We Grow
Wildlings LLC
Wildlings Forest School
Led by our knowledgeable Early Childhood Educator, Ms. Ragon, and her talented team of parent volunteers, your child will develop all their senses and abilities through a variety of fun and engaging nature-based activities, while enjoying the natural beauty and magic of our local parks and preserves.
Pictures are sent home daily to families, providing a sneak peek into each day's adventures.
All you need to do is register your wildling and bring them to class with pre-applied sunscreen, bug spray,
a spill-proof water bottle, outdoor-friendly clothing, and a peanut-free lunch!
Our half-day classes meet Monday through Friday
at various parks and preserves around Pinellas County:
Mondays 9:30 am to 1:00 pm: Maximo Park, St. Petersburg
Tuesdays 9:00 am to 12:00 pm: George C. McGough Nature Park, Largo
Wednesdays 9:30 am to 1:00 pm: Maximo Park, St. Petersburg
Thursdays 9:00 am to 12:00 pm: Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg
Fridays 9:30 am to 1:00 pm: Folly Farms Preserve, Safety Harbor
Follow the links below to register your wildlings!
*Our final forest school session before the summer break will meet on Friday, May 23rd*
2025 Winter & Spring No Class Dates:
February: 2/17
March: 3/13, 3/14, 3/19, 3/20, 3/21
April: 4/21
Sample Class Schedules
Register your Wildling
Read more about each location and follow the links to register for your chosen dates.
Mondays & Wednesdays at Maximo Park
Starting this year, Wildlings Forest School sessions
will be held twice a week at Maximo Park in St. Petersburg,
with extended hours from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm to maximize our learning potential and wild adventures.
Maximo Park has a meaningful history as an important location
for the Native Americans who originally inhabited Pinellas County,
and features the most diverse natural habitats of any of our locations. From the forested trails to the mazes of mangroves, and shallow beach access to Boca Ciega Bay, there is no shortage of natural learning opportunities for the wildlings.
In addition to the usual weather-appropriate clothing, sunscreen, and bug spray, Wildlings will also need to arrive to class with a lunch box full of peanut-free non-perishable items. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch together each day before families arrive for pickup!
Tuesdays at George C. McGough Nature Park
Forest school sessions at McGough Nature Park
will begin on Tuesday, January 14th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Tucked away at the edge of Largo, just before Indian
Rocks Beach, this little slice of paradise features
a unique playground complete with an adult-friendly
zipline, well-marked walking trails, an education center,
an aviary with rescue birds, and a pond populated
with turtles of all kinds.
I can't wait to see what kind of WILD adventures
we'll have there together!
Thursdays at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
Forest school sessions at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve resume one day a week on Thursday, January 9th
from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
We can't wait to continue growing wild in our original forest school location!
The preserve's large size and fantastic playground
make for some of the most fun days of forest school.
You never know what we'll find wandering along the trails, lurking around the amphitheater, or swimming in the little creeks that stem from Lake Maggiore. Last season we were lucky enough to interact with walking stick bugs, baby alligators, a wild owl, an otter, and more!
Don't worry though, our low adult-to-wildling ratios help ensure that we stay safe from some of Florida's more intimidating creatures like adult alligators.
Fridays at Folly Farms Preserve
Forest school sessions at Folly Farms will resume
one day a week on Friday, January 11th
with extended hours from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Don't be confused by its small size, this park may be
less than ten acres yet utilizes every square inch to
its maximum potential. There is a winding trail that takes
you through various garden and forest areas,
a 17-foot tall wooden gnome named Gnomeo, a playground,
a community garden, and so much more.
Two of our favorite Folly Farms features are the little Fern Gully-inspired area we've claimed by the creek and the farmhouse where we regularly get to feed and interact with the chickens, goats, tortoise, and guinea pig.
(When registering for class, click the link and search "Wildlings",
then choose your dates from there)
Additional opportunities to "Grow Wild"
We believe that outdoor education
should be available to everyone,
which is why we love to collaborate on
seasonal celebrations and market pop-ups that are open to the whole community.
Love the idea of forest school but
can't make it to a class?
Contact us today to discuss how We Grow Wildlings could bring the magic of forest school to you!
Our typical event set-up includes a cozy
reading corner with a bookshelf full of
nature-inspired material, open art invitation,
and wild specimens & playthings.
You can learn about upcoming events
we're participating in by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on social media.