JOIN US
LOCATION
CHINA CAMP STATE PARK
101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, CA 94901
We meet at various locations within the park including China Camp Beach, Miwok Meadows, and the Back Ranch Meadows Campground.
China Camp State Park is a 1,514-acre park nestled along the shoreline of San Pablo Bay in San Rafael, California. The park boasts panoramic views, lush oak woodlands, and over 100 acres of protected tidal salt marsh. From the shores of San Pablo Bay to the heights of San Pedro Mountain, China Camp State Park teems with life. In total, 26 species of mammals, 140 species of birds, 44 species of fish, and 15 species of reptiles and amphibians can be found here, some year-round, some as seasonal visitors.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Snails & Turkey Tails Nature Preschool program is for children ages 2.6-5.
Classes are offered on a semester basis, 2-5 days a week.
Semester 1: September-November
Semester 2: December-February
Semester 3: March-May
School hours are 9am-12:30pm with an optional extended day until 2:30pm. Drop-off is at 9am sharp.
We offer small group instruction with 8 students and a 1:4 adult/child ratio.
We also run weekly spring and summer camps!
100% of our days are spent outside!
If you are interested in attending our nature preschool and would like to apply for financial aid, please send us an email and we will send you an application link.
APPLICATION & TUITION
HOURS:
9:00am - 12:30pm
We offer an optional extended day until 2:30pm.
CHOOSE YOUR SCHEDULE:
Tuesday/Thursday
$600/month
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
$900/month
Monday - Friday
$1500/month
EXTENDED DAY:
12:30pm-2:30pm
$45/day
1 Day: $180
2 Day: $360
3 Day: $540
4 Day: $720
5 Day: $900
HOW TO APPLY:
We have a rolling admissions policy and accept applications throughout the school year. New students join the program on the 1st of each month as spots become available. We ask for a semester commitment. If you join mid-semester, the tuition will be prorated.
Simply click the Register button below and fill out an application. We will reach out to you shortly. We know you have a choice of preschool programs and we are excited that you are considering Snails & Turkey Tails for your child!
WHY WE LOVE CHINA CAMP STATE PARK!
All of our classes and camps meet at China Camp State Park in San Rafael. We love China Camp not only because of it's history, but because it offers children diverse landscapes including oak filled woodlands, meadows, tidal wetlands, and salt marshes. It is also home to many species of animals including deer, squirrels, coyotes, fox, bats and numerous birds. We are often greeted by wild turkeys in the early morning hours!
We go on field trips within the park depending on the day/week, which gives children a chance to connect with the land and all that it has to offer. Also, the park is wild but in a fairly central location, so if you haven't visited recently, we definitely encourage it!
ABOUT NATURE PRESCHOOL
Inspired by the forest school philosophy, 100% of our days are spent outside! We gather at China Camp State Park in Marin County where children have a chance to run and climb and discover more about the natural world around them. We not only learn about nature and wildlife, but also the history of the park. This type of connection helps to foster a lifelong love and respect for this place that we call home.
Young children have an innate curiosity about the natural world and at Snails & Turkey Tails we support and build on that curiosity through full on immersive experiences in nature. Nature provides a stimulating environment for exploration, encourages imaginative play, and offers sensory rich experiences with sights, sounds, and textures that are often new and exciting. In our opinion, nature is the original (and best!) playground where children can discover and learn about the world around them. Additionally, time spent exploring in nature provides children with a sense of wonder and connection to their surroundings.
Nature-based preschools are powerful programs that fuse early childhood and environmental education to develop a child’s lifelong connection with the natural world. Studies show that nature-based education benefits children’s development and the natural environment, with increases specifically shown in prosocial and language development, physical activity, and greater respect for nature.
Our program balances child-led, unstructured play, and exploration with more structured, teacher-led activities. We find that this approach encourages all types of learners and expands on children's interests. Children learn the significance of our site using project based learning activities from sources like Blossom & Root, Exploring Nature With Children, Wild Math, and Play The Forest School Way.
While no two days are ever the same, we do follow a daily rhythm that provides a sense of structure and calm for students. We begin the day with a MORNING CIRCLE where everyone has a chance to settle and connect. This is a time for greetings, an introduction to the day's topic, and a story. Next, children explore and engage in NATURE PLAY, which is an unstructured time for connection with the land and environment. This time is a major component of our program. Children can be found exploring in pairs or groups and sometimes individually. Since this period is often filled with running and climbing, we take a break for SNACK. At Snails & Turkey Tails we love BUILDING, MAKING & CREATING. Each day includes time for a creative activity. Sometimes we work together to build a den or collect objects and sometimes students follow a guided lesson to craft a nature-inspired project. Every day also includes a short HIKE and sometimes we bring our LUNCH along for a picnic. Depending on the location, we may hike to a grove of climbing trees, search for a picnic table beside a creek, or hideout in a tree fort. After lunch, students have more time for NATURE PLAY and if everyone is interested we'll play a game. Finally, we gather together for our GOODBYE CIRCLE, where we take time to recap our day, share our discoveries, and review what we've learned.
OUR DAILY RHYTHM