Now enrolling · August 2026
The 9-Month
Nature School
A seasonal, immersive outdoor learning community for young children — rooted in San Diego's beaches, canyons, and open spaces, and guided by the Whole Child, Wild World Framework.
"Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore for learning and creativity."
— Richard Louv, Last Child in the WoodsWhat this program is
Not a preschool. Not a camp.
A living learning ecosystem.
The Salty Sunflower 9-Month Nature School is a parent-participatory cooperative program that meets three days per week across a full academic year. Children learn through direct experience in San Diego's natural landscapes — its beaches, canyons, trails, and open spaces.
Every session is guided by the Whole Child, Wild World Framework — a proprietary pedagogy developed by our founder that blends the structured beauty of Waldorf education with the emergent inquiry of the Reggio Emilia approach and the investigative spirit of STEM. This is not a borrowed model. It is a living framework born from graduate-level research and years of applied practice.
Families are not drop-off observers here. They are essential members of the learning community — present, participating, and woven into the fabric of the experience.
The natural world — its seasons, textures, living systems, and surprises — is not a backdrop. It is the curriculum itself.
Head, heart, and hands — every session engages children intellectually, emotionally, and physically. No learning is purely cognitive.
Consistent daily rhythm gives children the deep security of knowing what comes next — while remaining flexible enough to follow a caterpillar or a rainstorm.
Every child's learning pathway is valid. Our small group sizes and relational approach support children as whole people.
Our pedagogy
The Whole Child,
Wild World Framework
A proprietary pedagogy developed by Starla Wheeler, M.S. Child Development. It is not a collection of borrowed ideas — it is an intentional, living blend of three of the world's most respected approaches to early childhood education, united by a deep belief in nature as teacher.
Waldorf-Inspired
Rhythm, story, and artistic integration form the structural spine of our program. Children learn through imagination before abstraction — letters through nature stories, numbers through sensory play, the world through seasonal themes. Head, heart, and hands.
Reggio Emilia-Informed
We hold the Reggio image of the child as capable, creative, and full of potential. The environment is a co-teacher. Children's thinking is made visible through documentation, nature journals, and an educator who listens and follows. Inquiry is emergent, never scripted.
STEM-Integrated
Science, engineering, and mathematics are the natural language of the outdoor world. Designated STEM learning blocks throughout the year deepen children's understanding of living systems, patterns, forces, and the mathematical structures hidden in nature.
What children explore
40+ thematic units across 9 months
Our thematic units follow the rhythms of San Diego's seasons and ecosystems — from the first acorn of autumn to the last wildflower of spring. Each theme invites sustained inquiry, creative expression, scientific observation, and deep connection to the living world.
Children maintain a nature journal throughout the year — half blank for drawings and observations, half lined for emerging writing — a beautiful record of their growing curiosity.
A typical session
Rhythm, not schedule
Rhythm is not a rigid timetable — it is a living, breathing sequence that gives children the deep security of knowing what comes next, while remaining free enough to follow a child's unexpected discovery.
- Morning circleSong, poem, finger play, gratitude, and setting the intention for the dayGrounding the group in rhythm and presence
- Morning basketsSelf-directed exploration of prepared invitations — loose parts, journaling, phonics, drawingIndependence and child-led inquiry
- Nature walkOutdoor exploration, observational journaling, seasonal investigation, movementThe world as classroom
- Story & literacyCollaborative poetry reading, the Rhythmic Reading Method, letter and word work through nature storiesLanguage rooted in imagination
- STEM provocationHands-on creation, investigation, or engineering challenge rooted in the unit themeMaking, wondering, discovering
- Free outdoor playChild-led, open-ended, physical — the most important work of childhoodUnstructured time in nature
- Closing ritualReflection, gratitude, song — marking the end of the day with intentionA gentle, meaningful goodbye
Led by
Wheeler
- M.S. Child Development — San Diego State University
- B.A. Psychology, Child & Adolescent Development — UNLV
- Training and applied experience in the Reggio Emilia approach
- Specialization in nature-based learning, emotional intelligence, and nervous system regulation in early childhood
- Creator of the Whole Child, Wild World Framework
"No single philosophy fully captures the richness of how children learn — especially in nature. The Whole Child, Wild World Framework is my answer to that belief: a proprietary, living pedagogy that is entirely our own."
Tuition
An investment in the whole child
We use a sliding-scale model rooted in our belief that community-minded education should be accessible. Families self-select the tier that honestly reflects their capacity. All tiers receive the same full program.
For families with financial need. Self-selected with honesty and trust. Same full program, same full community.
Three days per week. Reflects the full value of graduate-level expertise, a proprietary framework, and a deeply intentional learning community.
For families who have the capacity to support broader access. Sustaining contributions directly fund community-tier spots.
Join the waitlist
Save your family's spot
The first cohort launches August 2026 and is intentionally limited to 10 families. Joining the waitlist is no commitment — it tells us you're interested and gives you early access when enrollment opens in July.
We'll reach out personally before enrollment opens to answer questions, share full program details, and invite you to connect.
- No deposit required to join the waitlist
- No commitment — just interest
- Waitlist families get first access to enrollment
- We'll be in touch personally, not with a mass email
We'll reach out personally before enrollment opens to share details, answer questions, and invite you to connect. In the meantime, follow us on Instagram @thesaltysunflowersd to stay close to the community.