The Woolly Bears
A weekly day at Columbia Springs to move, create, explore, learn practical skills and build community.
See the Fall SeriesWhat we're about
We're a small group of homeschooling families who spend one day a week outside together. Kids and parents move, make things with their hands, explore the forest and share lunch.
Parents stay and take part. It's slow, muddy and a lot of fun. We're named after the black-and-rust caterpillars you can spot on the Columbia Springs trails in fall.
What our day looks like
- Morning
Movement and games
We start the day moving together, kids and grown-ups.
- Late morning
Nature exploration
Trails, ponds, nurse logs, mushrooms and whatever we find.
- Midday
Handwork and making
Felting, weaving, sewing, painting and lanterns.
- To close
Shared lunch
Bring your own lunch. There's warm soup to share.
Fall Series 2026
Plus a bonus Lantern Walk on Sunday, Nov 8, open to friends and family.
Fall Series 2026
Six Mondays of forest, crafts and community at Columbia Springs, plus a bonus lantern walk.
- When
- Six Mondays, Oct 12 to Nov 16, 10am to 2pm
- Bonus
- Lantern Walk, Sunday Nov 8. We make the lanterns in class the weeks before. Friends and family are welcome to join the walk. Sign-up happens in person at class.
- Where
- Columbia Springs, 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA. Meet at the parking lot at 10am.
- Ages
- 6 to 14. Younger siblings are welcome to tag along with their parent at no charge.
- Price
- $120 per child for all six sessions, all materials included
- Group size
- Small on purpose, about 12 spots
- Sign up by
- Friday, Oct 9
A parent or guardian stays for the whole session. This isn't a drop-off program. Parents take part alongside their kids, phones away.
The practical bits
Lunch. Bring your own lunch. We'll have warm soup to share, and on the last day we make stone soup together, with each family bringing one ingredient.
What to bring. Rain gear, waterproof boots, warm layers, a bowl and spoon, a water bottle and lunch.
Weather. We go out rain or shine and have an indoor space for bad days. Changes go out in the WhatsApp group.
How booking works
- Register and pay. Your card is charged $120 per child at checkout. This reserves a spot request, not a confirmed place.
- Fill in the family form within 3 days. You'll go straight to it after paying, and we'll email you the link too. It takes about 20 minutes and includes the waiver.
- We review every form to make sure the group is a good fit for everyone, and reply within 3 days.
- Accepted: we confirm by email and add you to the WhatsApp group. Not a fit: you get a full refund.
If we don't get your form within 3 days we may release your spot and refund you.
Refunds
| Not offered a place | Full refund |
| Withdraw before Oct 12 | Full refund |
| Withdraw before Oct 19 | $100 back per child |
| From Oct 19 | No refund |
Tick the box above to continue. Set the number of children aged 6 to 14 at checkout.
Thanks for registering
You're one step away. Please fill in our family form within 3 days. It takes about 20 minutes, asks about your family and kids, and ends with the waiver.
Use the same email address you paid with, so we can match your form to your payment.
The family form link is coming soon. We'll email it to you.
What happens next
- Shannon and Becky read every form and reply within 3 days.
- If we accept, we'll confirm by email and add the attending parent to our WhatsApp group.
- If it's not a fit, we'll refund you in full, usually the same day.
Questions? Email hello@thewoollybears.com
Who we are
We're two homeschooling moms who wanted a place for our kids to slow down, get outside and make things alongside other families. The Woolly Bears is run in partnership with Sunshine Wellness.
Shannon
I homeschool all three of my kids. It's been quite a journey, seven years and counting, with ups and downs and lots of fun thrown in. I'm always learning. My children teach me to laugh more, live in the moment and see the wonder all around me every day. Nature teaches me the unflustered rhythms of her seasons and keeps me grounded. Waldorf education teaches me how and why I do what I do.
Our days follow the rhythms of nature, and we engage our heads, hearts and hands. We craft with wool, beeswax and kite paper. We bake bread. We paint. We play the flute. We sing our times tables. We giggle a lot. We learn.
I'm inspired to create a space for community to gather. A space where we can come together as homeschooling families to teach and learn from each other, and where children and adults can craft, play and learn together.
Columbia Springs
Columbia Springs holds a special place in our hearts. It was one of the first places we visited when we moved to the Pacific Northwest. The trail is dense with firs and sweet chestnut trees. Mushrooms pop out on nurse logs everywhere you look. Fallen leaves cover the paths where, if you look closely, you can spot salamanders and woolly bears.
Becky
I'm a homeschooling mom and yoga teacher. Ever since I dove into the homeschooling world, I've yearned to be part of a space where kids are encouraged to slow down, explore, create and connect with other homeschool families.
I gravitated towards Waldorf-inspired learning when I came across its hands-on rhythm to the day. My hope is for this to become a warm and welcoming space where our kids can make lasting friendships, learn something new and maybe get a little muddy. I'm really excited about growing this community.
Code of Conduct
The Woolly Bears · Fall Series at Columbia Springs · Oct 12 to Nov 16, 10am to 2pm
We want this to be a warm, muddy, happy little community for six weeks. These guidelines keep it that way. Every family agrees to them when they register.
This is a family program, not a drop-off class
Shannon and Becky are two homeschooling moms, not teachers or a childcare service. They're here with their own kids, and they take no pay for planning and running the sessions. Your fee covers the venue, materials and insurance. You stay with your children for the whole session, and you're responsible for them and how they behave.
Show up and take part
Phones stay away except for emergencies, and kids don't bring devices. Parents craft, cook and explore alongside the kids. Expect to get stuck in.
Rain or shine
We're outside in all weather, with an indoor space for when it's truly nasty. Dress everyone for cold and wet. Mud is part of it.
Tools and fire
Kids only use hand tools with a parent watching and after being shown how. Any fire is small, supervised, and only where Columbia Springs allows it. Nobody goes near it without an adult.
Look after each other
Be kind, include everyone, and help the younger ones. If kids clash, their parents step in first. If something keeps happening, talk to Shannon or Becky privately rather than in the group chat.
Younger siblings
Younger siblings are welcome to tag along. They stay with their parent, who looks after them alongside everything else.
Photos
Don't post or share photos of other families' kids anywhere without their parents' okay.
Look after the place
Leave Columbia Springs as we found it, or better. Stay on the paths, leave wildlife alone, and pack out what you bring in.
Pitch in
Help set up, serve lunch and clean up. Everyone chips in, and everyone brings one ingredient for stone soup on the last day.
When it's not working
If a family repeatedly doesn't follow these guidelines, Shannon and Becky may ask them to leave the group. Refunds follow the normal policy.
Thank you for helping make this a great six weeks.