How can I arrange a tour of the program?

Please contact us by completing our contact form, emailing our director at creekkidsllc@gmail.com, or calling 541-301-0678. We offer tours after school, on breaks, and on weekends if needed.

Do you provide meals?

Creek Kids provides two nutritious snacks and one lunch per day. Allergies can be accommodated upon request.  What goes into our children's bodies is important, our meals include whole grains whenever possible, along with fruits, vegetable, and proteins.  All meals are homemade with high quality ingredients.  

You're outside so much, how do the kids stay warm?

There is a common saying for the outdoors that states, "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." Many forest and nature schools around the world operate in similar or colder climates with great success. Proper gear and extra clothes is a must to help our students stay warm and dry. Please see our Gear List for ideas on layering and keeping your children warm. We are developing a lending library of gear as well. If your child is in need of an item please ask and we will try to help get it for them. We also offer hand warmers to students as needed, have extra gloves, and provide warm fruit tea at snacks and on hikes.

How long are the students outside typically?

Students are typically outside from 9:00-11:15, and then again from 2:15-4:00.

What type of STEM activities have you done?

We frequently do STEM activities with the children as they are so easily embedded in the natural environment. Each unit we study is typically rooted in nature. Some units we have done with the children include mushrooms, leaves, all about me and my body, and hibernation! We read stories relating to each topic along with doing hands-on activities, such as looking at mushrooms under a microscope, growing our own mushrooms, and building our own dens for hibernation. As children are ready for learning tool use, they are exposed to how tools are used safely. Our students are currently learning to use carrot peelers to peel wood, and use small hammers to break open ice cubes. The kids also love exploring with pipes and ramps while building! We practice mathematics using practical applications while we explore nature. The children have enjoyed using stickers to graph and count the different bugs, leaves, and colors we have found on our walks. We will often create scenarios for children to predict outcomes such as figuring out which object is heavier, or determining whether will it sink or float. 

What Curriculums do you follow?

We utilize Learning without Tears for fine motor and handwriting development, Haggerty for literacy development, Wild Math for developing math skills, and Exploring Nature with Children for seasonal themes and topics.      

Do you have gear available to lend?

We are building up a lending close for children to borrow from as they grow.  If your child is in need of something to make their time here more comfortable, please let us know and we will try to help.   Starting 2024-2025 school year, we will be providing each child with a full rain suit along with rain boots from Oaki.