Homeschool Program Spring 2025

Come to the Overall Creek Arboretum

7544 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN, 37209 - Parking is at 7512 Charlotte Pike

Stepping into an all-outdoor paradise and the captivating world of natural science, we invite you to forge a personal connection with the hidden life of trees. 

Join the Making of the Overall Creek Arboretum

Homeschool Enrichment

This program offers a unique opportunity for children to actively participate in building an arboretum while uncovering the rich history of the land through exploration. Each day, the forest becomes our living laboratory, where hands-on experiences in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and art come to life.

As we navigate the landscape, children develop many skills discovering new trails and identifying life forms. They learn to recognize trees and birds, forage for edible plants, and safely capture and release a variety of creatures, including crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, fish, and insects. Through practical skills like shelter-building and constructing wildlife observation blinds, they deepen their connection with the environment.

While studying forest and creek ecosystems, students measure abiotic factors such as temperature, pH, and water flow, uncovering the intricate relationships between organisms. As their understanding grows, they design their own projects, formulating research questions and developing investigative protocols.

Beyond scientific discovery, this program fosters teamwork, resilience, and a sense of belonging. By nurturing curiosity, wellbeing, and environmental awareness, we cultivate a foundation for lifelong stewardship, ensuring that a childhood spent in wonder leads to an adulthood dedicated to caring for the natural world.


Homeschoolers Ages 5 to 12

August to May: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

  • 3 days/week: $2,775 per semester

  • 2 days/week: $1,850 per semester

  • 1 day/week: $925 per semester

Flexible Enrollment: Choose one, two, or three days per week based on your family’s needs and interests.

Daily Flow:

  • Arrival & Greetings

  • Morning Assembly & Community Discussion

  • Science or Art Presentation & Hands-On Experiments

  • Exploration & Project Building

  • Reading, History & Group Discussion Over Lunch

  • Independent & Collaborative Project Development

Playful learning for Ages 3 to 5

FOREST PRESCHOOL: Social Nature Explorers

Spring 2025 Session
Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 18 – May 20, Tuition: $995 | One day Only, Tuition: $575

Fall 2025 Session
Tuesdays & Thursdays, August 15 – December , Tuition: $2050 | One day Only, Tuition: $1185

This Program invites young adventurers to explore the wonders of nature, build social connections, and develop curiosity about the living world through hands-on experiences. Rooted in child-led discovery, this program blends science, movement, and creative expression in a supportive, outdoor-centered environment.

Program Flow:

  • Arrival & Greetings between 9:00 to 9:15am

  • Nature Exploration & Hands-On Investigations

  • Movement (Yoga, Dance, or Game) and Field Play

  • Community Assembly, Songs, & Storytelling

  • Forest Walk & Nature Observation

  • Pick-up is 1:45 to 2:00pm.

Here's a glimpse of a typical day:

  • A good start to the day: Relationship Building 

    • The energy of the outdoors fuels playful interactions in our Campsite Kitchen. 

    • Every voice counts: Our morning assembly is a time to sing songs, share stories, create poetry, and discuss project ideas.

    • We play collaborative games that build teamwork and self-awareness. 

    • Social interactions are scaffolded with vocabulary to build positive relationships with peers and teachers.

  •  Physical Activity:

    • Running in the fields, climbing on fallen trees, and hiking the trails.

    • We imitate plant and animal form with yoga poses. 

  • Exploration & Projects (this may be the place to portray projects ?)

    • The children marvel at the wildlife they encounter leading to several studies:

      • from birdsong to nesting activities. 

      • seasonal changes and graphing weather patterns.

      • diversity of life at the Arboretum.

      • growth and life cycles of plants and animals.

      • Animal behavior

    • Find letters, phonics and connections with rhymes.

    • Draw this idea and write your name as author/illustrator.  

    • Mathematical encounters of the wild kind

      • Counting, ordering, measuring, estimating, making equations every day.

  • Creative Expression 

    • Build shelters 

    • map our spaces

    • explore woodworking with honeysuckle

    • sculpting 

    • painting 

    • Storytelling and theater

    • Practice organization

  • Gardening 

    • Engage in caretaking of the garden

  • Afternoon Rest & Reflection:

    • After lunch, children rest on mats to observe and then read books. Some fall asleep while others begin journaling.

    • As the afternoon winds down, the children come together one last time in a circle, sharing their accomplishments and insights from the day. 

    • With the afternoon setting on another adventure-filled day, they leave with a sense of fulfillment, having deepened their self-confidence, empathy, and connection to nature.

Fill this form to share your interest and questions

Curriculum Details

  • The life of seeds

  • Tree identification, morphology, age, and health

  • Animals of the middle Tennessee forest ecosystem

  • Animals of Tennessee Creeks

  • Basics of ornithology

  • Fossils, rocks, and minerals

  • Soils and erosion

  • Tree Physiology

  • Parts of plants

  • Micellar network

  • The kingdoms of life

  • Producers, consumers, decomposers

  • Owl pellet dissection

  • Edible plants

  • Animal prints

  • Invertebrate or vertebrate 

  • Biomes

  • Cardinal directions