WildRoots Nature School is a new outdoor, nature-immersed classroom now meeting in Raleigh for children ages 6 months to 6 years! We were recently invited to attend one of their “caregiver and me” classes and had a great time exploring, learning, and growing in our time outdoors together!
Opening activity
Our class began with a cute nature weaving activity while we waited for everyone to arrive. We were given a cardboard butterfly with yarn wrapped around it and a basket of wildflowers. When I heard “nature weaving” for some reason I thought we were weaving the yarn around the butterfly, but instead we threaded the flowers through the yarn as decoration. My three year old really got into this activity and the final product was so cute!
During the opening activity we were also able to check out some caterpillar chrysalides that had formed since last week’s class. In a couple weeks the class will be able to release the butterflies that they have been watching grow before their very eyes! We did this once as a family and it was so fun to be apart of!
nature weaving 
final product
Nature classroom
After everyone arrived, we made our way back to the nature classroom the instructor had previously setup for us. It was located back in the woods nestled under the trees and next to a small creek.
Make sure to bring your own blanket for your family. Everyone sets up their own little pod, which makes for built-in social distancing as well!
We started our class with a good morning song and a welcome song that had all of the kids say their name. The good morning song was really cute, and I liked it a lot more than the song we sang at our Tinkergarten class. I know the class isn’t really about the songs, but I’m a sucker for catchy tunes!
Creative activity
For our creative activity of the day, we painted with nature! Each child was given a bag and told to collect items in the woods that we could paint with. The teacher showed us a paintbrush she had made from sticks and pine needles and sent us off on our quest.
our whole class set off to gather items to paint with 
gathering items into our bag 
our treasure trove
My three year old and I gathered leaves, sticks, pinecones, gumballs, and pine needles. We talked about the texture of the item, like if it was smooth or bumpy, and if we could use it like a paintbrush or like a stamp. We also explored all of the different colors we saw in nature. This short activity sparked lots of conversations between the two of us, and got our bodies and minds working at the same time.
During the actual painting, I was impressed at the way my boy used the various items in different ways. He rolled, stamped, brushed, and swiped until he was happy with his creation! I was super glad I remember to pack some baby wipes to clean up afterward!
Storytime and Snack
After we had gathered all of painting supplies, we sat down and enjoyed our snack brought from home while we listened to a story. The teacher read a beautifully illustrated book about catching a rainbow, called A Rainbow of my Own, which sparked lots of discussion about colors and how rainbows are made.
Enroll in the Fall class session!
WildRoots Nature School is currently enrolling for their “Caregiver and Me” Fall session that begins in September 2021. You can get all of the up-to-date information and pricing on their website. Classes will be held Tuesdays at 10am, Thursdays at 4pm, and Fridays at 1pm. Classes are currently held at either Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve or Honeycutt Park in North Raleigh. They are also planning to launch a Nature babies class for ages 6 to 18 months in the Spring, so you can sign up to be on their waiting list once enrollment opens up!
Here’s a Raleigh Tot Spots inside scoop: Follow the WildRoots Instagram page for a special giveaway posting this Friday! They will be giving away an entire FREE season of “Caregiver & Me” classes for this Fall! Check their Instagram on Friday for all of the details!