Fall 2025 OWL Programs

Owlets: Weekly Caregiver & Child Nature Play Classes

For children aged walking to 5 years old, with one accompanying parent/caregiver (babies in arms welcome).

Location: Bay Vista Park, St. Petersburg, FL - 7000 4th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33705

Bay Vista Park is a scenic gem in St. Pete, offering shaded, open green spaces, waterfront views, bay and shoreline access for shallow water play, and abundant trees that create opportunities for sensory exploration and nature observation. There is also a playground (and bathrooms) on-site, making it perfect for a mix of nature play and playground fun!

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am-11am

About Owlets:

Owlets is a caregiver-and-child nature play gathering designed as a gentle introduction to the Forest School philosophy that inspire the Fledgelings drop-off program.

Playfully named after the term for a baby owl, Owlets invites caregivers and children to explore the natural world side by side through slow, sensory-rich mornings rooted in seasonal rhythms. These gatherings are intentionally unhurried, allowing children to move at their own pace, follow their curiosity, and build familiarity with both the environment and their community.

Owlets sessions unfold around a seasonal focus, encouraging a sense of connection with the local environment. Children are offered open-ended, play-based experiences that encourage curiosity, wonder, repetition, experimentation, and joyful discovery—supporting common play schemas and early social-emotional development.

Each gathering includes simple rituals such as a welcoming circle, songs or stories, open-ended nature play, and a closing moment to reconnect before parting. Caregivers remain present throughout, participating alongside their children or stepping back to observe their experiments.

Owlets classes are capped at 12 children to allow for meaningful connection and ample space for exploration.

Caregivers and children are encouraged to dress in clothes that can get wet, muddy, and that dry quickly! See the OWL Clothing Recommendations page here.

Sample Daily Rhythm of an Owlets Class

9:30am: Welcome Song & brief Gathering around Nature topic (stories, songs, movement, specimens exploration, or sensory games)

9:40am: Open-ended activity invitations to explore

10:30-10:55am - Boca Ciega Bay shoreline and shallow water play and exploration time

10:55am: Closing Circle & Goodbye song

Fledglings: Morning drop-off, play-based nature education program

A half-day drop-off program for potty-trained children ages 3-6 years old.

*Enrollment Opening in mid-December, 2025*