We provide the adventure. You provide a little human ready to explore it. 

Fortunately, Forest Saplings doesn't require an expedition-sized packing list.

But we do spend our days moving, exploring, climbing, splashing, wandering, creating, and occasionally discovering exactly how deep that puddle really is.

Being prepared means your child can spend more time enjoying the adventure and less time worrying about cold toes, wet socks, or the fact that Colorado has apparently decided to experience three seasons before lunch.

Dress for the adventure, not the calendar.

We spend a lot of time outdoors throughout the year, and Colorado has a personality all its own.

Layers are your friend.

A sweatshirt can come off.

A lightweight jacket can be tucked away.

A rain jacket can save an entire afternoon.

And whenever possible, please send your child in clothing that can get dirty.

Really dirty.

Mud washes out. Childhood doesn't.

Tiny feet do a surprising amount of work around here.

Our Saplings climb rocky trails, balance on logs, scramble over boulders, walk uneven terrain, and splash through puddles and creeks.

Because of that, we highly recommend waterproof hiking shoes for everyday adventures.

They provide traction, protect little feet, and allow children to move more naturally over uneven terrain.

Rain boots definitely have their place, especially for wonderfully soggy adventures, but they can be heavy and bulky for little legs when we're hiking or climbing.

Comfortable, sturdy little feet make for much happier adventurers.

Every Sapling should come prepared with:

• A healthy lunch

• Healthy snacks

• A water bottle with water or water with electrolytes

• Two complete changes of clothes in labeled waterproof bags

• Extra socks

• Weather-appropriate layers

• Diapers, wipes, and diaper cream if needed

• Required medications with written instructions

• A comfort item for rest, if your child uses one

• Extra water 

• No dairy, cheese and plant based milk is okay, we do not have refrigeration and honestly dairy in cars starts to stink after awhile

• If you want your child to wear sunscreen please apply before pickup and provide the sunscreen for reapplication throughout the day

Depending on the season or adventure, we may also ask for things such as a sun hat, winter hat, gloves, snow pants, rain jacket, swimsuit, towel, bug spray, or other weather-specific gear.

We'll let you know when something special is needed.

And seriously...

Pack the extra socks.

You'll eventually understand.

Adventure works up an appetite.

Please send a nutritious lunch and healthy snacks that your child enjoys and that will give them plenty of energy for an active day.

We ask families to avoid dairy products whenever possible because we spend a good portion of our day traveling between adventures and dairy doesn't always travel particularly well in a vehicle, especially during warmer weather.

For drinks, water or water with electrolytes are our preferred choices.

If your child has allergies, dietary restrictions, or foods they cannot have, please make sure we know. Due to allergies we also request that all lunches and snacks remain peanut free.

We also carry some healthy backup snacks because young children occasionally open the exact lunch they specifically requested and react as though someone has personally betrayed them.

Yesterday's favorite food?

Apparently disgusting now.

Toddlers keep us humble.

We change the adventure.

Nature-based doesn't mean we stand outside stubbornly arguing with a thunderstorm.

Before and during our adventures, we monitor weather, air quality, road conditions, and other conditions that could affect our plans.

If being outside isn't the best choice that day, Colorado gives us plenty of other places to explore.

Museums.

Libraries.

The aquarium.

The Butterfly Pavilion.

Nature centers.

And plenty of other places where curiosity can continue indoors.

The destination changes. The adventure doesn't.

For children who still nap, rest usually happens naturally during our travel time between adventures.

After a morning spent climbing, exploring, talking, laughing, investigating, and using an impressive amount of toddler energy, those sleepy eyes tend to arrive all on their own.

The music gets quieter.

Blankets get tucked around little legs.

And the Sapling who announced five minutes earlier that they were ABSOLUTELY NOT TIRED is frequently asleep before we've left the parking lot.

Please keep your child home if they have:

• A fever of or over 101°

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• A contagious illness

• Symptoms that prevent them from comfortably participating in our adventures

Vomit is different than spit up, we also understand that vomit can happen after a child has worked themselves up and we do our best to asses every situation.  

If your child becomes sick while they're with us, we'll contact you so we can work together to get them home where they can rest.

Because we're a small nanny share, communication is especially important.

If you're unsure whether your child is feeling well enough for the day's adventure, talk to us.

Tell us.

Maybe they barely slept.

Maybe they're teething.

Maybe Grandma went home yesterday and they're sad.

Maybe potty training has temporarily become their greatest enemy.

Maybe absolutely nothing obvious happened and they simply woke up feeling off.

We want to know.

Those little pieces of information help us understand the child who climbs into the car that morning.

You aren't bothering us or giving us “too much information.”

You're helping us care for your whole child.

That's okay.

Big feelings don't scare us.

Goodbyes are hard for some children, particularly when they're joining something new.

Whenever possible, we recommend keeping goodbye loving, cheerful, confident, and relatively short.

A hug.

A kiss.

An “I love you.”

Then let us take it from there.

We'll comfort them, help them feel safe, and give them time to build trust with us.

Some children jump right in.

Others need more time.

Both are okay.

We're interested in building a relationship, not winning a speed contest.

Absolutely.

We love sharing pieces of your child's adventures with you.

We try to send photos and updates throughout the day. Please keep in mind that children, being present with them, and their safety does come first.

There may be days where you will get very few photos due to us being actively engaged or our hands being dirty.

If there is anything we need to discuss right away, we will reach out through text message or phone call.

Nope.

There's no entrance exam involving a toddler scaling a mountain.

Some children immediately want to climb everything.

Some cautiously investigate first.

Some adore bugs.

Some would prefer bugs respect their personal boundaries.

Forest Saplings isn't about forcing every child to become the same kind of adventurer.

We meet children where they are and help them build confidence from there.