This weekly session offers a nurturing and playful space for mothers to build community, gain insights into child development, and enjoy nature with their little ones. The session engages young children with nasheeds/songs, art, storytelling, and risky play to build resilience, motor skills, love of the deen, and socialization. Kids explore nature with hands-on tools like binoculars and magnifying glasses to discover the plants and animals around them. They also engage in farm chores so they can be BIG helpers! With this age group, we focus on 100% playful learning!
A child at play is like a hummingbird in flight — swift, curious, and unstoppable! Our Hummingbirds classes give children the gift of extended play, something they still very much need within this age range. Many children in this level are enrolled into schools, which may (or may not) limit their time in nature and playful learning. At FNE, we continue emphasizing nasheeds/songs, art, storytelling, and risky play, but also weave in life-science concepts such as collecting data, using microscopes, making hypotheses, and sharing their findings. Teachers give students the opportunity to work together on small projects, and tackle farm chores such as raking hay, carrying water buckets to animals, feeding horses, etc.
Just like the vibrant red feathers of a cardinal make it stand out in a forest, children in this age range begin to express themselves confidently, standing out with their ideas, interests, and developing identities. They express opinions, ask questions, and engage more deeply with the world around them. Our Cardinals classes are designed to meet the needs of this age by beginning an in-depth study of nature in the Quran and ahadith. We begin learning about the scientific method, nature journaling, and how scientific observation helps us in the higher goals of practicing tadabbur and tafakkur. Cardinals continue to use different tools available in the Mudrasa classroom, engage in farm chores, as well as work on long term class projects.
Eagles spend time developing their strength before taking their first powerful flight. Similarly, children during this age are preparing to gain independence by forming their own identities and testing their limits. They also begin to think more deeply, question the world around them, and seek broader perspectives beyond their immediate experiences. Our Eagles classes allow students to have more responsibility over their learning, and emphasize their role as a khalifa, or steward of the Earth, as well as the plants and animals on it. We invite guest experts for deep dives on various topics that interest the students, as well as work on long term class projects. The Eagles class includes aspects of previous levels, and builds independence and confidence on that foundation. All classes are designed to be meaningful, integrated, value-based, challenging, and active.
Introduce your child to the world of woodworking in this engaging 4-week series! This level teaches children about safely handling tools like hammers and nails and introduces simple woodworking practices such as sawing and sanding. This series allows children to create small projects for them to take home. Woodworking is an excellent way for young children to develop fine motor skills, boost confidence, and spark creativity in a supervised environment.
Older children will practice the fundamentals of woodworking in this 4-week series. Objectives include: proper cutting techniques using saws and drills, measuring and marking wood, cutting at angles for complex joints, using clamps to secure assembly, installing hardware, and sanding techniques. This level will teach children the fundamentals while working on one bigger project.
This is not your typical Storytime! Be prepared to go home dirty after playing in our mud kitchen, exploring the creek, and helping out with farm chores! Our Storytimes are a unique opportunity for children who are not enrolled in our weekly classes to have a glimpse into our farm and forest lessons. This monthly event accommodates a wider age-range and includes songs, fun nature crafts, guest speakers, and free play in our outdoor classrooms.
Coming soon, insha'Allah!
Ayman Ahsan, Parent
