Children and Community Programs
About Children and
Community Programs
Where Nature, Learning, and Community Meet
Common Ground’s Community and Children’s Programs connect people of all ages with nature, food, and community right in the heart of New Haven. From after-school adventures to summer camp, weekend hikes, and family events, these programs invite children and families to explore, play, and learn outdoors.
“Nature is for everyone and there is no wrong way to be a nature lover”.
- Rebecca Holcombe, Director of Children and Community Programs
Together, the Community and Children’s Programs reflect Common Ground’s belief that when children and families connect deeply with nature, they grow stronger, healthier, and more connected to their community.
What you will find on this page:
Birthday Parties and Special Events
Farm Day and Free Weekend Programs
Kids Unplugged: After-School Program
NatureYear
Seedlings
School Field Trips
School Vacation Days
Schoolyards
Summer Camp
Birthday Parties and Special Events
We are excited to have you come and visit us.
Birthday parties and small group special events are typically all outdoors but indoor spaces are available if needed based on weather or other events on our campus.
Parties/Events are for up to 40 people total, including all children and adults. We know that exact RSVP numbers can be difficult to get and we do not take a headcount of your guests but please be aware that our indoor space and our party staffing are not designed to accommodate more than 40 people.
Parties/Events are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM – 12 PM or 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
See available times and dates and reserve your party online HERE!
Available days and times are at the linked.
There are tabs for “List View” and “Calendar View” at the link!
Your party booking is non-refundable and not transferrable to another date but we will work with you to make the very best of all weather or other unexpected circumstances.
Farm Day and Free Weekend Programs
Join us for Open Farm Day any Saturday between 10 AM – 2 PM!
Open Farm Day is free and no RSVP is needed.
Open Farm Day is a self guided experience and staff are available to welcome visitors and answer questions. There are lots of opportunities for play and exploration! Visit the farm animals, taste and smell in the children’s garden, look for frogs in the wetland, make a pie in the mud kitchen, or build a fort in the woods.
From April through November we will have staff outside to host Open Farm Day visitors. The animal yards and gardens will be open and we are happy to provide information about our campus and our programs and to recommend hiking trails in West Rock. From December through March campus is open on Saturdays from 10 – 2 for independent exploration and play and staff are on campus but will not be outside to host visitors and the gardens and animal yards are closed.
ADDITIONAL FREE WEEKEND PROGRAMS
Free weekend programs also include guided hikes, nature playdates, seasonal festivals, and other events that invite families to celebrate nature and spending time outside. Events will be posted to the calendar on our website and are shared on our Facebook page.
Private events like birthday parties may not take place as a self-guided event during our public hours. Picnic pavilions, play spaces, and gathering spaces may be used by individuals, families, and small friend groups. Organized groups must book a campus rental or private program in advance.
Kids Unplugged: After-School Program
Get your child unplugged and outside, exploring nature, hiking, imagining, growing food, making friends, and having fun! Our activities follow the seasons and children have a choice of activities at each weekly class.
Fall is for hiking in West Rock Park, harvesting and cooking from the farm, caring for farm animals, and playing in the woods! We will build forts, hold chickens, have campfires, play games, and make home made pizza.
Winter is time for snowshoeing, building snow forts, following wild animal tracks in the snow, making maple syrup, cooking and baking in our teaching kitchen, and enjoying nature arts.
Springtime brings baby farm animals, wildflowers, and gardens to be planted! We will dig in the dirt, wade in streams, play and hike in the woods, care for baby chickens, and make new friends!
Activities include both structured and unstructured options, with teachers offering at least one activity choice each day as well as options for kid-led play and adventures. We know that children learn in many ways, and the goal of this program is to allow time to play, imagine, make friends, be physically active, and be in nature.
Group size: 24 – 36 children with one staff person for every 8 children. Activities are mixed age and welcome children ages 5 – 13.
NatureYear
The NatureYear program is conducted almost entirely outdoors!
Our explorations take us onto the farm, through the gardens and animal yards, and into the forested trails of West Rock Ridge State Park. Activities follow the seasons and the interests of the children.
Fall brings harvesting and cooking from the gardens, jumping in leaf piles, fort building, nature hikes, and helping to put our farm to bed for the winter. Winter is wonderful for animal tracking and searching for signs of wildlife, cooking and being cozy around a campfire, snow play and snow shoeing, and nature arts in our farmhouse classroom on the coldest of days. Spring brings the magic of baby animals on the farm, a wetland full of frog eggs and tadpoles, seeds to be started, and forest streams to be stomped in!
Children develop self-confidence and an “I can do it!” attitude as they problem solve, try new things, and learn from challenges. Encouraging children’s curiosity and persistence as they develop as thinkers and explorers is a core value of the NatureYear program.
Friendships, community, and group building are also an important part of the NatureYear experience. Children and their teachers will practice group decision making, positive peer interactions, problem solving, and teamwork as they determine the group’s daily activities and adventures.
Seedlings
Join us for weekly explorations in nature, including music and movement, stories, and hands-on fun on the farm and in the forest.
The Seedlings Class is for children ages 1-4 with a caregiver. Each week starts with a short, open-ended play period while all of our friends are arriving. After that we will do some seasonal farm chores – feeding animals, watering in the garden, or anything else that our youngest friends can help with. After farm chores, we will enjoy a seasonally themed activity. Activities include meeting farm animals, walking in the woods, digging in the mud kitchen, tasting and smelling in the children’s garden, looking and listening at the wetland, and more!
Children who are not yet walking are welcome, however the activities are most fully enjoyed by toddlers through preschoolers who can do some independent exploration.
Our campus includes many gravel and woodchip pathways that can be tricky to navigate with a stroller. Bringing a baby carrier is usually the best plan if your child may not want to walk for the full program. We meet outside, rain or shine, and will only cancel and offer a make-up session if severe weather is expected. Please come dressed with clothes and shoes for outdoor adventures (which may be muddy or wet!).
School Field Trips
Bring your students to our campus to experience a day of fun and exploration.
School Vacation Days
School vacation days at Common Ground are a choose-your-own-adventure exploration of the farm and forest! Children have a choice of daily activities based on seasonal events.
Schoolyards
The Schoolyards Program of Common Ground supports the creation and effective use of school gardens, schoolyard habitats, and outdoor classrooms in schools. We believe that by using our knowledge and resources to provide professional and technical support, we can help schools realize the full potential of teaching outside in deepening the academic and emotional learning of their students.
We work with schools, school districts and non-profit organizations statewide and are founding members of the CT School Garden Alliance. From a one-time class to a year-long outdoor learning package, our support can help increase outdoor learning at your school.
Summer Camp
Join us for Summer Camp at Common Ground!