Wild Child Freeschool

We started Wild Child this past fall, and I’m so glad we did. My daughter is 6 and really looks forward to going every week. She has made great friends and comes home excited to tell me about all they discovered that day.

My daughter (6) has attended Wild Child Free School since Dec. 2014. I cannot say enough about how great they are. Her knowledge of plants, animals and all things nature has grown leaps and bounds since she started. I love that besides being outside there is a focus on community building and relationships.

Wildchild’s programs are such a breath of fresh air and a healing remedy for our nature deficit society. The guides do a beautiful job of facilitating and holding the space for our children to develop deep nature-​human connections unique to the needs, desires, and interests of each child and family.

Our boys, 8 and 12, are very much looking forward to Wild Child starting up again this fall. The guides are AMAZING, knowledgeable, caring, educators who create a beautiful, inclusive, responsible community for the kids to learn and grow in. Our kids have learned so much about ecology, botany, geology, etc by walking through many of the Peninsula’s splendid ecosystems and studying all they see. And, probably more important, they’ve grown so much in being helpful members of a group, supporting their friends, and expressing appreciation in word and deed.
If you believe, as I do, that nature is a crucial setting for our children to grow, and they learn by exploring with friends and chatting with thoughtful and knowledgeable grownups, check out this program.

My daughter loves wild child. Having 6 hours, each day she goes, is so good for her on many levels. She has gotten stronger, she has grown more independent, she has made close friendships, and she feels what it is to be a part of a community. Oh. And she also learns a lot about nature and related science things. Homeschooling with wild child in the mix, is an easy and wonderful decision.

My 9-​year-​old son has attended Wild Child (and the slightly more academic Nerdy Naturalist Wednesday program) two days a week for a year, since we began homeschooling. The guides are wonderful mentors with an uncanny ability to connect with the children, and the kids (who range in age from about 5 – 10) are amazingly creative, spirited, and very bright. They seem to thrive in the outdoors.
Our son’s social and motor (and academic!) skills — and endurance — have grown tremendously from spending time outside hiking, climbing and exploring the natural (and imaginative) world with a group of like-​minded kids. Although we are homeschooling, it also gives us the benefit of a «school community,» and for parents, the benefit of a day or two a week to get some work done!

My children (ages 7 and 9) attended Wild Child Freeschool, attending once a week for one school year (starting in Sept. 2012). This program offered them an outstanding, totally immersive, outdoor education experience. They learned how to track animals, identify plants, trees, and insects, how to protect the environment, how to get along with their peers, and most importantly they developed a deep connection with the natural world. This program inspired my daughter to exclaim, «I want to be a naturalist when I grow up!»
The guides are excellent at working with all types of children and they work closely with parents on solving issues if they arise. It is a very thoughtful and kind community.
While this program may not work for EVERY child (my children were already avid mud-​playing, tree-​climbing monkeys), I highly recommend giving it a try! I believe every child deserves the opportunity to connect in and with nature.

Of all of the many activities my son enjoys as a homeschooler, he most looks forward to his Wild Child days. He gets to spend 6 hours straight outdoors with friends in various beautiful parks/​open spaces. The guides do a wonderful job of leading the kids through hiking, exploring, learning and growing together. We are excited about the new Friday program — «Nerdy Naturalists», that will incorporate a touch of science into the day. I am looking forward to the Spring session, and a new weekly batch of muddy/​dirty clothes to wash — I highly recommend this program. They maintain an excellent (1:6 max.) guide to child ratio, while still providing an amazing value at $ 60/​day per child.