Indiana Outdoor School

Indiana Outdoor School offers Forest Pre-School/Kindergarten, Night in the Woods, Community Owl Prowl, Out of School Holiday Club, Chores on the Farm, Fungi, the other F, Winter Solstice Community Lantern Hike, Wild Hearts Home Education Program, Dogwoods Home Education Program, and Monthly Nature Labs. Activities include traditional night games and night hikes in the woods, owl watching on Sunday evenings, a walk around Nature Works Farm to meet animals, an hour-long fungi program with an immersive hike, and home education sessions and nature labs.

Programs

• Forest Pre-School/Kindergarten
• Night in the Woods — Children ages 6-14 · Friday nights, 6:00-8:00 · $15 · On certain Friday nights; traditional night games and night hikes in the woods.
• Community Owl Prowl — Families with children ages 4 and up · Sunday, 5:15-6:30 · $0–$5 per session · Free during Community Owl Prowl or $5 per student; weather permitting.
• Out of School Holiday Club — Elementary aged children 6-14 · Monday, 9:00-2:00 · $30 per session · CANCELED for Monday, October 12, 2026; part-day outdoors exploring natural areas.
• Chores on the Farm — Parents and kids of all ages · First Friday, 9:30-10:30 AM · $0 · Free walk around Nature Works Farm and meet some of the animals.
• Fungi, the other F — Children ages 6-18 · $5 per session · For youth organizations or classes; an hour-long program followed by an immersive hike searching for fungal species.
• Winter Solstice Community Lantern Hike — Open to the community and their families · $0 · Free family event.
• Wild Hearts Home Education Program — Children ages 5-14 · First and third Tuesday of the month, 9:00-1:00 · $30 per day · Drop-off home education program; limited spots available.
• Dogwoods Home Education Program — Children ages 5-8 · Second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 9:00-11:30 · $25 per day · Smaller class size for younger children; drop-off home education program.
• Monthly Nature Labs — Elementary aged students and up · Once a month on a Wednesday, 1:00-3:00 · $20 per session · Home educated students; more structured than the other home education programs.

At a glance

• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Price range: $0–$30
• Current session: Fall 2026 Wild Hearts sessions (Sep 15–Dec 15, 2026); Fall 2026 Dogwoods sessions (Sep 8–Dec 8, 2026); November 11, 2026 Fantastic Fungi (Nov 11–Nov 11, 2026)
• General schedule: Programs include recurring home education offerings, monthly nature labs, and seasonal field trip / half-day programs. Some programs are by registration and some are scheduled by email for a chosen date.

About the provider

Indiana Outdoor School serves community and school organizations, home school families, scout troops, clubs, preschools, and PreK-8th grade field trips. It also offers free community events and programs open to the community and their families. The mission is to reground the community through outdoor exploration, connecting children with nature and farm experiences, inspiring wonder in the natural world, modeling responsible care of the earth, presenting sustainable food systems, encouraging imaginative play and exploration, discovering the possibility that youth can change the world, and creating a space and opportunity to practice kindness to all living things.

Some programs are weather permitting. Night in the Woods, Owl Prowl, and other programs may require registration or email scheduling. Out of School Holiday Club was canceled. Wild Hearts and Dogwoods state limited spots available; preference given if registering for both fall and spring semesters. Payment is owed each month regardless of missed classes for Wild Hearts and Dogwoods. Registration for Wild Hearts 2026/27 was full.

What families say

“This was my favorite field trip I've ever been on. The kids had so much fun!” — Pre-K Teacher

Last updated October 22, 2026.