2025/26 Early Years Nature-Based Discovery Program

This Early Years Discovery Program is a journey of self-discovery, playful exploration of the natural world, and building peer and community connections.

There are two separate Pods, each running for 6 hours, 2 days a week. It is divided into 3 separate Journeys throughout the year; a fall, winter and spring Journey. Families can choose to enrol their child in one, two or all three Journeys. Families can choose to enrol their child in either Pod 1: Golden Acorns or Pod 2: Golden Sprouts (see details below).

Music and movement with Leah Gardner is offered once a week for each pod, in addition to field trips, special guests and much more!

Program Design

Journeys

$1,760

2025 Fall Journey - 16 Weeks

September 2 - December 18

$1,100

2026 Winter Journey - 10 Weeks

January 5 - March 12

$1,430

2026 Spring Journey - 13 Weeks

March 30 - June 25

Pod 1. Golden Acorns

  • Mondays and Wednesdays

  • 9am- 3pm

  • Peer Pod: Children ages 3-5*

    *Child must turn 3 prior to the journey’s start date, and not turn 6 until after the journey’s end date

Pod 2. Golden Sprouts

  • Tuesdays and Thursdays

  • 9am-3pm

  • Peer Pod: Children ages 3-5*

    *Child must turn 3 prior to the journey’s start date, and not turn 6 until after the journey’s end date

“IT TAKES TIME—loose, unstructured dreamtime—to experience nature in a meaningful way.”
— Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

Location, Location, Location!

All children will be dropped off and picked up at the Town of Golden’s Keith King Memorial Park. There is a large parking lot and a small concession building where the Budding Minds Adventure Leads will be each morning, with big smiles, to greet you and your children. There is so much to discover in this natural and community-built landscape and opportunities for your children to become knowledge keepers and stewards of this place are endless. Alongside their Adventure Lead, the children will explore the forests, trail networks, water channels, marshes and mountains that surround them.

Playful Exploration

The children will participate in diverse, multisensory experiences, where they will be provided opportunities for problem solving, social and emotional development while participating in nature based discovery play.

Our peer pods will engage in playful exploration demonstrated by investigating the properties of objects, experimenting with action and reaction, cause and effect, while connecting to a deep sense of curiosity.

“No barefooted, tree climbing, frog holding, mud pie baking, cloud spotting, puddle stomping, bird calling, wild foraging, moon gazing, firefly chasing, fort building, creek following, rock hunting moment with Mother Nature is ever wasted.”

— Nicolette Sowder