About Snails & Turkey Tails

When I think about childhood, I think about muddy shoes, imagination, open space, and endless hours outside.

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I created Snails & Turkey Tails because I believe children need more opportunities to slow down, explore, create, take risks, and experience the kind of connected childhood that happens naturally outdoors.

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Growing up in Illinois, much of my childhood was spent outside. We rode bikes for hours, played in creeks, built forts, invented games, and stayed outdoors in every season. Some of my happiest memories were on my grandparents’ farm—running through fields, playing with barn cats, helping in the garden, and exploring from morning until dark.

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Those experiences gave me something I want to give to children today: the freedom to explore, the confidence to try, and the time and space to simply be a child.

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My work with children began when I was a teenager in Girl Scouts, when I organized a neighborhood summer camp in my backyard. I went on to study art and design and, later in life, returned to school to study early childhood education. Over the years, I’ve taught classes, camps, and educational programs throughout the Bay Area, working with organizations including the Bay Area Discovery Museum, WildCare, Explorit Science Center, The Davis Art Center, local schools, and community programs.

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My background in art, early childhood education, and outdoor education has shaped the way I approach working with children. I believe children learn through hands-on experiences, relationships, movement, imagination, and meaningful encounters with the world around them.

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A Different Kind of Childhood Experience

At Snails & Turkey Tails, there is no need to rush from one activity to the next.

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Children might dig in the mud, build a fort, search for insects, create with natural materials, climb, collect treasures, tell stories, or spend time simply noticing what is happening around them.

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I don't believe every experience needs to have a predetermined outcome. Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens when children have the freedom to follow their own curiosity.

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My hope is to create spaces where children feel safe enough to take risks, trusted enough to make choices, and free enough to wonder.

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Snails & Turkey Tails brings together the things I care most about—nature, creativity, childhood, community, and connection.

I hope every child who spends time here leaves feeling a little more curious, a little more capable, and a little more connected to the natural world.

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I look forward to meeting you and your family.