DISCOVER OUR PROGRAMS
TABLE OF CONTENTS | CALENDAR | ALL PROGRAMS
Using natural history study as our educational spine and with lots of opportunities for play and discovery, we will immerse in subjects like science, math, poetry, art, geography, history and environmental stewardship and more! Bean Nature-led program provides a secular, multi-age experience in the best classroom ever – the amazing outdoors!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPRING WILD FOREST FAMILY Camp Out;
APRIL 11-14th
Fledgling Forest Pre School 3.5-5 year old Tuesdays Wednesday Thursdays
Ecology Science
Investigations BEan at A Team M T W
Teen Leadership; 1x a month; Spring Camp coming soon! Inquire
Nature Science Outdoor Games BEan at A team M T W
Fledgling Forest Pre S
Fledgling Forest Pre School 3.5-5 year old
Click on each square below for program details!
CALENDAR OF PROGRAMS
At BEan In Nature We Consistently Encourage:
Opportunities for children to engage in a safe invisible school, outdoors, using safe social emotional behavior with our To Be commitments (Core Values), supported by professional mentors (instructors)
Children to discuss, listen and engage with one another, to develop explanations for observations and investigations
Child-led discovery where children can design and conduct investigations, and connect those investigations with their core knowledge
Children to hypothesize and test their own understanding of the world surrounding them, through supported positive and encouraging inquiry based teaching and guidance
Trial Day Drop-ins!
Come out and learn with us! See what we are all about.
Click on the Register Now button — Trial Day is one of the drop down options!
SPRING Wild Forest Family Campout
April 11-15; TH-SUN
What might SPRING Camp Program have in store for the whole family? DROP OFF FOR DAY PROGRAM TOO! 12 and up overnight!
Teen/Tweens TNT program!
SPRING Theme: Wild Harvest, Wild Crafting and Wild Fun and Forest Yoga
A WHOLE SURVIVAL SKILL WEEKEND PROGRAM!
ADULT CLASSES AND Children’s program! COME LEARN BY DOING !
ENROLL NOW! SAVE YOUR SPOT NOW WITH $75 SAVE MY SPOT!
Activities:
Arrival Choices!Th PM or Friday AM or Friday Eve
WILD CRAFTING w/wool fibers to make a vessel
WILD Edibles / Roots to Make Wild Medicine
FUNGI FUN; fun for all ages
FIRE BY FRICTION with STAFF Fire Masters
FOREST YOGA AND SOUND MAGIC with @casakun-daliniyoga
BIRD LANGUAGE and ID; Sit Spot and Bird Song
FAMILY CAMP FIRE; Stories and Music
POTLUCKS EACH DINNER AND BREAKFAST
Play, exploration, connection and epic Nature Awareness games for all ages! Song, Theatre and music at Night!
OUR MOST epic SAFE family style night games with glow in the dark fun! KID APPROPRIATE!
Got time? Got skills? Got passion for nature and kids?
Please contact us for more information on partial work trade available. BEan always strives to make our Camp feasible for all! Inquire!
Teens: have you taken our Leadership Training?
We need you! Contact us!
HOLIDAY WILDERNESS CAMP
Jan 2-5th; K-6th; Cupertino Stevens Creek Park; 9-3 pm; Rain or Shine!
Our team of experts at BEan in Nature will guide through hands-on, child led outdoor skills and practice, wilderness survival and ancient living skills which will focus on … USE PROMO BOGO AND SAVE 1/2 OFF 2ND
Wilderness Survival
Campfire Skills
Make Herbal Remedies
Play Forest Games
Gratitude Circle each morning
Story telling
…..Hiking, exploring, shelter building, hand craft skills with tools
https://linktr.ee/BeaninNature
Ecology Science Investigations
ECO SCI EARTH INVESTIGATIONS NEW SPRING LESSONS!
Ages: Pre/K - 6th Grade AT ATEAM LOCATIONS
Eco Earth Science at A Team Homeschool!
Monday Morgan Hill; Tuesday San Jose; NEW Wednesday San Jose
Participate in Project-based, Ecology and Nature Exploration Science lessons that are engaging and fun!
MRS BEan is working on NEW CURRICULUM to weave in our weekly learning by doing! We will be weaving in an amazing piece of Literature as our spine!~ Braiding Sweetgrass a version for young readers!
NEW CURRICULUM with each season! Learn by doing! We will be weaving in an amazing piece of Literature as our spine! Braiding Sweetgrass a version for young readers! "Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrates how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day..." "Robin Wall Kimmerer’s beloved bestselling book has been adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish, and is well known for her storytelling..." https://outdoorlearningstore.com/product/braiding-sweetgrass-for-young-adults/
We can engage in BEan Eco Earth Curriculum topics, such as:
Earth science, ecology, plant sciences: botany and more, sustainability through regenerative gardening, food science, green living, environmental sciences; biomimicry science and projects, stewardship studies and projects, nature connection time, art in nature creations, singing, storytelling, wild skills
WE will document our learning in our Natural Studies Learning Journals and share our learning journey with parents in our Google Classroom!
WE will include video supplements and Fun Work to do at home in your Eco Sci Google Classroom!
We will investigate earth science topics and natural history topics!
We will inspire students using critical thinking skills and have lively discussions, using fun homework to learn beyond our time together each week.
We will share our contagious enthusiasm for regenerative earth learning and engage in safe, engaging social emotional learning.
We will create art using the beauty around us
We often provide a direct, safe animal encounter with some combination of reptiles, amphibians, insect discovery and mammals from our BEan Home Zoo!
Curricula we access: UCSC; Life lab garden studies NGSS Science in the garden Curriculum; UCSC; The Soil Story: Kiss the Ground, Cal Academy of Sciences; Cornell Lab of Ornithology; CA Native Plant Society Nature Journaling; Nature Connection Core Routines from Coyote’s Guide Connecting with Nature and Braiding Sweetgrass History, Plant and Indigenous studies curricula !
BEan staff offers a wealth of classroom experience implementing and adapting curriculum for diverse students.
Our ample resources/curriculum will always be our experience and what our natural environment in our invisible classroom offers us, always changing and thus we will be flexible and dynamic as nature.
Nature Science Outdoor Games
Ages: K - 6th Grade AT ATEAM LOCATIONS
Mondays Morgan Hill, Tuesdays San Jose; NEW Wednesdays San Jose
Students will be guided in an immersive and engaging outdoor class environment that invites students into mind-body awareness and engaged learning and Fun Hog, Dirt Time Active Games
Nature Immersion outdoor games will be an immersive and engaging outdoor class environment
It will be Inviting for students to access full mind-body awareness and an engaged nature immersion learning with dynamic exercise, fun and continued activity
Our nature games will be tailored, most often, to the lesson or topic we are working on, as well as, usefully to engage in kinesthetic learning and sensory awareness
Students will engage in Wild Sci skills useful for the explorer
Sharing Animal identification and investigations!
Wild play and forest skills movement!
Stealth and Scout Skills-silent movement and games,
Teaching games with balance, physical exercise through fun and cooperative play and with mild competition at times, but not a primary game focus
Fledgling Forest Explorers; T W and TH
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Fledgling has their PPP independence. I can poop, pack and play!
Tuesday and Wednesdays A Team Homeschool Community 10:40-11:50 and
TH 10-12; Cupertino Stevens Creek in our Outdoor Day program
Our Fledgling Forest Explorers program begins the process of Nature Led Immersion in the early stages of childhood development. Our intentions will be to promote a sense of belonging in nature and all its creatures, as well as, connections with fellow students. Our Staff are skilled at nurturing the sensory integrative awareness skills for young children, and Parents have the opportunity to learn alongside their children each week! We plan to explore our expansive park or farm land bases at each class location.
Our creative, place-based, nature curriculum of the trees, the plants, the birds and all the natural spaces is the essential environment that supports and invites the child to engage in their mind-body-sensory awareness and immersive connection to self and each other, in simple and natural ways.
Fledglings will have the opportunity to engage in core routines each week, including:
gratitude
storytelling tea time
play
nature awareness games that creative allow sit spot practice
They will be introduced to focused themes each week, as we follow nature’s guide of the seasons, such as: shelter, tools, fire, camouflage, eco art, terrestrial creature investigations, wild crafting potions and medicines, creek exploration, wandering, and wild discovery of plants and flowers — exploring these with their peers through inquiry-driven content provided by the creative nature educator.
Example Schedule
Fledgling Explorer Summer Camp begins our day with the larger village community time, a Gratitude circle, and in song.
After this time we find a peaceful spot for snack and story, before we begin our wander, explore and adventure time!
We will share Songs, Stories, Wander, Exploration and Play with creative guiding from experienced BEan Staff.
As we grow our confidence, each Mom will support her learner. This program can be a building block for Fall where mom can rotate her volunteer time with other moms. Contact us with questions!
Each week we will gather as we trickle in, with our whole camp tribe, soon we will go off, for snack, tea and story. We will engage in adventures with our Lead Fledgling Nature Led instructor.
At times we will merge with our larger group, to celebrate food, fire, and share our story of the day. This intentional overlap in our morning routine, village days, and celebration days will cohesize our whole camp tribe in simple sweet ways.
Stevens Creek Adventures; NOW THURSDAYS
Ages: Fledglings 3-5; 5.5-8.5; AND 9-14 years
Project-based and environmental-related lessons that are engaging and fun; all the while weaving in epic survival skills, ancestral living skills, and natural history education!
We can engage in BEan Earth Curriculum topics, such as:
Earth science, ecology, plant sciences: botany and more, sustainability through regenerative gardening, food science, green living, environmental sciences; biomimicry science and projects, stewardship studies and projects, nature connection time, art in nature creations, singing, storytelling, wild skills
WE will document our learning in our Natural Studies Learning Journals
We will investigate earth science topics and natural history topics!
We will inspire students using critical thinking skills and have lively discussions
We will read natural history stories and share from Braiding Sweetgrass for younger learners.
We will share our contagious enthusiasm for regenerative earth learning and engage in safe, engaging social emotional learning.
We will create art using the beauty around us and art media.
We will offer a vast education outdoors, immersing students in a learning environment, in ways that traditional models can’t. With a whole-child-led focus, students become invested in their education and foster a lifelong relationship with the land, their mentors and classmates, and the community. Here students are supported to push their own boundaries through safe mentor-led supported risks, thereby teaching them independence, confidence, resilience, and perseverance.
Offering more in an outdoor environment allows children to develop a strong sense of self and a natural love of science, creativity, writing, natural history, and more. In this design, children are naturally accessing their whole imaginations, incorporating their whole focus while growing into amazing earth stewards.
Our curriculum is full of opportunity, just like the natural world, and we plan on being flexible and opportunistic just as we would on any trip into the wilderness!
Thanksgiving circle at the beginning of each day
Team Building activities
Experiential nature awareness games
Animal-life and habitat discovery: adaptations, life cycles, tracking, and discovery through the seasons with use of field guides as our tools
Bird-life discovery: language and identification
Time for unstructured play, discovery and investigation
Story of the day - sharing our journey and adventures at the end of our day together
Nature Journaling and Science investigations and Writing with nature; discovering the beauty around us
Becoming Ecology Journalists
Creating Poetry
Nature sketching and journaling
Naturalist sit-spot discovery
Art with wild crafting, clay, water colors and more
Natural History
Field guide discovery
Environmental Stewardship
TNT (TW/TEENS) Next Level Skills are here!
Does your Tw/Teen (TNT) want desire to be part of an amazing TEEN Leadership, Stewardship and ReGenerative Earth Ed Immersion program?
Tween/Teen (TNT) Nature-Led Leader In Training (LIT):
Description of Tween/Teen (TNT) Nature-Led Leader In Training (LIT):
Leaders In Training will take an active role in becoming a BEan IN NATURE community of natural stewards! We will work with expert outdoor naturalists and educators learning Nature Led connection through ancient living history and wilderness experiential studies, engaging in active safe social emotional core values. We will take at least 2 field trips, with our families to local habitats to discover natural history such as the King Tides and a Redwood Forest Habitat.
We want to support our Tw/Teens to gain confidence, independence and meet new friends and old ones, while having amazing epic adventures each day with us!
This will train and create the TNT LIT to become naturally ready to assist their Nature Led educators, in future class offerings, mentoring other students in their nature led stewardship learning journey.
Our BEan Leaders In Training program is a dual program, designed to connect teens to Nature AND to each other, and deepen their connection to the earth.
1x A Month weekends : Feb 2-5; March 8-10; April 12-14; May 17-19 With An Excursion Backpacking Trip In June TBA and cost TBA
TNT Leadership, Stewardship and Next Level Wild Forest Skills!
Space will be limited!
TNT (TW/TEENS) 1x a month Overnight Camp (OG fam choose Fri only)
We hope your TW/TEEN (TNT) can join us Epic TW/Teen (TNT) NEXT LEVEL SKILLS weekends!
When: 1X A MONTH
Friday arrival (OG fam choose Friday day) and ending SUNDAY 1 NOON
Where: Felton, Private Land Base
Who: 12 and up; TW/Teens (TNTs)
A major role for our Teen Leadership Events are:
to share contagious enthusiasm, epic adventures and amazing stories
to gain a curiosity for the outdoors and learn new wild skills
to support the desire to be part of a fantastic nature tribe
to connect deeply to ourselves and to each other, while building confidence, independence and participating in reciprocity for our earth and and its beings
Ollie, 13 --
I really enjoyed learning nature skills such as how to use a fire rod/flint and steel, how to identify wild plants, and plenty of other valuable pieces of information. At mealtime, we had hot dogs galore and after that we roasted marshmallows. In the morning we roasted buns and apples, along with a few marshmallows too, and during the day, (not including lunch, when we had sandwiches) we were free to forage the billberries (basically CA blueberries) and blackberries that grew there. I also made a few great friends. I would recommend this program!
Mom--
I was looking for a program in which my son could level-up his nature skills - TNT Bean in Nature fit the bill! We've been very happy with the program. Marisa and her staff are caring and knowledgeable and my son comes home from the campouts happy and excited to share his new skills.
Cost: We strive to always make this possible for all of our families! Financial Need: We have 1 Parent Partial Work trade open for Spring.
What will your Teen Participate In?
Hiking and Exploring Wild Forest Skills Day, Eve Cooking dinner over the fire, Safe Epic late night stealthy, late night ninja forest fun and sleeping outside or in their tent
Stewardship and comraderie & connectiveness and skills! We will focus on a myriad of skills dependent on the weather and flow of our natural environment
Once our class has mastered fundamental skills and core values are concrete, we can move into deeper facets of land connection .
Such as:Exploring the Redwood Forest habitats and creek life near us; Macro Invertebrate ID, Bird Language and ID, Wilderness tool making, Leatherwork, First Aid med making, , Wild Plants ID, Wild Crafts, Mushroom ID, and Field ID more!
Lessons will be mixed with activities and games designed to grow connection, stealth and camouflage, balance, and fun.
PREREQUISITES: Tweens and Teens (TNTs) 12 and up,
Your teen can register to learn amazing wild skills and step into mentoring and leadership together as a tribe while having loads of fun with other TW/Teens (TNTs).
This program design will build on existing skills and support the learning of wild skills, games and projects.
We want to support our Teens to gain confidence, independence and meet new friends and old ones, while having amazing epic adventures each day with us!
Want CPR and First Aid
additional training?
Taught by an amazing instructor ALL ON ZOOM! Share with Nicole you heard about here program through BEan!
Nicole Roma Thurrell, CTRS, WEMT
Director, Institute for Wild Med
Forest Fledgling w/Parent
Ages: 1-4
Our Fledgling Forest Explorers program begins the process of Nature Led Immersion in the early stages of childhood development. Our intentions will be to promote a sense of belonging in nature and all its creatures, and each other. Mrs. Bean is skilled at nurturing the sensory integrative awareness skills for young children, and the Parent will have the opportunity to learn alongside their children each week! We plan to explore our A Team land bases at each class location and perhaps the park behind.
Our creative, place-based, nature curriculum of the trees, the plants, the birds and all the natural spaces is the essential environment that supports and invites the child to engage in their mind-body-sensory awareness and immersive connection to self and each other, in simple and natural ways.
Fledglings will have the opportunity to engage in core routines each week, including:
gratitude
storytelling tea time
play
nature awareness games that creative allow sit spot practice
They will be introduced to focused themes each week, as we follow nature’s guide of the seasons, such as: shelter, tools, fire, camouflage, eco art, terrestrial creature investigations, wild crafting potions and medicines, creek exploration, wandering, and wild discovery of plants and flowers — exploring these with their peers through inquiry-driven content provided by the creative nature educator.
Example Schedule
Fledgling w/parent begins our day in Gratitude circle with our morning song.
After this time we find a peaceful spot for snack and story, before we begin our wander, explore and adventure in our place based site.
We will share Songs, Stories, Wander, Exploration Play and experience our garden at A Team with creative guiding from Mrs. Bean.
As we grow our confidence, each Mom will support her learner. This program can be a building block for Summer where mom can rotate her volunteer time with other moms. Contact us with questions!
Each week we will gather as we trickle in slowly, allowing our bodies to catch up and our minds to follow, with no rush to our morning start.
Thursday Woodside Outdoor Adventures REG OPEN NOW!
Ages: 5-15 years old
Thursday Outdoor Adventures will provide fun, adventure, and learning outdoors!
Learn wilderness survival skills, HANDS ON ACTIVITIES AND MORE by training with the experts of BEan IN NATURE! Our team will guide your child through hands-on activities in wilderness lore and ancient living skills.
Our March Focus will be on Fire and Knife Safety Certification and Knife Whittling Work! A general structure of our day can include…
Thanksgiving Circle—Sharing words of gratitude
Awareness Games—Scout skills, blindfolded drum stalk, camouflage, animal forms, and more
Wandering—Outdoor exploring nature
Storytelling—Telling stories with words, journaling, acting
Art of questioning—The answer always leads to more questions…
Sit Spot—Knowledge of place, quiet reflection, observation, and experience
Wild Crafts & Skills—Learn ancestral skills important for the explorer
Our 4 week programs can focus on many topics!
Gain Skills
Wild crafting with plants and dyes
Edible plants: natures grocery store
Medicinal plants: natures medicine cabinet
Trees: tools and shelter
Fire by friction: cooking over our fire
Botany: plant families
Birds: messengers of the wilderness
Water: creek life exploration and discovery
Experience and Immerse
Hazard awareness and safety
Safe animal encounters and discovery
Nature awareness games
Story telling: earth tales from around our world
Song: cultural and traditional
Create
sketching
nature journaling
water color
art with rock and clay
Observe
sit spot, journaling
field guides
AND MORE ... as the seasons open up new exciting opportunities, we engage fully!