The Woolly BearsThe Woolly Bears
Homeschool days for making, wandering and growing together.
Kids and parents come together. We spend the day outside, make things with our hands, and eat lunch together.
A day with the Woolly Bears
A small, hands-on homeschool community. Kids and their grown-ups spend the day outside together: moving, making things by hand, exploring the woods and sharing lunch. We meet on Mondays from 10 to 2, in short seasonal series.
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MOVE
We start with games that get everyone running, laughing and warm. Grown-ups play too.
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MAKENeedle felting, finger knitting, cob, beeswax, kite paper and lanterns. Real materials, slow hands, side by side.
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EXPLORETrails, ponds and nurse logs. Looking closely for mushrooms, salamanders and woolly bears, and noticing what's changed since last week.
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GATHER
We sit down to lunch together, with warm soup to share and plenty of conversation.
Head. Heart. Hands.
Kids learn deeply when they're moving, making, noticing and doing things together, not just listening.
Our days borrow from Waldorf education: a steady rhythm that follows the seasons, natural materials, lots of handwork, time outdoors and very few screens. It's a way of teaching, not a belief system. There's no religious content, and you don't need to know anything about Waldorf to join us.
Every week has the same shape, so kids know what's coming and can settle in. Here's what learning looks like with us:
- Reading the season in the woods
- Working wool, wax and clay by hand
- Games that use the whole body
- Staying happy outside in the rain
- Helping set up and clean up
- Friendships across ages
Come learn alongside them.
Grown-ups don't wait in the car or watch from a bench. You're part of the day.
You'll play the games, felt and paint at the same table as your child, walk the trails together and share soup with other homeschooling parents. Plenty of the making is new to grown-ups too, so you'll pick up skills of your own. And you get to watch how your child learns when they're making, exploring and figuring things out for themselves.
Not childcare. Community. A parent or guardian stays with their own children for the whole day, phones away, and looks after any younger siblings who come along.
It might be your kind of thing if…
We're one mixed-age group of homeschooled kids aged 6 to 14. Younger children are very welcome: the older ones help, and the younger ones stretch.
- Your child is happiest outside, in any weather
- They love making things with their hands
- They learn best by doing, not sitting
- You're looking for real homeschool community, not just another activity
- You'd like learning to feel less like a classroom
- You'd enjoy spending the day alongside your child
Hi, I'm Shamineh.
A homeschooling mom of three who wanted a place where my kids could get muddy, make things with their hands, wander outside and build real friendships, and where parents could be part of it too. I couldn't find it, so I started it.
Winter Series 2026
- When
- 2 Mondays, Nov 30 and Dec 7
- Time
- 10am to 2pm
- Where
- Columbia Springs, Vancouver, WA
- Ages
- 6 to 14
- Making
- Kite paper stars, beeswax candles
- Sign-up
- Open now until Nov 29
12 spots. Small on purpose.
Fall Series 2026
Six Mondays of woods, wool and good company, for homeschooling kids and the grown-ups who come with them. Plus a lantern walk.
- When
- 6 Mondays, Oct 12 to Nov 16
- Time
- 10am to 2pm
- Where
- Columbia Springs, Vancouver, WA
- Ages
- 6 to 14
12 spots. Small on purpose.
Sign-up for this fall closed on Oct 9. Our Winter Series runs Nov 30 and Dec 7.
What we make
We choose each week's making once we know the group and the weather, and share it in the family WhatsApp group. Grown-ups make too, so expect to go home with something of your own.
Wool
Needle felting, finger knitting, and building a seasonal table together. Felt a pumpkin at home with our free instructions.
Cob
Fairy houses, gnomes and coasters shaped from clay, sand and straw.
Kite paper
Seasonal stars and leaves to hang in the window. Try one at home with our free instructions.
Beeswax
Dipping autumn leaves in warm beeswax with parents alongside, and modeling with softened wax.
Nature finds
Leaf crowns and pine cone creatures made from what we find on the ground.
Painting
Painting our lanterns in the weeks before the Lantern Walk. Try wet-on-wet watercolor at home.
How the day flows
No bells and no timetable. The day has a shape kids can settle into, and we follow it rain or shine.
- To beginMOVE
Games like Great Horned Owl and Beetle Tag to warm up and bring the group together. Grown-ups join in.
- ThenMAKE
Handwork with wool, cob, beeswax, kite paper and paint. Parents make alongside their kids.
- Out we goEXPLORE
Trails, ponds and nurse logs. Looking closely, noticing what's changed, and getting at home outside in any weather.
- To closeGATHER
Lunch together, with warm soup to share. Bring your own lunch.
The Woolly Bears Lantern Walk
Sunday · November 8
Through the series we make and paint lanterns in class. Then we light them and walk together.
It's a free bonus for Fall Series families, and friends and family are welcome to join the walk. Sign-up happens in person at class.
Homeschooling families who want to be in it together
Kids aged 6 to 14, in one mixed-age group. The sweet spot is around 9 to 12, and younger children are very welcome. My own three kids, aged 7, 9 and 11, are there every week.
Grown-ups stay and join in. A parent or guardian is with their children for the whole day, phones away. You'll make, move and explore alongside them, and get to know the other families too.
The practical bits
Six Mondays: Oct 12, 19 and 26, Nov 2, 9 and 16. Lantern Walk on Sunday, Nov 8.
The Columbia Springs parking lot at 10am, 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA. We finish at 2pm.
Bring your own, and we'll have warm soup to share. On our last day, Nov 16, we make stone soup together, and each family brings one ingredient.
Rain gear, waterproof boots, warm layers, a bowl and spoon, a water bottle and lunch.
Rain or shine. On wet days we head into our indoor crafting room. Changes go out in the WhatsApp group.
Welcome to tag along at no charge. They stay with their parent.
12 children. Sign-up closed on Oct 9.
Winter Series 2026
Two Mondays of making: kite paper stars on Nov 30 and beeswax candles on Dec 7. Sign-up is open now.
Can't make December? Leave your email and we'll tell you about our next classes.
Questions? Email hello@thewoollybears.com.
Hi, I'm Shamineh.
A homeschooling mom of three, looking for somewhere my kids could get muddy, make things with their hands and build real friendships, alongside other families who wanted to be there too.
What I kept finding was either drop-off classes or casual park days. I wanted something in between: a day with a rhythm to it, real making, time in the woods, and parents in the middle of it all. So I started one. It's small on purpose, my own kids are in the group every week, and I take no pay for it. The fees cover the venue, materials and insurance.
Shamineh
Homeschooling mom of three
I homeschool all three of my kids: my daughters, 11 and 7, and my son, 9. 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.
Where this fall's series meets
Our Fall Series is at Columbia Springs, which 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.
FAQ
Is it right for us?
Who leads the classes?
Shamineh, a homeschooling mom, plans each day and brings the materials. She isn't a teacher, and this isn't a taught class. Each parent guides their own child, and we all make, play and learn together.
Do parents really stay the whole time?
Yes, and it's a big part of what makes it work. A parent or guardian stays with their children for every session and looks after them and any younger siblings. It's a day you share, not a drop-off class.
What do parents do all day?
Pretty much everything the kids do. You'll play the games, make alongside your child, walk the trails and eat lunch together, and you'll get to know the other homeschooling parents. Plenty of the making is new to grown-ups too.
What ages is it for?
Children aged 6 to 14, in one mixed-age group. Younger children are very welcome. My own three kids will be there every week, aged 7, 9 and 11.
Is everyone welcome?
Yes. Every family is welcome here, whatever your background, beliefs or family shape, and that includes LGBTQIA+ parents and kids. Our Code of Conduct asks everyone to be kind, include everyone and look after each other. If anything ever feels off, talk to Shamineh and she'll deal with it.
Is the group religious?
No. The Woolly Bears is secular and open to families of every faith and none. Our days are games, handwork, time outside and a shared lunch, with no religious content.
Is this Waldorf?
We're Waldorf-inspired. That means a steady rhythm to the day, lots of handwork with natural materials, time outdoors, learning by doing and very little screen time. It's a way of teaching, not a belief system, and you don't need to know anything about Waldorf to join.
Who else will be there?
A small group of up to 12 kids and their parents. Every family agrees to our Code of Conduct when they sign up, so everyone knows what to expect from each other. Kids of all ages and temperaments come, and each parent looks after their own child's behavior. If anything concerns you, tell Shamineh on the day.
What if it's not for us?
The first session is the time to find out. If it's not the right fit, email us before the second session and you get everything back except $20 per child. Once the second session starts, we can't refund for any reason, including fit. Full details are in our Booking terms.
Can younger siblings come?
Yes. Children aged 5 and under come free. They stay with their parent, who looks after them alongside everything else.
Are phones allowed?
Phones stay away for grown-ups too, except for emergencies, and kids don't bring devices.
The practical stuff
What happens if it rains?
We go out rain or shine. When it's wet, we head into our indoor crafting room. Any changes go out in the WhatsApp group.
What should we bring?
Rain gear, waterproof boots, warm layers, a bowl and spoon, a water bottle and lunch.
What about lunch?
Bring your own lunch. We'll have warm soup to share. Some weeks we make stone soup together, and each family brings one ingredient.
Where do you meet?
This season our classes are at Columbia Springs, 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA. We meet in the parking lot at 10am. Each class page has the details.
What happens after I pay?
Your place is confirmed right away. Within a day we email you a short family form and waiver, so we know who's coming and have what we need for the day. Please send it back within 3 days, and before the first session. Then we add you to the WhatsApp group.
What's your refund policy?
Full refund before the first session. If you come to the first Monday and it's not for you, cancel before the second and you get everything back except $20 for the first session. No refund after that. If a series fills up or we have to cancel, you get a full refund. Exact dates for each class are in our Booking terms.
Want to join next time?
Leave your email and we'll tell you when our next classes open.
Still wondering about something? Email hello@thewoollybears.com