Whole Child, Whole Family, Whole Community.

 

Apple Blossom Village nurtures an inner enthusiasm for learning and wellbeing that honors and educates the mind, body, emotions, and spirit of every child, providing a strong foundation for life.

Land Acknowledgement

Apple Blossom is located in Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota), the traditional homeland of the Ojibwa (Anishinaabe) and the Dakota (Sioux) People.

We express gratitude and appreciation for this land, and we honor the Dakota and Ojibwa People as its original protectors.

Now Offering:

Nature School, Forest Kindergarten, Forest Preschool, Summer Camps, Birthday Parties, Festivals, and Retreats and Trainings for Educators and Parents


Native American Scholarship Fund Opportunity:

Apple Blossom Village has been awarded a scholarship fund through the Earl and Kathy Hoagland Sacred Manoomin Fund and Catholic Rural Life to offer some partial and full scholarships to Indigenous students beginning in January 2024.. Apple Blossom Village is accepting applications for immediate openings in Preschool and Kindergarten students at this time, and beginning registration for 1st - 4th grade for fall 2024.

Winter Traditions Event at Apple Blossom

 

Storytelling and Puppetry are part of our weekly rhythm

Apple Blossom Nature School offers outdoor immersion all school year with the purchase of 2 winterized yurts! We teach Survival Skills such as *whittling *campfire and shelter building *archery *tracking*bird watching, *cooking over the fire *composting *harvesting *preservation *planting *winter shelter building *ice skating *snowshoeing *skiing *seasonal crafts. Academic curriculum begins in grade 1. Preschool and Kindergarten are play based learning programs, backed by research.

Go Fund Me - Tuition Scholarship Fund

World and Indigenous Cultural learning, German and Ojibwe language learning, field trips, and sustainable practices

Nature Immersion

We are located on the shores of Lake Irving and the Mississippi River along the Rail River Corridor, at Rail River Folk School in Bemidji, MN. We explore and create in the great outdoors with a focus on wellness and healthy living integrated throughout all of our programs. At 47 degrees latitude, our summers are warm but short lived. Apple Blossom Village offers imaginative summer camps interwoven with the arts and nature immersion. Click here for more information about our summer day camps:

Summer Camps →

Recommended Reading:

The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel

Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom

Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

Apple Blossom Nature School offers a homeschool/private school hybrid option. We like to call ourselves a “micro-school”! If you value small class sizes, a nurturing atmosphere, outdoors and nature, and the ability to be very involved in your child’s education, Apple Blossom Village provides a school experience during the school year for early childhood through third grade (fourth grade may be offered if there is enough interest in that school year).

If you have always wanted to homeschool but need time to work flexibly, Apple Blossom is your place! If you want an outdoor micro-school that prepares your child for future public or private schools, Apple Blossom offers a more full time option too with a 4 day program for Kindergarten and 4 days plus 2-3 additional program days between our Farm Friday partnership and Forest Friday class for Grades 1 - 4. Kindergartners can now choose our Friday Friends Program to add 1 - 3 Fridays per month.

Why did we purchase Authentic Mongolian yurts?

  • Mostly natural and organic materials

  • It’s more comfortable : with its unique construction and material, the yurt naturally breathes.

  • Easy to move and install

  • It has a spirit!

  • It is so wonderfully decorated, – it’s a hand made work of art. Nothing beats the felt for insulating this compact structure. It keeps it warm in the Winter, but maintains it cool in the Summer.

  • More energy efficient!

Ideas for our Outdoor Space at Apple Blossom Village

Getting ready for our Autumn Lantern Walk

Apple Blossom is committed to a learning environment of respect, honesty, and inclusion that celebrates differences beginning in Early Childhood. Our vision and purpose promotes the importance of diversity and inclusivity through world language and culture, and an anti-bias curriculum that grows and deepens as the children grow. It is our goal that each child will feel connected to their own culture and traditions, and that all children and families will feel honored and respected. We stand firm in our commitment to offer learning in an atmosphere of love, trust, and respect for all people.

Seasonal and Arts integrated curriculum

First Day Flower Ceremony

Apple Blossom's environment and curriculum builds a strong foundation for the whole child, while also supporting the whole family with a small welcoming "village" in these critical early years. We share summer camps, festivals, a holiday store, field trips and service projects with our whole community, getting to know the community in which we live.

From our First Day of School Ceremony to Festivals and Family Programs, Apple Blossom offers intentional ways to connect with each other and the wider Community. Join our Village of Joyful Learners!