A smiling young boy with blonde hair wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt, black gloves, and black waterproof pants standing behind a horizontal tree branch in a wooded area with fallen leaves, bare trees, and a cloudy sky in the background.

Located on 60 acres in Southwest Michigan, Little Log Cabin Nature School is a place for children to learn, play, and fall in love with the outdoors.

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Text that reads 'free play' in orange, cursive font on a light background.
A graphic with a brown gradient background and the words "fresh air" written in large, light-colored, cursive font.
Yellow background with the word 'friends' written in red, cursive font.
Pastel pink text that says "farm stuff" on a muted green textured background.

Child-led free play.

Free play is a cornerstone of nature schooling. We provide the safe space, Mother Nature provides the goods, and kiddos do the rest.

Outside, in every weather.

The benefits of outdoor play in early education are seemingly infinite. Again and again, studies reveal how outdoor time helps children develop socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and creatively.

Dirty hands!

Our location at NOEL Farms allows for an additional layer of exploration and learning. Whether tending the school garden, caring for the chicken flock, or splitting wood on the kindling rings, farm tasks bring us close to the earth.

All ages, all together.

Each day at nature school includes free play, a nature craft or farm activity, and lunch. Students of all ages collaborate, play and spend the day alongside one another.

Sample Day at Nature School

  • "Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work."

    - C.S. Lewis

  • "My professional training [as a pediatric occupational therapist] had taught me that movement - and a lot of it - is key to preventing many of these problems. And through my own research, and in my personal life, I discovered that movement through active free play - particularly in the outdoors - is absolutely the most beneficial gift we as parents, teachers, and caregivers can bestow on our children."

    - Angela J. Hanscom, 
    Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children

  • "Nature play is not another thing to shove into the crevices of an already overloaded schedule. A childhood built upon nature play is a different way to do childhood altogether.”

    Ginny Yurich, Founder of 1000 Hours Outside movement

  • "Students are taught to take risks with the support of an instructor. For example, students may explore climbing trees, using metal tools, and lighting a fire. Instructors help students assess risks and benefits so their decisions are always informed. Forest schools have a higher instructor-to-learner ratio than other types of learning environments. Risk-taking builds resilience and self-esteem in young people that will improve their judgment as they grow."

    - Wonderschool

  • "Homeschooling isn't about "doing school at home," it's about freeing out children to learn in their own way, at their own pace, within the most natural conditions."

    - Ainsley Arment, Call of the Wild and Free

  • Four children in colorful winter jackets and hats standing on a sandy beach with tall grasses and trees in the background, smiling and posing for the photo.

    Program Specs

    Little Log Cabin Nature School is a twice-a-week drop off program.

    Classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    We welcome ages 4 - 10!

  • Pattern of leaves, flowers, mushrooms, and a rainbow in a green and white color scheme.

    What We Believe

    We believe in restoring the sanctity of childhood. We believe in the beauty of the simple things, in nature as a teacher, and in the power of fresh air.

    We hope that Little Log Cabin Nature School is a place that nurtures children’s innocence, and innate wonder and awe.

  • An old wooden cabin with weathered horizontal planks and two small windows, surrounded by green grass and trees.

    The (Actual) Little Log Cabin

    On NOEL Farms’ more than 60 acres, there’s a lake, rivers, trails, woods, and yes - a little log cabin!

    Built in the 1800s and retaining all of it’s original charm, it’s the perfect namesake and nod to undistracted, simple living.

  • A seamless pattern of abstract floral and leaf outlines in green on a light pink background.

    Tuition

    Tuition is $700 when attending one day per week (this is doubled if enrolling both Tuesday & Thursday). A 10% discount is offered for enrolled siblings

little forces of nature,
forever friends of nature.

Every day is different at nature school! See how we spend our time together -

Close-up of a young child smiling outdoors in a snowy landscape, wearing a pale pink Carhartt beanie and a brown jacket with white spots, with snow on the jacket and face.
Close-up of green, leafy trees with visible branches and roots.
A Day at Nature School

We Can’t Wait to Meet You!