George Eliot
“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it...“
A Waldorf-inspired nature program for up to 12 year olds
KEW KIDS
FOREST SCHOOL
Join us for fairy tales and outdoor cooking before schools start.
Sign up here!
WHO WE ARE
Kew Kids is the first and only forest school in Queens and the only program in New York City offering both half-day and full-day, all-weather, year-round forest education for young children. We are a mixed-age, nurturing community of outdoor learners that values kindness, cooperation, curiosity, imagination, and respect for all living things.
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​In a city where forested spaces are scarce, we are fortunate to call Forest Park our classroom. At 538 acres, Forest Park is Queens’ third-largest park and is home to 165 acres of trees, with numerous trails winding through native hardwood forests and leafy canopies.
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At Kew Kids, the landscape itself becomes our teacher. We use the hills, trails, trees, forest edges, and changing seasons to inspire exploration, experimentation, imaginative play, and discovery. Through daily experiences in nature, children develop confidence, resilience, independence, and a lasting connection to the natural world.
We are part of the growing nature preschool movement and proud members of the Association for Nature-Based Education and the Natural Start Alliance, an exceptional network of organizations dedicated to helping young children experience, understand, and care for nature.
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Our work has also been recognized beyond our local community. In 2020, Kew Kids was featured in the Warner Bros. docu-series Becoming You, which explores children’s cognitive and sensory development from birth to age five around the world. In 2023, we participated in an international docu-series focused on climate change and children’s connection to the natural world. See a short clip from a filmmaker point of view.
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Our teachers are creative, thoughtful educators who are trained and experienced in leading children through outdoor adventures in all seasons and weather. With a small 4:1 teacher-to-child ratio, educators can engage deeply in children’s exploration while also getting to know each child’s individual interests, strengths, and learning journey.
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WHAT WE DO
Kew Kids offers a unique full-day, half-day, after-school nature program, and seasonal day camps designed to cultivate a lifelong love of the outdoors and a sense of wonder in young children. Through healthy challenges and meaningful experiences in nature, we help children develop confidence, capability, resilience, and self-reliance.
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Our days are filled with opportunities to slow down and truly engage with the world around us—to look closely, listen carefully, smell, touch, climb, balance, stumble, and get back up again. Children are encouraged to ask questions, follow their curiosity, explore their surroundings, and discover how things work through hands-on, open-ended experiences.
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At Kew Kids, children lead their own exploration of the natural landscape and their relationships with one another. They are given the freedom to take appropriate risks, make choices, solve problems, and learn through play in a safe, supportive environment. What may look like play is often where the deepest learning happens.
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Our children spend all of their time outdoors, except for naps. In every season and in all kinds of weather, nature is not simply the backdrop to our program—it is our classroom, our playground, and our teacher.
WHO IS THIS FOR
During the school year children up to 5 years old of all experience levels from expert salamander handlers to the novice trail blazers, we invite young community members to enroll and experience the outdoor with us!
For afterschool programs and camps throughout the year, children up to 12 years old are welcome. ​​
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY CAMPS
Spend your school day off outside with us! Kew Kids offers day camps on select school holidays, giving children the opportunity to explore, play, and learn in nature while school is out.
Here is our typical line-up:​
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September before DOE school start - Join us for a imaginative Fairy Tale Camp!
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September - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - Slime Camp and Fairy Tale Camp
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October - Indigenous People Day - Mud Camp, Diwali
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November - Veterans Day - Enchanted Forest Camp (with gnomes and fairies)
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December - Possible Winter Camp between Christmas and New Years (let us know if you are interested)
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January - MLK - Winter Survival Camp
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February - Presidents Day & Midwinter Recess Week - Winter Survival Camp, Lunar New Year
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March/April - Spring Break - Spring Gardening Camp
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March/April - Eid Fairy Tale Camps
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June - Juneteenth Superhero Camp
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July/August - Summer Camp - Sign up early!
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Last week of August into Labor Day - Summer Mini Camp
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We want you to come find your place with us. Words can only describe our school so much. Come visit our space and learn about our curriculum, community impact, and how we support our children here at Kew Kids. Please send us an email to make an appointment.
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2026 Fall Season now enrolling
2:30PM to 5:30PM Monday through Friday
Add an all-outdoor, immersive learning experience to your child’s school day in our open-air classroom of meadows, forests, and winding trails.
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Throughout the year, children breathe fresh air, move their bodies, engage their imaginations, and build meaningful connections to the land and to one another. Our days blend story-based learning, multi-sensory exploration, imaginative play, and age-appropriate social development, creating rich opportunities for children to learn through direct experience.
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Rather than bringing the classroom outdoors, we allow the natural world to shape the classroom itself. Each season, trail, tree, meadow, and discovery becomes an invitation to wonder, explore, and learn.
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For the 2026-27 School Year:
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Ages 5 - 12
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2:30 - 5:30 PM Monday through Friday
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Families may choose 2, 3 or 5 days per week
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Pick-up possible from neighborhood schools or select bus stops with minimum 4 students
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Seasonal prepaid enrollment: Fall (September to November), Winter (December to February), Spring (March to June)
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Enrollments are non-refundable
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DOE calendar observed. Optional holiday camps available for additional fee.
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Second Sunday of Every Month at 9:30am
Weather Permitting
Teaching our children to appreciate Mother Earth and to be her responsible steward.
Join Kew Kids Forest School and NYC Parks Department on the second Sunday of each month to help clean our forest classrooms and maintain the trails in Forest Park. Volunteers will participate in a range of trail maintenance tasks for all ages and abilities. From digging and brush clearing to raking and litter pickup, there is something for everyone! Toddlers welcome. Weather Permitting.
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Volunteers will meet at Wallenberg Square, corner of Metropolitan and Park Lane South.
We follow NYC Parks guidelines for weather advisory. RSVP is required.