School-year parent-child program
Wednesdays, 9:30 am to noon. Infancy through 8th grade, in an early childhood group and two grade school groups.
$540 a season · $1,000 for the full year
Dates and sign-up: School-year parent-child program
Paradise Farm School · a nonprofit
Real work, real food, and a real connection to the land
Children and their grown-ups learn where food comes from by growing it, cooking it and caring for the animals, together. Place-based education, mostly outdoors, in every season.
Programs
Ways to join us
Summer parent-child mornings
Three Wednesday mornings in a row. Ages 0–7 and ages 7–12.
$100 per family
Dates and sign-up: Summer parent-child morningsShort courses
Seasonal series, posted here first. Early childhood, with a grown-up.
From $150 a series
Dates and sign-up: Short coursesHow we learn
Meaningful work, with your hands
Families come to the farm to reap what they’ve sown and eat what they’ve harvested. They get to know the plants and animals, and each other. It’s more than a fun morning out: children build a genuine understanding of where their food comes from, and a connection to their agricultural and cultural heritage.
Programs are led by Mary O’Connell, an educator for more than twenty years, who looks after the farm with her husband, Jim. Paradise Farm is a representative program of LifeWays North America.
What children do here
- Planting and harvesting
- Cooking
- Fire building
- Composting
- Worm bins
- Soil study
- Arts and handwork
- Games
- Animal care
- Natural plant dyeing
- Wool felting
- Honey bee care
- Farm chores
Good to know
How the mornings work
Grown-ups take part
At least one adult comes with each family and works alongside the children.
Outside in any weather
Dress for the day. In a sudden storm the group moves into the barn or the house, and extreme weather cancels class.
Three age groups
An early childhood group, and two grade school groups for homeschoolers, online learners, and anyone curious.
A farm-fresh snack
Every morning ends with a snack made from what the farm grows.
Programs fill up fast
Sign up online as each season’s sessions open, or join the waitlist to hear first when spots open. Paradise Farm, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and gifts help more families take part.