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OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Wander & Root brings our mission to life by cultivating joy, resilience, and learning through nature play.
And above all else, we are about play.
Children need generous time and space to build friendships, invent worlds, take healthy risks, solve problems, navigate conflict, develop confidence, and experience belonging. Play is not something we fit in after the learning is finished. Play is how much of the deepest learning happens.
Our programs offer strengths-based, playful outdoor learning guided by seasonal rhythms, children’s curiosity, and deep connection to the natural world. We welcome families who homeschool, wildschool, unschool, and everything in between.
Our approach is grounded in forest school and place-based education, with an emphasis on child-led exploration, managed risk, sensory-rich experiences, and repeated time in nature. Programs take place outside in all safe weather, rain or shine. During severe weather, we take shelter inside our basecamp.
Programs are held on a 50-acre private homestead in rural Jackson Springs, North Carolina.
All Wander & Root programs for the 2026–2027 school year are currently full. Interested families are welcome to submit an interest form to join the waitlist.
Nature School
Nature School
Nature School is the foundational program at Wander & Root. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade attend one or two days each week during our autumn, winter, and spring sessions.
Students move through annual cycles of nature study, science, art, storytelling, outdoor skills, seasonal handwork, community projects, traditions, and plenty of child-led play.
Natural Leaders Club
Natural Leaders Club
Natural Leaders Club is a monthly, full-day program for children in first through seventh grade. It combines leadership, thoughtful discussion, communication, public speaking, flexible thinking, collaborative challenges, nature-focused questions, and plenty of time to play.
Summer Adventures
Summer Adventures
Summer Adventures are shorter seasonal programs built around immersive outdoor experiences, special themes, evening exploration, practical skills, and play.
Give your child the gift of a joyful, nature-filled summer with friends! Previous weekly summer camps have included:
Camping: A hands-on week of learning the rhythms, skills, and simple magic of camping... setting up tents, cooking over fire, sharing stories, and building confidence sleeping under the stars.
Magnificent, Marvelous Mini Beasts: A curiosity-filled exploration of the tiny creatures that run our world, blending science, wonder, and a little “ick” as we discover the beauty, power, and purpose of invertebrate life.
Super Heroes and Villains of the Plant World: An imaginative, story-driven deep dive into plant ecology where children identify native heroes, battle invasive villains, and learn how plants protect (and depend on) us.
We Are Captain Planet! A dynamic, element-based adventure where children explore earth, fire, wind, water, and heart while building the collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills needed to care for our planet.
Find Your Way: A thrilling week of maps, coordinates, geocaching, and teamwork as young adventurers build navigation skills and hunt for hidden treasure.
ENROLLMENT PROCESS
ENROLLMENT PROCESS
How do I enroll?
How do I enroll?
Children will get dirty, be outside for the majority of the learning time in many kinds of weather, and engage in supervised, safe play in the big outdoors. Think this is a great fit for your child? Please submit an interest form!
Interest Form and Waitlist
Interest Form and Waitlist
Interest forms are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Spaces are limited and early submission is highly recommended. An Interest Form must be submitted to be added to our waitlist and considered for a tour and future enrollment.
Timeline
Timeline
In the spring of each year, currently enrolled families receive information on the upcoming school year and are given the opportunity to re-enroll. If there are spaces still available after this priority enrollment period, families on our waitlist that best fit our enrollment considerations will be notified. Considerations for each annual cohort of students in each program include: priority enrollment for the siblings of current/previous students; balance of preschool and school-aged children; and scholarship spaces. Although most enrollment decisions are made during this time period, it is always a possibility that a space will open during the school year; therefore, Interest Forms are accepted and considered all year long.
Tours
Tours
Families who have submitted an Interest Form and are being considered for enrollment will be contacted to schedule a tour.
Enrollment
Enrollment
If it is agreed upon by both parties that Wander & Root is a great fit, the family will be offered an invitation to attend Wander & Root. Next steps include reading our parent handbook, completing enrollment forms, and payment of deposit.
Other Local Nature-Based Schools
Other Local Nature-Based Schools
I am inspired and supported by MANY nature-based educators in Moore County, NC. I BELIEVE in this work, and if you do, too... make it happen for your child! Here are some other options that may also interest you:
D.I.R.T. Outdoor School in Robbins, NC
LadyBug Farm in Pinebluff, NC
Mother Nature Academy in Carthage, NC
Timbernook of the Sandhills in Aberdeen, NC
Wild Hearts at The Garden Montessori in Pinehurst, NC
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