness, and more through character development activities.

Outdoor Adventures- Daily hikes, yoga, arts and crafts, fort building, creek exploration, free play & much more!

Natural Playground- Twin Lakes Park and Brushy Creek Trail provide the perfect backdrop for exploration.

Logistics:

Duration- Early September through Mid May

Cost: $2100 per school year ($300 deposit, remainder due by September 1st OR $200/mo)

Community Involvement- This is a drop off program, but parents are welcome to volunteer (background check required).

Admissions

How to Apply: Please follow the “Apply Now ” link on the program page to begin registration. There is a $300 deposit due upon registration. Payments are processed by Wonderschool. Monthly tuition payments will be made via our monthly payment plan, which will process payments automatically each month for 9 months (September-May).

Children must be ages 6-11 on our start date to participate in this program. If your child is of age within 60-days of the program start date, please email us to request an exception. We are unable to make exceptions beyond this.

​We are not currently staffed or equipped to provide special services for students with special needs (cognitive or physical disabilities, emotional issues, or behavior issues). We do not have the resources necessary to help these students reach their full potential. Exceptions may be made if a parent is willing to accompany the child during each weekly class. Please contact us at info@naturesschoolhouse to arrange registration.

​If you have questions about using our online application tool please email us at [email protected]. We are in the office Monday–Thursday between 10 am and 5 pm CST.

​Checking for Open Space in Class and Waitlists: The quality of education at our classes is very important, for this we keep the student to teacher ratio low. Unfortunately this doesn’t allow for many students, so make sure to register as soon as possible. Class registration changes quickly. There are two ways to check for open spaces in a class:

Email us at [email protected] -OR- Click on the “Apply Now” link from our website.

If the program appears full:​ When enrollment is full, we will add a waitlist form to our website. Please fill in your information if you would like to be added. Participants on the waitlist will be contacted in the order they are received if a spot opens up.

• There is no cost to register for our waitlist
• Spaces may become available last minute. Participation is not guaranteed for those who are on the waitlist.
• If you would like to be removed from our waitlist, please contact us.
• Participants will be contacted via the primary email address provided.
• Up until the program begins, participants will have 24 hours to accept an open space before we email the next person on the waitlist. After the program start date, an open space will be offered to the first person to respond.

Payment and Refund Policies: Nature’s Schoolhouse welcomes students who are motivated to learn and participate in outdoor education activities. All learners must be able to speak and understand English or Spanish, be healthy and socially responsible. We will deny admission to anyone we believe to be unable to meet the safety demands of our classes. We will also expel any student who exhibits behavior that is unsafe or disrupts from the educational mission of our class. If a student is expelled, there will be no refund.

Credit card and ACH payments made online through our secure payment processor will appear on your billing statement as follows:

   "Wonderschool Wonderscho ST"

Deposit Policy: We know education can be expensive, so breaking up a big payment into smaller ones is always an option. You may choose to pay your tuition in 9 monthly installments, with $300 of your registration being required at the time of enrollment. This deposit is non-refundable in order to reserve your space in the program.

​Our cancellation policies are based on our investment into class planning, staff training, as well as food, equipment and materials purchased before your class. We cannot recover our expenses if you cancel. Short-notice cancellations also prevent others from attending.

​Cancellation Policies: If you cancel, withdraw, or drop from the program for ANY reason:

• 30 days or more prior to the course starting date you will be given a full refund, including your deposit.

• Fewer than 30 days prior to the start date and during the first week of the program – you will be given a full refund, minus your deposit. All deposits are non refundable at this point.

• After the first week of the program, no refunds will be given. If you are paying on a payment plan you will still be responsible for paying the remainder of your scheduled payments.

      ~ Exceptions will be made if a participant on our waitlist joins the program due to your cancellation. If we are able to replace your child's enrollment, we will issue a 75% refund of the remainder of the program's tuition, based upon the monthly payment plan schedule. If you are paying on a payment plan, you will still be responsible for 25% of the remainder of the program's tuition and will need to continue to make payments until 25% has been paid. Ex: If you withdraw your ​child after week 5, you are responsible for the $300 non-refundable deposit, $200 September tuition payment, and 25% of the remaining $1600 yearly tuition ($400).

*To cancel an existing registration, please email our admin at [email protected]

Although we rarely need to do so, we do reserve the right to cancel a class or change a class duration, tuition and/or location. Nature’s Schoolhouse is not responsible for costs associated in these cases.

• We are unable to offer refunds if any duration of our program is canceled due to inclement weather or other circumstances that are out of our control.

• There are no makeup days for missed or canceled classes.

Confirmation Email: Within 3 business days of completing your online application, you will receive a follow-up email from us asking for any additional information needed, and/or detailing your child’s acceptance or denial into our program. If your enrollment is denied, we will refund your deposit in full. If your child is accepted into our program, you will receive an additional email before the start of the program, which will contain links to the following:

Program Details & Supply List Map & Directions to Class Participant Agreement, Release, and Assumption of Risk form Student Enrollment Packet

If you do not receive a follow-up email or if you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

​Required Forms: A Participant Agreement, Release, and Assumption of Risk form, Medical Release form, and Student Enrollment Packet must be completed as part of our registration process. We require that you sign and return these forms on or before the first day of class. Because of the ever-changing nature of medical and other requested information, we require that this form be updated for each year that your child participates. Thank you for your understanding.