Welcome to Snails & Turkey Tails Nature Club

 

At Snails & Turkey Tails, we believe childhood is meant to be lived outdoors.

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Nature Club is a small, relationship-based outdoor learning community where children spend meaningful time exploring, creating, building, wondering, and playing together in the natural world.

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Designed as a two-hour drop-off experience, Nature Club offers children a chance to slow down, reconnect with themselves and one another, and follow their curiosity after a busy day of preschool or school.

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Rather than following a predetermined curriculum, we follow the questions, ideas, and discoveries that emerge from the children and the seasons. A fallen branch, an insect, a bird overhead, a collection of leaves, or something found along the trail can become the beginning of an afternoon—or a much longer investigation.

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Inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia and the rhythms of the natural world, we believe children learn best when they are trusted with time, given meaningful responsibilities, and invited to wonder.

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Our time together is intentionally unhurried. Children have opportunities to build friendships, solve problems together, use real tools, create with natural materials, take supported risks, and develop confidence through hands-on experiences.

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Nature Club is not about rushing from one activity to the next. It is about noticing what is around us, following children's interests, and giving them the freedom to explore deeply.

Children might spend an afternoon collecting and sorting natural materials, building a shelter, sawing a branch, sketching a discovery, searching for insects, creating nature-based art, listening for birds, climbing and balancing, or simply getting lost in imaginative play.

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With a small group, a caring educator, and uninterrupted time outdoors, children develop independence, creativity, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging—to each other and to the natural world.

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We believe that when children are given the freedom to explore, the time to wonder, and a community that truly sees them, learning happens naturally.

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What Children Experience

• Exploring and observing the natural world

• Following seasonal discoveries and children's questions

• Nature-based art and creative expression

• Tool use and hands-on skill building

• Building, collecting, designing, and creating with natural materials

• Storytelling, songs, and imaginative play

• Scientific observation and documentation

• Climbing, balancing, hiking, and supported risk-taking

• Loose-parts and open-ended outdoor play

• Caring for our outdoor classroom and one another

• Developing independence through meaningful responsibilities

• Building friendships and practicing cooperation

 

Our Approach

Child-Led Inquiry

We believe children are capable researchers, creators, and problem-solvers. Teachers observe, listen, and create invitations that extend children's thinking rather than directing every moment.

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The Outdoors as Our Classroom

Nature provides endless opportunities for investigation, creativity, movement, and connection. We use the changing seasons and the discoveries around us as an ever-evolving curriculum.

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Learning Through Relationships

A small community gives children the time and space to develop meaningful friendships, practice cooperation, and grow in confidence and independence.

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The Hundred Languages

Children communicate their ideas in countless ways—through drawing, building, movement, storytelling, collecting, designing, experimenting, and exploring.

 

A Typical Afternoon

2:00 — Arrival & Gathering
Children arrive, settle in, reconnect with friends, and transition into their afternoon outdoors.

2:10 — Nature Exploration & Open-Ended Play
We head out to explore, observe, investigate, build, climb, collect, and follow the children's interests.

3:00 — Atelier & Project Exploration
Children may create nature-based art, work with tools, build, experiment, sketch, document discoveries, or continue an investigation that has captured their interest.

3:30 — Snack & Community Time
Children pause for a simple snack, conversation, storytelling, and connection before returning to play.

3:45 — Open-Ended Play & Continued Exploration
Children choose how they want to spend their remaining time—continuing a project, exploring the landscape, building with loose parts, or engaging in imaginative play.

4:00 — Pick Up

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The rhythm of each afternoon remains flexible. Activities are invitations rather than requirements, allowing children to follow their interests and become deeply engaged in their play and investigations.

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Why a Small Outdoor Program?

In a small setting, children have the time and space to form strong relationships, follow their curiosity, and develop confidence at their own pace.

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A small group also allows teachers to truly know each child—to notice their interests, support their growing independence, and provide just the right amount of challenge.

We believe meaningful learning happens through connection, not through rushing from activity to activity.

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Tuition & Enrollment

Nature Club is a monthly nature-based enrichment program designed to give children consistent time outdoors, meaningful relationships, and opportunities for hands-on exploration.

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Children attend one afternoon each week, with enrollment renewed monthly. Spaces are limited to six children per group to create a small, connected learning community.

 

Schedule

T/Th at China Camp State Park

M/W/F at Lake Lagunitas

2:00–4:00 PM

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Families may choose the afternoon that works best for their schedule. Afternoon groups are offered based on enrollment.

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Ages

3–5 years

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Enrollment

6 children maximum per group

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Tuition

$225/month

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Tuition includes:

• One two-hour outdoor learning experience each week

• All art materials, natural materials, and project supplies

• Thoughtfully prepared invitations for exploration and discovery

• Seasonal investigations and nature-based experiences

• Hands-on tool and skill-building opportunities

• Small-group learning with an experienced early childhood educator

 

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