Covid-19 Policy

–Updated March 15th, 2022

The following may be subject to change if the official advice put forward on COVID-19 by the CDC and government officials of New York changes. Please continue to check and revisit this page before your child is due to attend any session with us.

Upper Manhattan Forest Kids is committed to leading outdoor classes for children in urban areas with integrity and holistic health in mind. We take the safety of the families we work for and with seriously. Our work has always been grounded in uplifting community, culture, child freedom, and holistic learning. Forest schools and outdoor education have consistently been a wonderful vehicle to advance those core beliefs using the added element of the third teacher, Nature.

We strongly believe this is the best kind of learning environment right now.

While we are fortunate that our working environment outdoors is comparatively safer than indoor social settings, the risk is still present. Therefore we have developed a number of additional procedures, informed by the current understanding of COVID-19 and government guidelines.

Guidelines:

Measures to reduce the spread of respiratory illness and Promote Physical Distancing:

  • WE RECOMMEND CHILDREN WASH THEIR HANDS OR USE HAND SANITIZER AS NEEDED WHEN ATTENDING CLASS. There is a bathroom to use on the Great Hill upon arrival. Please bring your own biodegradable soap. We recommend Dr. Bronners. We recommend arriving 5-10 minutes before the session is scheduled to begin to allow time for handwashing and check-in. Additionally, we will support children with washing their hands before snack and Storytime.

The Current CDC Guidelines regarding masks have eased as rates of infections have decreased in NYC:

  • Children 2 years and older have the option of wearing a mask over their nose and mouth when in public settings where it's difficult to practice social distancing.

  • CDC advises that in general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.

    • If you are sick and need to be around others, or are caring for someone who has COVID-19, wear a mask.

    • If the COVID-19 Community Level where you live is Low, wear a mask based on your personal preference, informed by your personal level of risk.

    • If the COVID-19 Community Level where you live is Medium or if you are at risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about wearing masks indoors in public. Or if you live with or will gather with someone at risk for severe illness, wear a mask when indoors with them.

    • If the COVID-19 Community Level where you live is High and you are 2 or older, wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status or individual risk (including in K-12 schools and other community settings).

    • If you are at risk for severe illness, wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection.

  • Therefore, it is optional for children over 2, and grownups to wear masks during class sessions. 

  •  Please don’t bring toys from home, if something must come with a child for comfort, please make sure it’s clear that toys cannot be shared.

  • Our family-style served “forest school” bread will no longer be brought, and we encourage each family to bring from home a snack with water. Please make sure to keep your belongings zipped up in a bag and put away after each use so that other children don't get confused and drink from another’s water bottle.

  •  It is impossible to guarantee a sustained 6ft distance in the woods with primary school-aged children. We cannot guarantee that children will not be within touching distance of each other at brief times during the day in the woods with us. Our current times require that we step up as community members to be as generous and personally responsible as we can be. You can help us and all other participants by staying on top of conversations with your child concerning boundaries and active communication about permission with other caregivers. However, please consider your comfort level before registering and make sure this works for you.

  • Please note the bathroom, water fountains, and other park properties are not within our control.

Monitoring for Illness:

With your help, we will be monitoring kids for illness. Parents will be sent a Coronavirus Checklist that has things to make sure of before heading to class including questions regarding symptoms of illness and out of state travel. We ask that you text or call when children will be out for the day and if you know there has been any exposure to Covid19. Thank you in advance for your partnership in creating a strong community by supplying any information on symptoms your children may be experiencing so we can take care of each other!

Due to the absolute importance of minimizing spread attendance is considered accordingly:

Attendance:

Subject to your child being virus-free, as far as it is practicable to be sure. This means you must NOT bring your child if they:

  1. Show any symptoms of COVID-19 on the day.

  2.  If you were exposed to COVID-19. Quarantine and stay away from others when you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

  3. If you are sick or test positive. Isolate when you are sick or when you have COVID-19, even if you don’t have symptoms.

  4. Children who turn up with a cough – or who are accompanied by an adult or sibling with a cough – or are otherwise obviously unwell will not be accepted by the class leader. The leader’s decision on this matter is final.

By booking with us you explicitly agree to the following terms, conditions, and procedures, together with general terms and conditions, and we will expect you to abide strictly by them, so please take a moment to read and understand them.

These policies and guidelines may be subject to change if the official advice on the novel coronavirus changes, so it is worth revisiting this page just before your child is due to attend.

Finally, thank you for your understanding and cooperation during these unprecedented times. We look forward to welcoming your children back into the woods, to reconnect with nature and each other, under the safety guidelines and procedures laid out in this document.