The Nature League seeks to immerse children in a natural environment that inspires creativity and endless exploration. Our curriculum is rooted in a play-based approach to learning that balances age appropriate physical development with nature-based art and science.
mission statement
Natalie Anaya
Natalie Anaya is a PreK teacher with a background in Environmental Education and a love for SF parks! She holds a BA in Environmental Humanities from Whitman College and has been an early childhood educator for 8 years.
Stephanie Rau
Stephanie Rau is a PreK teacher and mother with a BA in Art History/Painting and MA in Art Education. She has worked in Early Childhood Education for 5 years.
Corrine Corn
Corrine Corn is a PreK teacher and holds a BA in Sociology from UCLA. She has been an Early Childhood Educator for 3 years and has a passion for learning through nature and exploration.
Nature League: Summer 2021 Schedule
We follow a project-based, emergent curriculum driven by each group of campers' individual and collective interests. The following themes are a loose guideline for our weeks, and we are eager to see what child-led inquiries emerge each session!
Session 1: June 14th- July 2nd, 9am-2pm (Entering Kindergarten & 1st Grade) $1464
Week 1 (6/14-6/18) Tinkering with the Elements
We’ll never truly know what SF weather has in store for us our first week of Nature League until we get to the meadow. Whether we’re served bright sunshine, Karl the Fog, or gusts of morning wind, we’ll use the power of the elements for tinkering purposes! We’ll don our engineering caps to explore and design ways of harnessing wind, water and solar energy in our outdoor tinker lab!
Week 2 (6/21-6/25) Pattern Play + Biomimicry
Patterns aren’t just all polka dots and stripes like the ones on your clothes-- nature made them first! This week we will use our observation skills to find the natural patterns hidden all around us and use our hands to create some of our very own! Take a closer look at the tiny arrangements in the veins of leaves, make botanical inspired zentangles, discover how animals use patterns to camouflage, how artists weave their own textiles and how inventors borrow patterns in nature to design new technologies!
Week 3 (6/28-7/2) Folklore + Fairy Tales
Once upon a time, campers came from far and wide to Golden Gate Park in search of…the stage! Discover how some of your favorite fairy tales came to be and even create your very own! We will learn about ancient animal folklore, design costumes inspired by local flora and fauna, build props using natural materials, and put on a show that is sure to receive a standing ovation!
Session 2: July 12th- 30th, 9am-3pm (Entering 1st - 2nd Grades) $1764
Week 1: (7/12-7/16) Over + Under
Have you ever wondered what was really going on beneath the ground? Maybe you’d like to see what life is like underwater? Or way up high in the tree-tops? Together let’s find out how plants, insects, and animals cooperate in their environments! Campers will visit the botanical gardens to see plant adaptations up close, make their own lift-the-flap book inspired by Golden Gate Park’s many lakes, and even take home their own bottle ecosystems!
Week 2: (7/19-7/23) GGP Activists
Calling all citizen scientists, wildlife conservationists and climate activists! What causes are closest to your heart when you are outside with Nature League? We’ll turn our ideas into action and join wider community efforts to make lasting change in this beautiful place we call home!
Week 3: (7/26-7/30) Traveling Trailblazers
Dust off those passports….or better yet, let’s make new ones! As we wrap up Session 2, we’ll map out all of our favorite park destinations and create our very own Golden Gate Parks Passports, customized stamps and accompanying maps to take our closest friends and families on a first-class vacation through GGP’s hidden gems! This week we’ll also explore bird migration patterns, way-marking, geocaching and navigation!
Session 3: (8/2- 8/6) 9am-3pm ONE WEEK ONLY (Entering 1st - 2nd Grades) $588
Rustic Rangers: Lace up those boots and get your pack ready— (let’s pretend!) we’re going camping! For centuries humans have slept under the stars and adapted countless ways to coexist with the natural world. Campers will be introduced to ancient crafts, learn the best way to pitch a tent, discover their favorite constellation, and build (or add to) their own first aid kits!
SUMMER 2021 CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:
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Your payment will reserve your spot.
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All registered families are eligible for a refund up until four weeks before the start of your registered week, at which point camp fee becomes nonrefundable.
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All eligible refunds are subject to an administration fee of 10%
