START YOUR OWN COMMUNITY GROUP
Interested in leading your own outdoor learning and nature play group? Partner with Ocean State Kids to create a unique, play-based learning environment for families in your Rhode Island community.
We provide guidance, curriculum inspiration, and tools to help you launch a parent-led outdoor program that nurtures curiosity, confidence, and connection through year-round forest school adventures, homeschool co-ops, and community-based nature learning.
INQUIRE HERE TO START THE CONVERSATION
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Feel a renewed sense of purpose through leading joyful, nature-based childhood adventures.
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Develop leadership skills, creativity, and confidence while watching children blossom outdoors.
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Enjoy flexibility: choose your group name, schedule, curriculum style, and special guest experiences.
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Create meaningful, nature-rich learning experiences for children in your own community.
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Build deep, lasting friendships and become part of a supportive, like-minded parent community.
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Shape the environment your children learn and play in—choosing locations, activities, and the pace.
BENEFITS OF STARTING YOUR OWN GROUP
HOW OCEAN STATE KIDS SUPPORTS YOUR VISION
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Full access to OSK’s structure, systems, and guidance for launching and running your group.
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Comprehensive liability insurance for all approved group activities, locations, and events.
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Templates, tools, and Google Workspace access for planning activities, agendas, and programming.
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Streamlined registration system through OSK—families are automatically assigned to your group.
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Built-in communication tools via the OSK Mobile App.
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Budget oversight, spending approvals, and support from OSK’s for fundraising.
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Access to a standardized materials list, Amazon supply approvals, and OSK-provided signage.
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Activity inspiration from OSK’s shared library of outdoor early childhood learning resources.
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Ongoing help from OSK leadership for questions, programming support, and early childhood guidance.
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Optional enhancements: professional photography, and special guest coordination.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PARENTING IN THE WILD
Benefits for Parents & Children
When we talk about nature school, we usually highlight what it does for kids—sparking curiosity, building resilience, and nurturing a deep love for the outdoors. But parent-led nature programs change us just as much. They help us slow down, see the world through our child’s eyes, and rediscover the joy of wandering. These moments outdoors aren’t just “activities”—they’re tiny transformations for both parent and child.
A Daily Dose of Physical Activity
Let’s be honest—outdoor learning keeps everyone moving, not just the kids. Wrestling your child into three layers of winter gear? That’s a cardio class. Programs like Little Tweets at the Norman Bird Sanctuary mean miles of wandering, exploring, and climbing right alongside your children. Who needs the gym when nature is calling your name?
Building a Supportive Community & Friendships
Parent-led programs create instant community, connecting you with families who share your values and your pace of life. Some of my closest friendships were born right here at Ocean State Kids, and I don’t take that for granted. We see each other at least once a week—once a week!—and in adulthood, that kind of consistency is rare. These relationships become an anchor.
Actually Become a Naturalist
Spend enough time outside with your child and you’ll suddenly know the names of trees, tracks, birds, and bugs you never noticed before. Ocean State Kids has a way of awakening your inner naturalist, even if you started out Googling “weird mushroom Rhode Island.” And our Wildlife and Trail Guides make learning even more playful and accessible. Before you know it, you’re the neighborhood nature expert.
Empowerment, Confidence & Personal Growth
Our mission has always been simple: empower parents to become their child's most influential teacher. Taking an active role in your child’s learning builds confidence, strengthens your intuition, and reminds you that you’re fully capable of guiding their growth. Watching your child bloom—knowing you played a hands-on role—fills your heart in ways school drop-off never could. And somewhere along the way, we all pick up new nature skills, new hobbies, and a little more wonder than we had before.
Serious Stress & Anxiety Relief
Nature is the ultimate reset button, and science backs that up. I can feel weighed down by anxiety or mental fog, but the moment I step outside, everything softens. The fresh air clears my mind, the movement resets my body, and the presence of my child brings me right back to what matters. For a little while, it’s just us and the world—and it feels like magic.
Child Experts All Around Us
A lovely surprise within OSK is just how many parents come with backgrounds in Early Childhood Development, Education, therapy, or preschool teaching. Our groups are filled with quiet brilliance and lived experience. It feels like a built-in parenting masterclass—one where everyone shares ideas generously and nobody pretends to have all the answers. We learn from each other as much as we learn from the land.
Time for Reflection & Patience
Nature-based learning naturally slows the rhythm of your day, giving you room to breathe, reflect, and soak in the sweet moments with your children. Outdoor adventures also build patience and resourcefulness—especially when navigating weather, mud, or snack negotiations. And of course, nothing tests your endurance quite like walking at “toddler pace.” That alone could be an Olympic sport.
BELIEFS & FACTS AROUND OUTDOOR LEARNING
• Outdoor learning provides the perfect setting for all subjects.
• Unstructured play outdoors promotes creativity and problem-solving.
• Children experience fewer behavioral problems outdoors.
• Time in nature reduces symptoms of ADHD.
• Just 30 minutes outdoors improves sleep.
• Children who play outside play harder and longer.
• Nature significantly reduces stress and cortisol.
• Nature provides vitamin D for strong bones.
• Outdoor exposure helps build immunity.
• Fresh air increases serotonin levels.
• Nature promotes relaxation and confidence.
• Outdoor learning improves academic performance.
• Outdoor learning brings joy and engagement.
• Outdoor activities build community and playfulness.
• Using outdoors brings content to life.
• With preparation, outdoor learning works in many weather conditions.