We’re Hiring!

WonderWild is growing, and that means we need more grownups! Here’s a little bit about who we are and who we’re looking for.

I Should Have Followed The Rules…

We’ve practiced kitchen knife skills a couple of times here at WonderWild. Each child has their own cutting board and a paring knife. They practice chopping fruits, veggies, cheese, and dried meats. This activity brings together a wonderful mix of fun and learning. It’s an exciting combination of risk and trust. The kids know there’s […]

Learning to Love Bugs

Spring is here, and the flying, buzzing, stinging bugs have appeared in full force around the cabin.

Gather round, and I’ll tell you a little bit about the wasps and bees we share space with here at WonderWild.

Not Following Where They Don’t Lead

I’m always on the lookout for things the kids seem interested in so I can offer them new activity ideas. I think of it as following where they lead. For example, a couple of the kids wanted to make paper airplanes one day. We grabbed paper and tried some designs, but they didn’t fly very […]

Wild Grownups

I’m Issa Waters, founder of WonderWild. I’m the main grownup around here, wearing all the hats: administrative, financial, planning activities, day-to-day with the kids, maintaining our space, and more. The vision for adults at WonderWild As WonderWild grows, more grownups will join our crew. All WonderWild staff will be experienced working with children, including having […]

All About Issa

Writing a bio about yourself is such a tricky endeavor! First person or third? Sparse or detailed? A little humor or all business? Does anyone love this task? Not me! Nevertheless, I want parents to have a clear idea of who’s running this thing. My short bio is on the home page, and this is […]

Learning Portfolios for Wild Learning

Learning happens all the time, and kids are learning from everything they do. WonderWild is a space for self-directed learning and unhindered play, a powerful combination that lets children’s curiosity and imagination lead the way. Our learners choose their own goals and how to spend their time. As a place for adventurous, curious kids, we […]

Loose Parts + Donation List

To help children explore their creative vision, we keep a collection of what are termed “loose parts”. Loose parts are things that can be played with, manipulated, and combined in open-ended ways. They can be used over and over again in different projects. When children have access to loose parts, their inventiveness and creativity can […]

Wild Learning

How does self-directed education work?How do kids learn by playing?What do kids DO at WonderWild? If you’re new to self-directed learning, it can be hard to imagine exactly how it works. Let’s take a look! What is self-directed education? Self-directed education (SDE) is a learning model where the kids take the active role in setting […]

The Balancing Act of Risk

I’m pretty comfortable with risks for my kids. I let them climb tall things and play with power tools. I used to assume that other parents were more safety-cautious than I am. Then one day I went over to a friend’s house, and her kid was at the kitchen counter lighting sticks on fire! To […]

No Rules? Lots of Rules!

When people first learn about self-directed learning environments, I hear questions like: Does that mean there are no rules? Do kids get to do whatever they want? If you’re comparing WonderWild to traditional school, the answer is probably most like, “Yes!” Our learning center certainly has fewer rules! The kids aren’t sitting down, they aren’t […]

What About “Screens”?

How does electronic media work in a self-directed learning environment? How do we include it at WonderWild? What if a child wants to be on the computer all day long?