At Central Ohio Wild + Free, we are kind to nature and we are kind to our friends! This means we need to treat our environment and those around us with respect and care. This value should be reflected in our actions and how we speak. There is no room in our group for bullying, destructive behavior, or crude language. Parents are encouraged to come alongside their children to help them work through disagreements and seek peace. Additionally, we abide by the principle of “Leave No Trace” — stacking rocks, climbing trees (size appropriate only), and building forts is a fun and interactive way for kids to connect with nature, but we need to return our natural spaces to the way we found them. On a related note, parents are responsible for setting forth any specific family expectations or boundaries for their own children ahead of our time together. Please speak with your children about safety rules and appropriate behavior before attending our activities and events.

If this kindness policy is violated, someone from our leadership team will reach out to connect with the involved parties to remind them of the expectations within the group. Repeated offenses will result in temporary or permanent removal from the group.

We love sharing at Wild + Free, but not our germs! If you/your child has been ill, we ask that you refrain from attending events until you/your child are symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. Please also be considerate of attending events with well-adults/children who may be a carrier for a communicable illness in your household.

In regards to masking or vaccination status, we firmly believe these decisions should be left in the hands of each individual family. You’ll find some families are more comfortable wearing masks while attending indoor events during the cold and flu season and others do not. In either case, we ask each family to kindly respect the choices of others. The only true restrictions you’ll find are if we end up hosting an event at a venue where masks are required or where there are limits on group sizes (i.e., nature centers, special indoor events with limited space, etc.) — we ask those who sign up for these events respectfully follow all requirements of our host venues as we want to maintain our good reputation within the Central Ohio community.

We work very hard to keep our group accessible to as many families as possible — many of us operate on one income! As such, we have no yearly registration fees (at this time). However, that doesn’t mean everything we do is free!

Sometimes a specific event will require a family registration fee (usually between $3-20 dollars per family) to help cover the costs of supplies, food, space rental, etc. Our Handicraft Market and Curriculum + Book Sale events also utilize a traditional vendor registration structure (usually $5-10/table). And Mama Gatherings/Park School events that feature a handicraft or other activity may have a small cover charge to cover the cost of supplies. On occasion, we also participate in a special Nature Outing activity that will require admission — Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Zoo, local caverns, etc. And finally, our Mama Gatherings and Teen Outings meet in a local coffee shop after hours — we ask that each attendee consider purchasing a small drink/treat as the owners of this establishment have graciously offered their space free of charge to our community for years.

For some events, parents are responsible for purchasing their own tickets directly from a given venue. Other times, we will collect fees ahead of time for events that require supplies, food, and space rentals. In these cases, fees are not refundable or transferrable.

Events listed for the Back Yard Community are reserved for families who are officially registered and committed to that portion of our Central Ohio Wild + Free group. However, any event categorized as being for the “Front Porch Community” is open to the public. Guests are more than welcome to join us for these activities (with a signed waiver on file) — our monthly Mama Gatherings, and annual events like our Handicraft Market and Curriculum + Book Sale (provided there is room available). Additionally, during the month of May, we try to open one or two Back Yard events to guests who are interested in seeing if the group is a good fit for their family. Space permitting, they can then officially join Central Ohio Wild + Free’s Back Yard Community during the annual open registration period in August!

We do our very best to adhere to the dates and times that have been set for our events in our Year at a Glance Calendar. However, our leadership team reserves the right to reschedule, postpone, or cancel any event. As a general rule, cancellations are reserved for low registration numbers, dangerous weather conditions, or a major conflict with our leadership team’s ability to facilitate the event.

Our parent organization, Wild + Free has set forth a few parameters and policies that all local groups must adhere to:

FOCUS ON HOMESCHOOL MOTHERS: There are many fathers who are the primary homeschoolers of their kids, and we applaud their efforts. However, Wild + Free groups are a community for mothers, and events should focus on participation in the group accordingly. Groups are encouraged to host special family events and may do so with regularity as long as those events are clearly communicated to all members ahead of time.

For Central Ohio Wild + Free, this means our Nature Outings, Park School, and Mama Gatherings are sacred spaces for homeschool mamas + grandmamas only. However, we welcome our menfolk with open arms at all other events: Book Club Celebrations, Family Campouts, Handicraft Markets, Curriculum + Book Sales, and Teen Hangouts (as chaperones).

COLLECT LIABILITY WAIVERS: For the protection of the individual group and the larger organization, liability waivers must be on file for every member (and any guest). Waivers are provided by Wild + Free and are sent and stored electronically.