Saturdays
7-10 year olds meet on the second Saturday of the month at Whatcom Falls Park for exploration, play, and learning along Whatcom Creek. With themes of play, crafting, natural history, community, harvesting, and fire, learning follows a seasonal rhythm and covers everything from salmon to shelters and cattails to cordage.
Program Details
​Ages: 7 - 10 year olds
When: Second Saturday of the month, October - May
10am - 3pm
Where: Whatcom Falls Park
Tuition: $750 - Payable in Full or Monthly Installments
Dates
​October 10th, November 14th, December 12th, January 9th, February 13th, March 13th, April 10th, May 8th
mid-season enrollment available!​
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Please review Student Readiness Checklist to see if this program is a good fit for your child.
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To Register: please email robby@mountainsidenatureschool.org with the subject "Saturdays"
10am: Arrival - running games like foxtails or freeze tag, along with a nature museum for a more relaxed start to the day
10:30am: Morning Circle. The group gathers to share gratitude, song, and get excited for a day outdoors
10:30am: Hike and Explore. Time to hit the trail, explore the park, and see what we can learn from the forest. We'll be on the lookout for birds, animal tracks and bugs :)
12pm: Lunch
12:45pm: Crafting: carving, weaving, knot tying, etc
1:30: Afternoon Games: Running, hiding, sneaking, and tracking
2:15pm: Play
2:45pm: Closing Circle
3pm: Pick Up
Example Schedule
Philosophy
Mountainside Nature School's curriculum is built upon six core pillars. The six pillars are Community, Play, Crafting, Natural History, Harvesting, and Fire. These six pillars are naturally woven into the seasonal framework of each Mountainside program. They provide a broad range of activities and experiences for the students to engage with; some are naturals with Play and experience challenges with Crafting, while others are naturals with Fire but are challenged by Community. The six pillars are designed to provide a comprehensive and balanced approach to outdoor learning and nature connection.
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Mountainside also follows in the tradition of coyote mentoring, which focuses on the learning and growth of students rather than the imparting of knowledge from teachers. Students will have the chance to learn, grow, and discover new things everyday on their own time. The outdoor environment and changing seasons provide infinite opportunities for exploration of all kinds.
Community - Songs, stories, personal growth, relationship to one another
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Play - Joy for life, forest games, spontaneity, sharpening our senses, silliness, honing animal instincts
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Crafting - Wood carving, weaving, twining, shelters, bushcraft
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Natural History - Fluency with the natural world, knowing plant, animal, and fungi names, animal tracking, bird language, phenology, sit spot, nature journaling, nature museum​
Harvesting - Being in direct relationship with the land, eatings plants and berries, harvesting materials for crafts, herbal and medicinal plants
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Fire - Friction fire, tending the hearth, cooking
