NATure-based
enrichment programs
Nurturing Development
Through Nature
At Willow Tree Occupational Therapy, our nature-based enrichment programs are designed to create meaningful opportunities for connection, growth, practical experiences, and community connection through shared experiences rooted in nature and everyday life.
While each program is uniquely tailored to different ages and stages of development, all of our offerings are grounded in the belief that children and youth grow best through relationships, movement, creativity, responsibility, hands-on experiences, and meaningful participation within supportive community environments.
Across seasons and settings, participants may engage in activities such as sensory play, nature exploration, gardening, stewardship projects, handwork, outdoor skills, creative expression, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving experiences that help foster confidence, capability, resilience, and connection.
In partnership with The Willow Tree Community Organization 501(c)(3), we strive to create supportive, adaptable
environments where individuals can build practical skills, contribute meaningfully, develop confidence and responsibility, and experience connection, respect, and purpose within both
the Willow Tree community and the greater community as a whole.
ROOTED & REGULATED
A nature-based enrichment program for ages 0-4
Supporting connection, confidence, and co-regulation through play and shared experiences.
Rooted & Regulated is an occupational therapist-facilitated, parent-supervised nature-based play
group for children ages 0–4 designed to support
early development through connection, movement, sensory exploration, and play.
Each session includes thoughtfully designed
themed experiences such as sensory play, art and creativity, music and movement, and opportunities for quiet regulation and connection.
Activities are intentionally created to support early developmental skills including sensory processing, motor development, social-emotional growth, communication, co-regulation, and participation in everyday routines through meaningful play experiences.
Parents and caregivers remain with their child
throughout the group, helping guide participation
while also building confidence and ideas for
supporting regulation, play, and connection at
home and in everyday life.
Offered Wednesdays 9:30-10:30 Starting June 10th
Chickens, Bees,
& Apple Trees
A Nature-Based Enrichment Program for ages 3-10
Rooted in the belief that children flourish through hands-on exploration, meaningful relationships, and connection to the natural world, Chickens, Bees & Apple Trees is an inclusive outdoor enrichment program designed to support growth through real-life experiences guided by the rhythm of the seasons.
Set within the meadows and forests surrounding the Willow Tree farmhouse, participants engage in gardening, tending animals, seed-to-table experiences, land stewardship, collaborative projects, creative expression,
and community connection opportunities that help foster confidence, responsibility, creativity,
compassion and belonging.
Grounded in occupational therapy principles and a deep respect for child-led discovery, the program supports whole-person development in ways that feel natural, joyful, and meaningful.
Program Overview
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Offered Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Fall, Winter, Spring
(Families may choose one or two days/wk. during fall, winter, spring- Mon/Wed or Tu/Thurs two-day options)
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Offered on Tuesday or Wednesday
Summer 2026
Through seasonal experiences and child-led exploration, participants develop gross and fine motor coordination, social-emotional and life skills, executive functioning, teamwork, confidence, compassion, and meaningful community connection.
Activities may include simple woodworking and handcrafts, gardening from seed to harvest, foraging and cider pressing, fiber arts and natural dyeing, farm animal visits, neighborhood connection visits such as the library or firehouse, and open-ended outdoor play and sensory exploration.
Pricing:
1 Day: $65
2Days: $110
10% Sibling Discount Offered
Session offerings, schedules, and availability may vary by season.
Please see the current SUMMER registration links below for active session details and enrollment information.
FIELDS & FORESTS
A Nature-Based Enrichment Program for ages 10-14
Where practical skills, confidence, and
community grow together
Fields & Forests is an evolving nature-based program for older youth focused on building confidence, responsibility, and real-world capability through practical experiences, stewardship, shared work, and meaningful community connection.
Through hands-on experiences rooted in nature
and everyday life, participants will have opportunities
to develop practical skills such as wilderness readiness, bushcraft, shelter building, fire building, gardening, land stewardship, handwork, teamwork, problem-solving, and outdoor preparedness.
Stewardship within the program may include caring for trails and shared spaces, composting, tending gardens, contributing to projects, and learning to care for both the land and one another within community. As the seasons change, these experiences will continue to grow and adapt alongside participants, allowing skills to deepen through repetition, real-world application, stewardship, and increasing responsibility over time.
As the program continues to develop, opportunities may also expand into areas such as community projects, mentorship, small-scale entrepreneurship, partnerships, and meaningful participation both within the Willow Tree community and beyond.
At its core, Fields & Forests is designed to help youth grow in confidence, capability, contribution, and connection through practical experiences rooted in nature and community.
We welcome inquiries from families interested in learning more as these offerings continue to develop.
Offered Thursdays this summer from 9-1
starting July 16th
Looking Ahead🗓 Upcoming Sessions & Events
Summer Session 2026
Rooted & Regulated (ages 0-4):
Wednesdays starting June 10
Chickens, Bees, & Apple Trees (ages 3-10):
Tuesday July 14 - Tuesday August 18
Wednesday July 15 - Wednesday August 19
Fields & Forests (ages 10-14):
Thursday July 16- Thursday August 20
Fall 2026
Willow Tree Jamboree
Saturday 9/12/26
Fall Session Rooted & Regulated (ages 0-4):
Dates coming soon.
Fall Session Chickens, Bees, & Apple Trees ages 3-10: Choose Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs - one day option or
Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs - two-day options
9/14/26 - 11/16/26
Fall Session Fields & Forest (ages 10-14):
Dates coming soon.
Winter 2026-2027
Winter Session Rooted & Regulated (ages 0-4):
Dates coming soon.
Winter Session Chickens, Bees, & Apple Trees ages 3-10:
Choose Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs - one day option or
Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs - two-day options
12/7/26 - 3/8/27
OFF 12/20/26 - 1/2/27 for the Christmas Holiday
OFF 2/15/27 - 2/19/27 for February Vacation Week
Winter Session Fields & Forest (ages 10-14):
Dates coming soon.