
Forest Friends Preschool
at Lakemont Community Park in Bellevue, Wa
Join our waitlist for our 2023-2024 Program
Your children will get every opportunity that an indoor classroom presents with the added benefits of being immersed in nature. This program not only allows your children to learn traditional curriculum and social skills, but also park specific knowledge all while being physically active throughout the day.
Schedule:
8:00-12:30 Preschool Structured Hours
8:00-15 Morning Drop-Off (Free-play at the playground while we wait for all of our friends)
8:15-45 Morning Circle (We gather all together and share our feelings and excitements about the day)
8:45-9:00 Potty Break
9:00-45 Nature "Hunt" (This is usually math and science time. We will take the time to talk about the plant and animal life, do scavenger hunts, collect fun leaves for art later, count tracks, gather small rocks to use for math, etc.)
9:45-10:00 Snack (An opportunity to talk about nutrition)
10:00-30 Art/Activity (A time for nature and classroom activity to come together. We will promote being inspired by what's around us during this part of the day)
10:30-11:00 Reading Centers
11:00-30 Potty Break & Play
11:30-12:00 Lunch
12:00-30 Afternoon Circle & Pick-Up
12:30-3:30 Afternoon Care
Unstructured Nature-Immersion Time means more Exploring, Climbing, Identifying, Bird Watching, Snacks, Art, Games, Sports, Trails, and LOTS of Play!
12:30-2:15 Nap or Quiet Time
2:15-30 Waking Up
2:30-2:45 Potty Break
2:45-3:15 Snack & Play
3:15-3:30 Afternoon-Pick-Up
Extended Day: 3:30-5
Afternoon Adventures: Walk to Lewis Creek, Grocery Store, Ranger Station, Creek Walk, Special Crafts, etc.
4:30-5: Extended Day Pick-Up
Children enrolled in this class will get to experience.
Mixed Aged Playing Experience
Close and Small Classroom
More individualized attention and tailored learning
Learning about the weather and seasonal changes.
Learning to identify plants and animals in our parks.
Weekly Music & Yoga
Animal Interactions Brought-In
Farm Field Trips
Most importantly a love and curiosity for the OUTDOORS!
Our location allows us access to creeks, forested trails, softball fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, Lewis Creek Park, the visitor center, wetland trails, etc. Below are just a few glimpses of our beautiful classroom!
Tour Our Classroom
Scroll through the pictures and videos of our classroom, trails, and other important areas of the park. If you hover each, there will be written descriptions about each.
Outdoor Classroom Schedule Options
We offer full and half day options for 2,3 or 5 days a week.
Half Day
8:00am-12:30pm
2 day - Tuesdays & Thursdays
3 day - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
5 day - Monday through Friday
Full Day
8:00am-3:30pm
Extended Day 8am-5pm
2 day - Tuesdays & Thursdays
3 day - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
5 day - Monday through Friday
Sliding Scale Tuition Options
We will offer a sliding scale honor system for tuition this year. We hope that the community works with us to help support outdoor education becoming more accessible to all families.
Below are our suggestion tuitions. The middle is our base price, meaning it covers the expense of the program. The other two options are dependent on what your family can contribute.
Tuition includes: morning snack, lunch, art supplies, established enrichment teachers and programs, animal interactions, our amazing park rental and qualified and caring staff! We also provide rain suits for the cold months, heaters, and any additional equipment necessary for a safe and fun program all year!
Option 1
Monthly Assisted Tuition
Half
2 day: $295
3 day: $475
5 day: $790
Full
2 day: $585
3 day: $900
5 day: $1375
Extended Day Tuition is in addition to the full day tuition:
2 Day: $80/month
3 Day: $120/ month
5 Day: $200/month
Option 2
Monthly Base Tuition
Half
2 day: $395
3 day: $575
5 day: $890
Full
2 day: $685
3 day: $1000
5 day: $1475
Extended Day Tuition (In addition to base):
2 Day: $120/month
3 Day: $180/month
5 Day: $300/month
Option 3
Monthly Contributing Tuition
Half
2 day: $495
3 day: $675
5 day: $990
Full
2 day: $785
3 day: $1100
5 day: $1575
Extended Day Tuition (in addition to monthly tuition)
2 Day: $160/ month
3 Day: $240/ month
5 Day: $400/month