Frequently asked questions

We're a co-op for the earliest years of the homeschooling journey — children from 0 through about 7. Usually, mothers (and sometimes dads) are taking the lead. It takes a village, reach out if your situation is unique. Any age child is welcome to the Butterfly play groups and field trips. One or more child in your family must be at least 3 years old to participate in the Dragonfly sessions, younger siblings welcome at no extra cost.

We meet at parks somewhere between the Cincinnati and Dayton areas. The Butterflies meet bimonthly or monthly, the Dragonflies meet weekly or more. Active members vote on exact locations, days, and times each season to suit their needs and preferences, and are notified of the updated schedule in advance. If you’d like to visit, send us a note and we’ll let you know where we are meeting next.

All membership fees collected go straight to administrative costs, supplies, facility rent and insurance, and the cooperative’s savings. We are an unincorporated nonprofit association — the group is volunteer ran and sustained, whether financially, through time donated, or otherwise.

Root & Roam is grounded in and operates from a Christian worldview, and our hands are open to families at all phases of their faith walk. Please visit us to see how our coop aligns with your family’s values.

Our cooperative has 3 membership levels based on involvement and cost.
Firefly Membership: $0/year; free resource sharing, email updates
Butterfly Membership: $10/year; all of above, biweekly or monthly playgroups and field trips
Dragonfly Membership: $—/season; all of above, 10-12 week sessions with weekly gatherings covering Christian, nature-based curriculum, activities, and skills

Root & Roam requires that parents remain with and responsible for their own child(ren) for the duration of all our gatherings and events. We are not a drop-off cooperative and function as supplemental to your at-home schooling adventures. Respect all members’ and locations’ property, and always leave it better than you found it. Dragonfly member parents are required to volunteer to prep, assist, clean up, or provide snacks or supplies at varying times over the course of the season.

Your usual “day out” essentials; change of clothes, snacks/lunch, water bottles, and weather appropriate gear (boots, hats, jackets, etc).

Our days follow a gentle rhythm and are generally unstructured. Usually, we meet from around 10am to 2pm. Once everyone arrives we pray together, enjoy a short circle time and story, and protect free play throughout. Sometimes we plan more in depth activities or crafts, sometimes we take field trips with the Dragonfly Members.

Our Dragonfly group meets weekly during 10-12 week sessions that align with the seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall). Each session will cover 3 themes and over the course of each month we will cycle through several subjects including creative arts, science, social studies, group games, and practical life skills. Our weekly gatherings include a more structured version of our Butterfly playgroup circle time; including prayer, storytelling, song & rhyme, memory verses, and more. We usually eat together and follow a routine, but still leave plenty of time for free play and exploration.

Create an account, then start an application from your portal. The application asks about your family, homeschool background and goals, and why you’ve chosen Root & Roam. There's a $10 fee (refunded if your application is declined) and we review applications regularly. Once accepted, you can begin attending play groups and field trips!

Create an account, then start an application from your portal, if you are not already a Butterfly member. From your member portal, click the classes and events tab, where you can enroll and pay for the upcoming 10-12 week session.