We are located in West Olympia near Evergreen State College, nestled on 5 private forested acres with trails, open play spaces, and our cozy yurt classroom.

Our Preschool and Parent-Child programs begin the day outside and then transition indoors for the daily enrichment activity. At least half of every day is spent outside, rain or shine. Our preschool children are outside for 2.5-3 hrs everyday.

Our Summer Camp programs are fully outdoors. We do not go inside.

We guide families on appropriate/necessary gear so children are comfortable and able to play in all weather.

Layers are essential. Waterproof rain gear, sturdy boots, warm base layers in colder months, and sun protection in warmer weather allow children to thrive outside. We provide a detailed gear guide upon enrollment in any of our programs.

Our community is generous and we often have pre-loved gear looking for a new home.

Mixed-age classrooms foster leadership, empathy, and collaboration. Younger children learn by observing and playing alongside older peers, while older children grow in confidence and responsibility as natural mentors.

It creates a family-like culture that supports social development in a very organic way.

Yes. Our graduates attend a variety of public and private elementary schools.

While our days may look different from a traditional classroom, children leave Wild Beginnings with strong social skills, independence, emotional regulation, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and a deep capacity for focus — all foundational skills for long-term academic success.

As a small two-person teaching team, we are not able to offer ongoing site tours or trial days, as these are disruptive to our school rhythm and our currently enrolled children.

However, we do offer two detailed video walk-throughs on our website that share the feeling of the land, the yurt, and our daily flow. Many families find these incredibly helpful. We also offer an open house in April.

We’re also happy to connect by phone to answer questions personally.

The enrollment process is slightly different depending on which program you are interested in.

Our preschool enrollment period is January 1 - February 28. During this time we accept applications from new families, and finalize re-enrollment with our current families. Enrollment offers are typically made during the first two weeks of March. We encourage you to apply early or join the waitlist as we often receive more applications than we can accommodate.

Once the program is full, we accept waitlist applications. Mid-year openings sometimes occur and we contact waitlist families to see if they are interested. Waitlist families are also given priority enrollment during the next enrollment cycle. We will check with you in January if you are still interested in applying for enrollment and move you to the top of our application pool.

After submitting an application and paying the $25 fee, we review your application carefully. If it feels like a potential fit, we will reach out to schedule a call. Enrollment decisions are based on classroom balance, age mix, and alignment with our program values — not simply first-come, first-served.

Our parent-child program enrolls every quarter, beginning the month prior to the first day of class. During this time we accept applications from new families and finalize re-enrollment with our current families. If you apply in a quarter when there are no openings, we will place you on our waitlist and contact you as soon as the next enrollment period opens to confirm interest.

Our summer camp program begins enrolling in January and continues until the camps are full. After submitting your application, we will send you a confirmation email. Your child’s spot is not secured until you have received the confirmation email and paid your $100 non-refundable deposit.

Unfortunately we are unable to offer financial assistance at this time. Periodically, we receive generous donations and sponsorships from the community which we use to fund our scholarship fund. If tuition presents a hardship, we encourage you to reach out directly so we can discuss your situation.

We do offer custom payment plans for Summer Camp tuition.

We ask that you send us a quick text or email to let us know of your child’s absence.

Tuition is not prorated for absences, illnesses, family travel or scheduled school breaks. This holds your child’s spot and sustains our small program. If an extended situation creates a real hardship please reach out directly.