The WonderWild Program

A Cozy Home for Busy Brains

WonderWild lives down a country road in a little cabin in a big pasture. We have many separate spaces dedicated to different learning goals and sensory needs.

As a self-directed learning program for adventurous kids, our space is always full of options. At any given time, a child might choose a math lesson, a quiet retreat, an engineering feat, an art project, or any number of other activities. We have a lot of “loose parts” available.

Our space, our people, and our tools and materials all come together to give kids a whole world of learning possibilities.

Focus Room

Just inside the front door is the bustling hub of activity we call the Focus Room. There are counters, worktables, chairs, personal cubbies, shelves of activities and materials, as well as our full kitchen.

Learners can start solo projects here or join a group activity. All the tables and shelves are easily movable, making the room transformable depending on our needs at the time. It could be one giant table in the middle for a large group collaboration or four little workstations spread out for solo work.

The kids also encounter “invitations”, which are activities or presentations prepared by staff. Invitations might be related to a child’s current interests. Or they can be ideas that lead to the next step a child needs to expand their knowledge or skills.

All activities are always optional. The kids choose whether to engage with a prepared activity, join another child’s project, or start up something of their own.

Some kids (and many parents!) appreciate traditional learning subjects. At WonderWild, we know that ALL learning can be exciting, engaging, and deeply satisfying. Language development, math skills, scientific knowledge, and social studies subjects are woven into our activities and conversations throughout the day. WonderWild staff references curriculum materials and education standards to create learning invitations in a flexible and customizable way. Learners of different ages and abilities can engage with the same work, and no child will ever feel “behind” or like the material isn’t for them.

Play Room

Stillness, silence, and seriousness are never a requirement at WonderWild, except as a request of respect in the Quiet Room. Everywhere else is a bustling world of children moving and expressing themselves freely. We believe this is the true natural habitat of deep learning – messy, noisy, in motion, intense, and chosen.

But sometimes a kid needs a dedicated space where “bouncing off the walls” is welcome and celebrated!

At the opposite end of the cabin from the Quiet Room, we have an active, busy Play Room. Of course we embrace play in everything we do! But the Play Room is a special area dedicated to big energy, full-body play. Kids can literally climb the walls, hop in the ball pit, jump on the trampoline, climb ladders, throw bouncy balls, or perch on a balance board or twist disk.

The Front Porch and Beyond

Our imaginations don’t stop at the walls! We take our learning and play outside, too! The Front Porch is home to art projects, sensory play, and science experiments. In any weather, you’ll find our messiest ideas at work. We have a metal detector, and we love digging for treasure. There’s a mud kitchen with a river table, running water, pots and pans, and an unlimited supply of dirt and rocks.

We’re situated on a half acre of rolling pasture. Kids are welcome to meander around, start up a kickball game, or dive into nature study. Maybe someday in the future we’ll have a little garden or chickens running around!