Roots at Awbury
Roots at Awbury
About
Roots is free and open-ended play in a screen free outdoor setting for kids aged 4-10 based out of the Education Center on the farm of Awbury Arboretum. Roots at Awbury is open from 9-3 Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and members of our community come one or three days a week to play and explore together. Students register as part of the Philly Agile Learning Community, and many students will split their time between our main campus at 756 S 11th in Bella Vista, and Awbury. Full time options are available.
Learning is natural. It’s happening all the time. And people (including children) learn best by making their own decisions. Our facilitators hold space for children to play freely and choose what they do. We intentionally cultivate a culture of respect and support, and we reflect on our experiences by holding time and space to share with each other what we plan and what we have discovered.
Anyone in our community can offer an activity or exploration to share together. These offerings are open to those who want to participate, and nobody is required to join. The best offerings are born out of an interest or need in the group, and not what someone thinks kids should be interested in.
We take care of each other and ourselves by talking through our conflicts, and helping each other listen and be heard. We respect each other’s bodies, hearts and minds, and are clear about our boundaries. We talk about consent all the time, and stop means stop. We come up with things to try to move forward in a stronger relationship.
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Apply here and email us at info@phillyalc.org to indicate your Roots at Awbury preferred schedule.
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Our Day
Kids arrive around 9AM, and are brought to the education center, where they can put down their things, dig into an activity, or start making plans with other kids. At about 9:30, we check in as a group, and see if there are any special plans or offerings anyone wants to share. We also might talk about things we want to try as a group that day to make the space even better. Then we go about our day and play. Kids move freely between our free range outdoor space, and our two indoor spaces, maybe eating or playing board games at the tables nearby, visiting with some of the cats who wander through, or creating make believe worlds in the woods- the possibilities are endless. At about 2:30, we take some time to straighten up the space, and share a bit about our day together, and then kids are picked up about 3.
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What to Bring and Wear
Bring your lunch and snacks, water bottle, and mask if we are masking that week. Bring clothes that are appropriate for the weather, and maybe a change of clothes if you might need it. Layers and the right shoes go a long way.