Forest Adventure Groups ™
Our Forest Adventure Groups ™
At EXPLORE Pediatric Therapy, our Forest Adventure Groups ™ are more than just outdoor play. They are carefully designed weekly enrichment experiences led by pediatric specialists that help children build the foundational life skills they actually need to thrive.
These groups are part of our mission to create imperative opportunities for children to help combat the youth mental health crisis. We believe in the power of disease prevention. Nature, large group free play, and mixed-age peer interactions are deeply researched foundations that support the healthy holistic development of children.
Through nature-based exploration, cooperative play, and meaningful challenges, children develop the skills that support emotional regulation, confidence, social connection, and independence.
Nature provides the perfect environment for children to move, imagine, collaborate, problem solve, and discover what they are capable of.
And when children experience success in the natural world, something powerful happens.
They begin to believe in themselves.
What Makes EXPLORE Different
Our Forest Adventure Groups ™ combine expert insight with the powerful developmental benefits of outdoor play.
Children are guided through experiences that support:
• Social communication and friendship building
• Self-regulation and emotional awareness
• Confidence and independence
• Problem solving and flexible thinking
• Gross motor coordination and body awareness
• Teamwork and leadership
Every session is designed to feel like an adventure, while also building the neurological foundations children need to succeed at school, at home, and in life.
Join us all school year long to support your child in healthy development. This is the type of after-school extracurricular activity that will move the needle for your child mentally, physically, and emotionally.
What Children Experience
During Forest Adventure Groups ™ , children may:
- Climb trees and develop confidence
- Build forts and practice teamwork
- Navigate trails and strengthen body awareness
- Solve challenges together and build friendships
- Play imaginative games that support social development
- Explore the natural world with curiosity and wonder
Each experience helps children develop skills that extend far beyond the forest.
Who These Groups Are Perfect For
Forest Adventure Groups ™ are ideal for children who:
• Ages 5-10 years old
• Benefit from movement and outdoor exploration
• Have big energy and thrive with active play
• Can thrive in a group activity without close adult supervision
• Would benefit from guided peer interactions
• Love nature and hands-on experiences
Our Mission
At EXPLORE Pediatric Therapy, we believe that childhood should be filled with movement, adventure, and meaningful connection. In a world where childhood is increasingly rushed, structured, and indoors, children need something different; space to explore, move, take risks, build friendships, and discover their own strength.
Our mission is to help children build strong bodies, resilient nervous systems, and confident identities through experiences that nurture both development and joy. We hope to help set your child up for success as they move through middle childhood, the teenage years and into young adulthood.
We believe when children feel capable, connected, and confident, they carry those strengths with them for life.
Join the Adventure
Forest Adventure Groups ™ are offered throughout the South Shore and provide children with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to grow, connect, and thrive in nature.
Spots are intentionally limited to maintain a supportive group environment. 10-12 children per group.
Join us and discover what becomes possible when children are given the space to explore.
We offer Free Trial Groups for all new families.
Weekly Outdoor Adventures guided by a team of pediatric specialists
These are large groups of kids between the ages of 5-10 years old, playing in nature together. Group sizes will range from 10-15 children per group. Each group will be run and guided by a skilled pediatric specialist (OT, SPED) alongside 1-2 additional Group Assistants.
Our Why
The reason behind these groups is complex but important. Modern day society does not leave much time or room for outdoor free play. Yet, free play, especially in large groups, is one of the most beneficial ways a developing child can spend their time. Children learn a variety of essential skills in large group play that will serve them as they become adults. Unsupervised outdoor play teaches children how to handle risks and challenges of many kinds, hence developing a sense of confidence in oneself. This is an inoculation against anxiety. The youth of America have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression and isolation than ever seen before. Our mission here at EXPLORE Pediatric Therapy is to combat these diagnoses by getting children back outdoors together.
What Will Your Child Gain From This Experience?
These groups help to support healthy risk taking, imaginative or explorative play, emotional resilience, problem solving, communication skills and team building skills. Additionally, there are countless benefits from spending immersed time in nature that include decreased stress, lower levels of anxiety, improved immune system and attention restoration.
South Shore Forest Adventure Groups™
Ages: 5-10 yrs old
Time: 4:00 -5:30pm
LOCATIONS:
**Scituate (Monday Group): 4:00-5:30pm
**Hingham (Tuesday Group): 4:00-5:30pm
**Duxbury (Tuesday Group): 4:00pm-5:30pm
**Pembroke (Wednesday Group): 4:00pm-5:30pm
**Milton (Thursday Group): 4:00-5:30pm
**Plymouth (Tuesday Group): 4:00pm-5:30pm
EXPLORE Pediatric Therapy Forest Adventure Groups™
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Unlimited option to reschedule or attend other site locations for make-up sessions.
Group Meetings
Groups meet weekly at a designated location. Each group runs for 90 minutes. Each week, our team will provide supplies and loose parts for the group to engage with. Our staff are there to help and step in when needed, but also to give the children the opportunity to work on skills with the least amount of adult intervention. The Forest Adventure Groups follow the public-school calendar. This means that if school is closed for a vacation week, we are as well. However, we do not close at any additional points throughout the year.
Screen Free
These groups are screen free. Meaning, please do not send your child to group with any type of screen or device. The goal is for them to connect to each other and to nature without distraction.
Weather
Our groups will run all year from September to June, despite the weather. If we must cancel due to a storm or unsafe weather, you will be notified 2 hours prior to the start time of group via email. Weather that we consider “unsafe” includes high winds of 35 mph gusts or stronger, blizzard like conditions, or below freezing temperatures with wind chill and gusts.
Cancellation Policies
If your child is absent from group one week due to personal circumstances or choice, they are welcome to attend any of our other site locations for a make-up session at any point throughout the school year services (From September to June).
Forest Adventure Group ™ Benefits
Nature-Based Expert Guided Play Groups
- Promotes Healthy Development: By engaging in supervised outdoor play, children learn essential life skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, all under the guidance of our skilled specialists.
- Encourages Emotional Resilience and Confidence: The groups foster emotional resilience and self-confidence by allowing children to navigate and handle risks in a safe environment, effectively serving as a preventive measure against anxiety and depression.
- Benefits of Nature: Regular participation in the Forest Adventure Groups ™ provides children with profound health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety levels, enhanced immune system functioning, and improved focus, thanks to the therapeutic effects of nature.
- Structured Yet Flexible Learning Environment: Each session is thoughtfully designed with activities and loose parts to stimulate imaginative and explorative play, yet offers enough flexibility for minimal adult intervention to encourage independence.
- Consistent and Reliable Scheduling: The groups operate on a public-school calendar, meeting weekly for 90 minutes, which provides consistency and reliability for families, making it easier to plan and integrate into regular schedules.
Meet Our Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do the groups meet?
1 time per week for 90 minutes. This is a drop off model.
Do you ever have group closures?
We follow the public school calendar for closures. So, if the town school district is off for a holiday or vacation, we are too. We do not close
our services at any additional points throughout the school year.
How long do your services run?
Our groups begin the 2nd week of September when the new school year starts and run until mid-June when school gets out for summer.
How do I know if my child is a good fit for the group?
Your child should be able to function in a larger group setting without 1:1 support. These groups are designed to help build confidence, independence, grit and resilience. Also, your child cannot be a“flight risk”in this setting due to the child: adult ratio.
How many OT ’ s are in your group and how many child are in each group?
Each group has 1 Occupational Therapist in it. All of our groups have 1-2 Group Assistants, as well.
How should I dress my child for your group?
Proper gear is the most important aspect to your child’s success in nature. Waterproof shoes, layers of clothing when the seasons change, and durable clothing that allows your child to move freely are best. We provide guidance on this as each season changes.
Do you still go outdoors in the winter when it is dark from 4 - 5:30 pm?
Yes! We do not shy away from the darkness. We offer headlamps, lanterns, and flashlights to group participants.
What is your weather policy? Do you ever cancel due to severe weather conditions?
It is always parental choice for the type of weather they will send their child in. We rarely cancel group! The extreme weather we consider for canceling a group is high winds since our groups take place in wooded areas; anything over 35 mph gusts are too risky. Regarding the cold temperatures in the winter,if it feels like 00 degrees or colder, we will either shorten the group to 60 minutes instead of 90 minutes, or in extremely cold temperatures we do not conduct group outdoors. As an alternative option, your child is welcome to join us at any of our other site locations for a make up session at any point throughout the school year.
What will my child gain from this experience?
Our Forest Adventure Groups are a healthy after school option for children throughout the South Shore community. These are best for ages 7-12 years old. Kids need several hours of unstructured physical playdaily to adequately stimulate and integrate sensory pathways.Since our groups arescreen free, children can disconnect from technology, and re-engage their senses properly. This helps prevent anxiety, depression, burn out, social isolation and inattention like behaviors.