silicon valley & south bay programs
programs run weekly September - june
Winter break is december 15 - january 15
We want Wild Child to be a place where kids can experience nature-immersion and full self-expression with super-awesome mentors, no matter what class they choose. We have several programs available for kids, whether they want free-play all day, to learn bird language, or to pull invasive species!
Our days run from 10am-4pm, and each program runs for 7 or 14 week sessions, visiting different outdoor locations each week.
Wild Child - Our classic play-based day in the wild. Visiting a new park each week. Hiking, tree climbing, mud-stomping fun. Crafts, games, and other activities are brought together with kid involvement, child-interest learning opportunities, and nature awareness. Children grow in social and kinetic awareness as they explore local habitats, play games, work on crafts and make friends. Children will learn outdoor safety as they are introduced to plants, animals and survival skills. Ages 5-12.
Wild Creativity - For kids who love to be outside, but might prefer to spend time making things from a home base. The goals of this group are more focused, with interest-led learning. Guides will bring their own interests as well as the ability to read the interests of the children participating, helping them by fostering role playing games, theater & writing projects, active exploration of the park, and art making. This is not a sedentary program day – we want to encourage kids to be creative as active. Team building and mutual respect are major components of the day. Ages 7-14.
Wild Skills - Emphasis is on survival skills like tracking, knife carving, friction fire, snares, knots, bird language and stealth, with plenty of space for free play. Wild Skills focuses on outdoor exploration and nature awareness while fostering social development and a sense of community. Older program kids are encouraged to become mentors and will have ample opportunity to do so.
Ages 8-15.
Wild Projects - For kids who want to be stewards of the wild places they love to visit. This group will have an opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from other conservation groups and organizations. There will be time for structured and unstructured activities. This program will allow kids to roll up their sleeves and dig into subjects that inspire them. We want to provide challenges, self-directed learning opportunities, collaborations and long- term projects. Children should be excited about working as a group as well as individual learning goals, and able to listen to a variety of adult instructors. Ages 8-15.
Wild Teen Development - A new flagship program run by the Program Director, Duncan, this will get young adults on the path to self-development. We at Wild Child Freeschool have noticed a gap for outdoor education for teens looking to challenge themselves in ways they may not get in other programs. Some of the time will be spent on more advanced crafts like woodwork, chain mail, leatherworking, or other options suggested by the students. There will also be plenty of opportunity for students to get out energy through hiking or games, and of course there will be down-time for guided discussions, reading, or introspection.
There will be opportunity for students to spend one day a week as a mentor for another, younger Wild Child group. This will be organized through Duncan, but is not required.
Our days run from 10am-4pm, and each program runs for 7 or 14 week sessions, visiting different outdoor locations each week.
Wild Child - Our classic play-based day in the wild. Visiting a new park each week. Hiking, tree climbing, mud-stomping fun. Crafts, games, and other activities are brought together with kid involvement, child-interest learning opportunities, and nature awareness. Children grow in social and kinetic awareness as they explore local habitats, play games, work on crafts and make friends. Children will learn outdoor safety as they are introduced to plants, animals and survival skills. Ages 5-12.
Wild Creativity - For kids who love to be outside, but might prefer to spend time making things from a home base. The goals of this group are more focused, with interest-led learning. Guides will bring their own interests as well as the ability to read the interests of the children participating, helping them by fostering role playing games, theater & writing projects, active exploration of the park, and art making. This is not a sedentary program day – we want to encourage kids to be creative as active. Team building and mutual respect are major components of the day. Ages 7-14.
Wild Skills - Emphasis is on survival skills like tracking, knife carving, friction fire, snares, knots, bird language and stealth, with plenty of space for free play. Wild Skills focuses on outdoor exploration and nature awareness while fostering social development and a sense of community. Older program kids are encouraged to become mentors and will have ample opportunity to do so.
Ages 8-15.
Wild Projects - For kids who want to be stewards of the wild places they love to visit. This group will have an opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from other conservation groups and organizations. There will be time for structured and unstructured activities. This program will allow kids to roll up their sleeves and dig into subjects that inspire them. We want to provide challenges, self-directed learning opportunities, collaborations and long- term projects. Children should be excited about working as a group as well as individual learning goals, and able to listen to a variety of adult instructors. Ages 8-15.
Wild Teen Development - A new flagship program run by the Program Director, Duncan, this will get young adults on the path to self-development. We at Wild Child Freeschool have noticed a gap for outdoor education for teens looking to challenge themselves in ways they may not get in other programs. Some of the time will be spent on more advanced crafts like woodwork, chain mail, leatherworking, or other options suggested by the students. There will also be plenty of opportunity for students to get out energy through hiking or games, and of course there will be down-time for guided discussions, reading, or introspection.
There will be opportunity for students to spend one day a week as a mentor for another, younger Wild Child group. This will be organized through Duncan, but is not required.
Silicon Valley & South Bay Locations
For parents, Wild Child can involve a good deal of driving. That's why we try to group our days by geographical focus, encourage families to carpool, and have only 1-2 "far-flung" locations per 14-week session.
We try to balance finding the best wild places there are in the Bay Area with the needs of families to have locations closer to home. So we might enjoy places in the heart of Silicon Valley (like Huddart Park, Arastradero, Rancho San Antonio and Stevens Creek County Park) several times per session.
Places that take us way out there (like Bean Hollow State Beach, Sanborn Park, or Henry Coe State Park) we visit less frequently, but value for the depth of experience that it brings to our program. We find that kids have fun in nature whether it's semi-urban or totally wild. But there's something to be said for the deep wonder and connection we find in the less-visited and more wild places of the Bay Area.
SILICON VALLEY LOCATIONS
Tuesday Wild Creativity
Meets at Lower Stevens Creek, Cupertino and Shoup Park, Los Altos.
Friday Silicon Valley Wild Child
Friday Silicon Valley Wild Projects
Peninsula-centric, ranging from Cupertino to Redwood City
**Note that Wild Child and Wild Projects may occasionally have different meeting points, which will be as close to each other as possible.
SOUTH BAY LOCATIONS
Thursday South Bay Wild Child
Thursday South Bay Wild Skills
Thursday South Bay Wild Teen Development
Regular locations range from Cupertino to Morgan Hill
We try to balance finding the best wild places there are in the Bay Area with the needs of families to have locations closer to home. So we might enjoy places in the heart of Silicon Valley (like Huddart Park, Arastradero, Rancho San Antonio and Stevens Creek County Park) several times per session.
Places that take us way out there (like Bean Hollow State Beach, Sanborn Park, or Henry Coe State Park) we visit less frequently, but value for the depth of experience that it brings to our program. We find that kids have fun in nature whether it's semi-urban or totally wild. But there's something to be said for the deep wonder and connection we find in the less-visited and more wild places of the Bay Area.
SILICON VALLEY LOCATIONS
Tuesday Wild Creativity
Meets at Lower Stevens Creek, Cupertino and Shoup Park, Los Altos.
Friday Silicon Valley Wild Child
Friday Silicon Valley Wild Projects
Peninsula-centric, ranging from Cupertino to Redwood City
**Note that Wild Child and Wild Projects may occasionally have different meeting points, which will be as close to each other as possible.
SOUTH BAY LOCATIONS
Thursday South Bay Wild Child
Thursday South Bay Wild Skills
Thursday South Bay Wild Teen Development
Regular locations range from Cupertino to Morgan Hill