At Sugar Pine and The Makery, children are invited to do more than just crafts or typical summer activities. This is a space to wonder, explore, experiment, create, and connect with the natural world in meaningful ways. Our STEAM-powered arts and crafts classes and nature-based camps blend science, art, engineering, storytelling, and outdoor exploration into hands-on experiences designed to spark curiosity and creativity. Whether campers are examining dragonflies at the lake, watercoloring wildflowers, building flight challenges inspired by birds, or exploring forest trails, children are encouraged to slow down, ask questions, and learn through discovery and play.
Programs are led by educator, naturalist, artist, and writer Brooke Krolick of The Mindful Naturalist, drawing on more than two decades of experience working with children in classrooms, outdoor education, and community programs. For local families, our camps help children build lasting connections with the Sierra foothills they call home. For visiting families, they offer an authentic, place-based experience rooted in creativity, curiosity, and the magic of the mountains.
Wonder * Explore * Experiment * Create
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Wonder * Explore * Experiment * Create *
Forest School Adventure Camps at White Pines Park
Our nature-based summer camps blend hands-on science, art, outdoor exploration, storytelling, and creative play to help children connect deeply with the natural world through curiosity, discovery, and adventure..
Ages
Best for children aged 6-12 ish
Dates
Session 3: June 29-July 1 MTW Flower Power
SOLD OUT! Session 4: July 6-8 MTW Scale Tales: Reptiles
Session 5: July 12-15 MTW Minibeast Bonanza
Bonus Session! July 21-24 TThF The Night Shift: Nocturnal Animals
Session 6: July 27-30 MTTh All About Birds
Session 7: Aug 3-5 MTW The Sky Above
Session 8: Aug 10-12 MTW Rocks & Roots: Geology and Dendrology
Session9: Aug 17- 19 MTW Things with Wings
Time
9:30am - 3:00pm
Location
White Pines Park near Arnold, California
Session 3 — June 29-July 1 — MTW — 9:30-3:00 — Flower Power
In Flower Power we will meet the pollinators during a week bursting with color, scent, and life. We’ll explore wildflowers and the magic of photosynthesis while getting to know the bees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds that keep ecosystems blooming. Our art study will draw inspiration from Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, inviting campers to notice the beauty and structure of flowers up close. Each day offers time to wander, observe, and celebrate the vibrant connections that make the natural world flourish. For children aged 6-12 ish.
White Pines Park — Arnold, California.
Session 4 — July 6-8 — MTW — 9:30-3:00 Scale Tales: Reptiles
Slither into Scale Tales, a week dedicated to the fascinating reptiles of the Sierra Nevada. We’ll get to know native snakes and lizards, learning how they move, hunt, and thrive in their environments. Through a hands-on engineering challenge, campers will experiment with how snakes travel so effectively - no legs required. Our art study will explore understanding texture in art. As always, we’ll spend our days exploring, observing, and uncovering the quiet, sun-warmed stories written in scales and stone. Best for children aged 6-12 ish.
White Pines Park, Arnold California
Session 5 — July 12-14 — MTW — 9:30-3:00 — Minibeast Bonanza
Jump into Minibeast Bonanza, where the smallest creatures take center stage. Campers will become real field scientists, conducting their own biological survey of White Pines Park and observing insects, isopods, worms, spiders, and maybe, even a few wary frogs and toads along the way. Using their discoveries, each camper will create a handmade mini-book documenting the minibeasts they encounter. It’s a week of close looking, muddy knees, and big discoveries in the tiniest corners of the natural world. Children ages 6-12 ish.
White Pines Park near Arnold, California
Session 2 — July 21-24 — TThF — 9:30-3:00 — The Night Shift: Nocturnal Animals
Step into The Night Shift: Nocturnal Animals, where the forest comes alive after dark. Nighttime is when many of our local mammals—skunks, foxes, opossums, bats, mountain lions, bobcats, and more—do their most important work, and we’ll explore why the cover of darkness suits them so well. We’ll also make time for owls and moths, learning how they navigate and thrive in a world of shadows and sound. Along the way, we’ll study how light works and take a closer look at eyes and special adaptations that make night creatures so exquisitely tuned to life after sunset. For children aged 6-12 ish.
White Pines Park, Arnold, California
Session 6— July 27-30 — MTTh— 9:30-3:30 — All About Birds
Soar into All About Birds, a week devoted to the feathered residents of White Pines. Campers will observe both big and small birds—from nesting bald eagles to clever ravens and familiar robins—learning how each is uniquely adapted to survive and thrive. We’ll take a closer look at beaks, feet, wing shapes, and feathers, then put our knowledge to the test with a hands-on flight-inspired engineering project. Each day invites quiet observation, curiosity, and the joy of noticing birds in their natural rhythms. Children aged 6-12 ish.
White Pines Park near Arnold, California
Session 7 — Aug 3-5 — MTW — 9:30-3:00 — The Sky Above
Look up to The Sky Above, a week devoted to exploring both night and day time skies. We’ll lear about the moon, stars, and summer constellations, tracing patterns across the dark canvas above us and wondering at our place within them. We’ll turn our attention to the sun, clouds, and weather, noticing how light, movement, and atmosphere shape our changing skies. Each day invites curiosity, observation, and a deeper sense of connection to the world overhead as below.
Rocks & Roots: Geology and Dendrology is where we explore the deep time story of the Sierra Nevada; how ancient geology shaped the mountains beneath our feet and, in turn, the ecosystems that grow here today. Trees define so much of life in Calaveras County, and this week we’ll get curious about how they function, adapt, and anchor themselves to place. Alongside hands-on rockhounding and close study of trees, we’ll continue our forest games, free play, and open-ended exploration. It’s a week for both digging into stone and reaching into the canopy, discovering how everything is connected through rock, soil, and root.
Take to the air in Things with Wings, a week devoted to flight in all its forms. We’ll explore birds and feathers, whirling seeds, and the astonishing world of flying insects—asking how and why things rise, glide, and hover. Through observation and play, campers will design and test their own flying creations in a hands-on engineering challenge. As always, we’ll balance our studies with time outside, watching, wondering, and following whatever takes flight before us.
Where to Find Us
We meet at the picnic tables near the playground at White Pines Park each morning at 9:30. Pick up is in the same spot!
Lyons Park Road at White Pines Lake
Arnold, California 95223
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.
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Each day at camp blends outdoor exploration, hands-on nature study, creative arts and crafts, games, free play, and STEAM-based learning. Campers spend time exploring the forests, lakes, and trails of White Pines while engaging in themed activities inspired by wildlife, ecology, art, and science. Every session includes time for curiosity, creativity, movement, and connection with the natural world.
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Safety is always a top priority at camp. I am certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR and carry a fully stocked first aid kit with me at all times during camp activities. If your child experiences any injury requiring the use of the first aid kit beyond a very minor scrape or bandage, you will receive a phone call and incident update. In the event of a more serious emergency, I will contact parents/guardians immediately and coordinate with our local emergency responders through Ebbetts Pass Fire District and emergency medical services if needed.
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Our camps are intentionally small, creative, and deeply rooted in connection with the natural world. Rather than rushing from activity to activity, we make space for curiosity, imagination, free play, hands-on exploration, and meaningful outdoor experiences. Each week blends science, art, storytelling, engineering, nature journaling, and outdoor adventure in ways that help children slow down, notice the world around them, and build confidence through creativity and discovery.
Led by educator, artist, and naturalist Brooke Krolick, The Mindful Naturalist, camps draw on more than two decades of experience working with children in classrooms, outdoor education, and community programs. Whether children are exploring pond life, tracking pollinators, building nature-inspired engineering projects, or creating art beneath the pines, our goal is to nurture curious, capable kids who leave camp muddy, inspired, and excited to keep exploring long after the week ends.
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Young naturalists should come prepared for a full day of outdoor adventure and creativity! Campers should bring a hearty snack, lunch, reusable water bottle, sunscreen already applied if possible, any necessary medications, and light layers for changing mountain weather. Closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended for outdoor exploration.
Some camp days may include supervised swimming or shoreline wading at White Pines, so families will receive advance notice if swimsuits, towels, or water shoes are needed. We may also offer beginner whittling activities during certain sessions, which means campers are welcome to bring a pocket knife if they already know basic safety and have parent permission. Safety guidelines and close supervision will always be provided.
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Yes, there will be opportunities for supervised shoreline wading and water exploration during some camp sessions at White Pines. Campers may explore shallow areas along the lake edge while studying pond life, amphibians, aquatic insects, and other freshwater ecology topics. Safety is always our highest priority, and all water activities are closely supervised.
Please note that I am not a certified lifeguard, so campers will not be permitted to swim in deep water or go beyond waist depth at any time. Families will receive advance notice on days involving water play so campers can come prepared with appropriate gear if needed.