Now enrolling: Sunbeams 1 and Sunbeams 2

The 9-Month Nature School

A seasonal outdoor learning community for children, built on San Diego's beaches, canyons, and open spaces. Choose the schedule that fits your family.

Schedule: Sunbeams: Mon, Wed, Fri
Monarchs: Tue, Thu
Hours: 9:30am–1:30pm, all pods
Enrollment: Sunbeams: 1, 2, or 3 days
Monarchs: 1 or 2 days
Pods: Sunbeams (ages 3–5)
Monarchs (ages 6–8)
Led by: A graduate-degreed
child development specialist
Charter funds: Accepted

Meet our pods See tuition and schedules

Children exploring outdoors at The Salty Sunflower Nature School

What this program is

A living learning ecosystem

At heart, we're a parent-participatory cooperative, with a drop-off option for families who need it. Sunbeams (ages 3–5) meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; Monarchs (ages 6–8) meets Tuesday and Thursday, both 9:30am to 1:30pm across the school year. Kids learn hands-on, out in San Diego's beaches, canyons, trails, and open spaces.

Every session follows our own Whole Child, Wild World Framework, blending Waldorf rhythm and story, Reggio Emilia inquiry, and hands-on STEM. And at the center of it all is community: our co-op families show up, get involved, and become part of something real, not just drop-off observers.

Nature is the teacher

Seasons, textures, living systems, and surprises are not a backdrop. They are the curriculum.

The whole child

Head, heart, and hands: every session engages children intellectually, emotionally, and physically.

Rhythm as safety

A consistent daily rhythm gives children the security of knowing what comes next, and stays flexible enough to follow a caterpillar or a rainstorm.

Neurodiversity honored

Every child's learning pathway is valid. Small groups and a relational approach support children as whole people.

Meet the community

Our pods

Small pods, grouped by age and skill. Each one has its own enrollment status, so check the tag on the pod you're interested in.

Sunbeams

Sunbeams 1 and 2 run side by side. As kids master the skills in Sunbeams 1, they move up to Sunbeams 2 for a bit more challenge.

Sunbeams meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm.

Open for enrollment

Sunbeams 1 · ages 3–4

Sunbeams 1 is open for enrollment now.

See tuition and enroll

Open for enrollment

Sunbeams 2 · ages 4–5

Open for enrollment now. Kids move into Sunbeams 2 once they've mastered Sunbeams 1 skills, ready for a bit more challenge.

See tuition and enroll

Monarchs

Monarchs 1 and 2 run side by side, same as Sunbeams. Kids move up to Monarchs 2 once they've mastered Monarchs 1 skills.

Monarchs meets Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am to 1:30pm. Since a lot of kids this age are juggling other classes or activities, we also offer an 11:30am pick-up option for a half day.

Monarchs go deeper into STEM, designing, building, and testing their own creations, sometimes with real tools, not just tape and string. Adult supervision during tool use is something we take very seriously.

First half: group-oriented

Project-based, hands-on learning tied to each unit, with a little writing worked in through nature journals or a whiteboard.

Second half: open-ended and independent

Kids explore, play, and keep working on earlier projects if they want, or dig into something new. Working in groups is always welcome.

Interest list

Monarchs 1 · ages 6–7

Not yet open, but add your family to the interest list and we'll reach out the moment it is.

Join the interest list

Interest list

Monarchs 2 · ages 7–8

Not yet open. Kids move into Monarchs 2 once they've mastered Monarchs 1 skills. Add your family to the interest list and we'll reach out when it opens.

Join the interest list

Our pedagogy

The Whole Child, Wild World Framework

Developed by our founder, Starla Wheeler, M.S. Child Development, this is an intentional blend of three respected approaches to early childhood education, all rooted in one belief: nature is the teacher.

Waldorf-inspired

Rhythm, story, and artistic integration form the structural spine. Children meet letters through nature stories, numbers through sensory play, and the world through seasonal themes.

ii.

Reggio Emilia-informed

We hold an image of the child as capable and creative. The environment is a co-teacher, and children's thinking is made visible through documentation and nature journals.

iii.

STEM-integrated

Science, engineering, and math are the natural language of the outdoors. STEM blocks throughout the year deepen understanding of living systems, patterns, and forces.

What children explore

40+ thematic units across 9 months

Our units follow the rhythm of San Diego's seasons, from the first acorn of fall to the last wildflower of spring. Each child keeps a nature journal all year, half blank for drawing and observation, half lined for emerging writing.

I Am
Phenology
My 5 Senses
Trees
Seeds & Plants
Bugs & Insects
Birds
Garden
Worms
Ponds
Sunflowers
Moon
Snails & Spirals
Mushrooms
Bears
Ocean
Leaves
Habitats
Rocks & Minerals
Frogs
Stars
Rainbows
Symmetry
Bees & Honey
Light & Shadow
Forest Floors
Farms
Maps
Foxes

A typical session

Rhythm, not schedule

Rhythm, not a rigid timetable. It gives kids the security of knowing what's next, with room to follow a discovery when one comes along.

Morning provocationChild-led exploration of prepared invitations.
Morning circleA community gathering to open the day, in a format suited to each age group.
Nature walkOutdoor exploration and seasonal discovery.
Story and literacyLanguage and storytelling rooted in nature.
STEM provocationHands-on inquiry tied to the unit theme.
Free outdoor playChild-led, open-ended, and physical.
Closing ritualA closing moment together, in a format suited to each age group.

Led by

Starla Wheeler

Founder, The Salty Sunflower Nature Collaborative

M.S. in Child Development (SDSU) and B.A. in Psychology (UNLV), with research spanning attachment theory and how nature shapes a developing nervous system. She created the Whole Child, Wild World Framework, and that same training is why every family gets a real, written developmental report, not just a nature update.

"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 living pedagogy that is entirely our own."

Read more about Starla →

Tuition and schedules

Each pod has its own schedule and tuition. Choose your pod to see enrollment options.

While the school year runs 9 months, enrollment is month-to-month. There's no contract locking your family in for the full year, and we welcome new families year-round as space allows.

We accept charter school funds, including Pacific Coast Academy. Enrolled through a different charter? Reach out, we'd love to talk about becoming an approved vendor.

Sunbeams tuition Monarchs tuition

Already know what you want? Enroll in Sunbeams Enroll in Monarchs

Sunbeams tuition

Sunbeams meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm. Co-op families choose how many days their child attends and how often an adult joins in, and the more you're out there with us, the lower your tuition. That's because your participation is what makes our small groups possible.

Enrolling now: Sunbeams 1 and Sunbeams 2. See the pods.

Ready to go? Enroll in Sunbeams now

Co-op enrollment

Co-op families join us as active participants, not just observers. Choose your child's schedule, then choose how often an adult from your family joins us in the field.

1 adult for every 3-4 children. CA state law (Title 22) allows up to 12. Young children build security through relationship, not group size, the same finding behind my capstone research on attachment theory in early childhood. That's the developmental psychology behind Sunbeams: your participation isn't a favor to us, it's part of what your child needs.

That's also why our pricing works the way it does below. It reflects the value of your participation, not just your child's attendance, since your time in the field is what makes our ratio, and everything above, possible.

Sunbeams co-op pricing
Child attends	Adult participates	Tuition/month
3 days/week	3 days/week	$400
	2 days/week	$500
	1 day/week	$625
2 days/week	2 days/week	$300
2 days/week	1 day/week	$375
1 day/week	1 day/week	$250

Days are chosen at enrollment and stay fixed for the year. Participation can be fulfilled by any approved adult in your family, 18 or older, listed on your enrollment paperwork, and mandated-reporter trained, not only one parent.

The Sunflower Grant

A need-based rate for families enrolled 3 days a week. Two spots per pod, awarded after an honest conversation with our founder, no application required, and kept confidential.

2 spots per pod

Sunflower Grant

$300

per month · 3 days/week attendance

Choose any participation level, 1, 2, or 3 days a week. If it's less than 3, you'll commit to fixed days at enrollment. Showing up more than you committed to is always welcome.

Drop-off enrollment

No participation required. Drop-off is available for 2 or 3 days a week; because of our ratio, we're not able to offer a 1-day drop-off option.

Sunbeams drop-off pricing
Days/week	Tuition/month
3 days	$750
2 days	$600

Discounts

Sibling discounts, up to 25% off
Twins and triplets receive our best rate
15% off for military, educator, and first responder families

We'll automatically apply whichever discount saves your family the most. Discounts are never combined. See full details on Specials & Discounts.

Enrollment deposit: $150

Applied directly to your first month's tuition.

Materials fee: $75/child

Paid once a year. Covers your child's nature journal and loose parts kit.

Developmental reports. Children enrolled 2 or more days a week receive a full developmental report every two weeks. Children enrolled 1 day a week receive a monthly progress report, a condensed version, since we're not able to gather enough for a full report on a single weekly visit.

Younger siblings are welcome to tag along with their older Sunbeams sibling. Siblings under 3 are free, as long as they have a participating adult with them each time.

Enroll in Sunbeams Read the cancellation policy

Monarchs tuition

Monarchs pods meet Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am–1:30pm, with an optional 11:30am pick-up for families who need a shorter day. As with Sunbeams, the more your family participates, the lower your tuition.

Both Monarchs pods currently have an interest list. See the pods.

Ready to go? Enroll in Monarchs now

Co-op enrollment · full day

Monarchs co-op pricing, full day (9:30am–1:30pm)
Child attends	Adult participates	Tuition/month
2 days/week	Weekly	$400
	Every other week	$450
	Monthly	$500
1 day/week	Monthly (only option)	$275

The Sunflower Grant

A need-based rate for families enrolled 2 full days a week. Two spots per pod, no application, kept confidential.

2 spots per pod

Sunflower Grant

$300

per month · 2 full days/week attendance

Choose any participation level, weekly, every other week, or monthly.

Co-op enrollment · half day

Pick-up at 11:30am. A good fit for families balancing other classes or activities. Same tuition tiers, 20% off the full-day rate.

Monarchs co-op pricing, half day (9:30–11:30am)
Child attends	Adult participates	Tuition/month
2 half days/week	Weekly	$320
	Every other week	$360
	Monthly	$380
1 half day/week	Monthly (only option)	$220

Half-day Sunflower Grant. One spot per pod, $240/month, for families enrolled 2 half days a week. The Grant is available on the full-day schedule (2 spots) or the half-day schedule (1 spot), not both.

Drop-off enrollment

No participation required, full day or half day.

Monarchs drop-off pricing
Schedule	Days/week	Tuition/month
Full day	2	$600
Full day	1	$325
Half day (11:30am pick-up)	2	$480
Half day (11:30am pick-up)	1	$260

Discounts

Sibling discounts, up to 25% off
Twins and triplets receive our best rate
15% off for military, educator, and first responder families
Discounts also apply on half-day tuition

We'll automatically apply whichever discount saves your family the most. Discounts are never combined. See full details on Specials & Discounts.

Enrollment deposit: $150

Applied directly to your first month's tuition.

Materials fee: $125/child

Paid once a year. Covers your child's project materials and supplies for hands-on STEM units.

Developmental reports. Children enrolled 2 or more days a week receive a full developmental report each month. Children enrolled 1 day a week receive a condensed monthly progress report instead.

Younger siblings are welcome to tag along with their older Monarchs sibling. Siblings under 6 are free, as long as they have a participating adult with them each time.

Enroll in Monarchs Read the cancellation policy

Join us

Save your family's spot

Pods are small on purpose. Both Monarchs pods currently have an interest list, join to let us know your family is interested, and we'll reach out personally when a spot opens.

No deposit and no commitment
First access when a pod opens
Tell us which pod and which schedule you'd like: 1, 2, or 3 days
We'll be in touch personally, not with a mass email

Join the waitlist or interest list