Take a virtual
tour
We invite you to step onto the land with us. This short virtual tour offers a glimpse into the rhythms of our days at Wild Beginnings. Take a peek a the forest paths we wander, the spaces where children play, and the yurt that hold our stories, songs, and shared meals.
Our Programs
We offer three programs designed to support children and their families across early childhood and the early school years. Each serves a different stage of development, while all are rooted in our core values and program pillars.
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Parent - Child
Monday | 9-11am | Sept. - June
A gentle introduction to forest school for toddlers and their caregivers. This class nurtures early development while fostering community, shared play, and connection to nature.
Preschool
Tues. - Fri. | 9-1pm/3pm | Sept. - June
A play-based, nature immersive preschool rooted in connection, curiosity, and whole-chid development. Children spend their days learning through exploration, storytelling, art, baking and meaningful relationships in the forest.
Summer Camps
Mon. - Thur. | 9-2pm | Sept. - June
Summer days filled with adventure, imagination, and discovery. Children explore themed weeks through hands-on nature play, art, storytelling, songs, and joyful outdoor experiences.
Our Values
01
Rooted in the land
Nature is our greatest teacher. Our program is land-centered which means our curriculum and rhythms are direct reflections of the happenings in nature. We hold space for emergent learning through direct experience of the land, encouraging both child-directed and teacher-guided play and exploration. In this way, we encourage feelings of belonging, respect and connection.
02
Nurturing connection
We love nurturing children’s innate ability to connect with animals, plants, and the living Earth- fostering compassion and respect for all life. Through stories, songs and listening practices, we encourage children to explore different perspectives and ways of being. We seek to illuminate the interconnectedness of life, cultivate gratitude, and build conscious relationships with self, others, and the natural world.
03
Guided by curiosity
Our curriculum holds space for the emergence and delight that occurs when children are given the freedom to follow their curiosity. Learning occurs through direct experience, creative problem solving and taking healthy risks. Our balanced approach includes both self-directed and teacher-led explorations. The teachers act as role models, guides, and observers of the student’s learning journey.
04
Holistic health and safety
We prioritize the health and safety of our students and land. Our teachers are trained in first-aid and CPR, and follow safety protocols to minimize the inherent risk of nature-based programs. We also prioritize environmental health and sustainability, and we teach our students the importance of respecting and caring for the natural world.
Our Program Pillars
Land-Centered Education
The land is our primary teacher. We spend our days playing and learning from the Earth. We encourage deep listening, observations, question-asking, and experimentation. Children form meaningful connections by entering into direct relationship with the land. This tangible bond fosters a deep sense of identity and belonging and desire to safeguard and protect. Together we honor and give thanks to the land and demonstrate an ethos of stewardship.
Daily Nature Immersion
Our program includes a balance of guided and self-directed nature immersion, including teacher-led hikes, self-guided exploration, open-ended play, and movement games that encourage children to come into relationship with the natural world. Our forest adventures provide children with a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate our unique local ecosystems. We build resilience and grit by learning how to navigate challenging weather and terrain.
Social-Emotional Learning
Our teachers take time to acknowledge the little moments of kindness, teamwork, and resilience that make each day special. With gentle guidance, we help our young learners navigate challenges and stay safe, happy, and caring. Children not only build confidence but also develop a strong sense of self-worth and personal boundaries. We also weave in GRUB’s Tend, Gather, Grow curriculum, turning to our native and naturalized plants as guides.
Storytelling and Art
We believe that stories and art are powerful gateways for understanding and engaging with our wild and wonderful world. Our stories and puppet plays are intentionally selected or mindfully crafted with beautiful language, living images and seasonal themes. Children are given ample opportunities to develop their own voices and self-expression through activities such as painting, drawing, singing, listening to and telling stories.
Play and Curiosity
Children engage with and make sense of the world through play. Self-directed play allows children to get creative and solve problems, practice interpersonal skills, and build self-confidence. At times, our teachers take a more active role in planning, observing and guiding play and exploration. We look for emergent opportunities to co-create learning experiences with the children and the land. Through outdoor play, children learn how to overcome manageable challenges, navigate healthy risk, and understand personal safety.
Holistic Nourishment
We take a holistic approach to nourishment, ensuring all aspects of our program support the development of the whole child. Nourished children are happy children ready for a day filled with learning and play! We offer a balanced menu with healthy snacks and lunch. We source organic ingredients from the Olympia Food Co-op and local farmers, ensuring fresh and wholesome homemade goodness. We also teach respectful foraging for native plants to be used in seasonal teas and treats.
Shared Responsibilities
With deep gratitude and humility, we pay homage to the land, the water, and the First People.
We reside, live, work, play and learn, in the home of the Steh-Chas Maritime people who lived and prospered along the shores of the southernmost inlets of the Salish Sea for untold centuries. Since time immemorial, the Steh-Chas presence infused the surrounding mountains, valleys, shorelines, and waterways. In honoring the people of the Squaxin Island Tribe, our Coast Salish neighbors, we embrace our shared responsibilities to this cherished place—their ancestral homelands—where we all coexist harmoniously.
Schedule a time to talk with a teacher!
Contact information
Email: wildbeginningsolympia@gmail.com
Phone: 360.510.2571