Tree Sprites

Tree Sprites is an outdoor preschool rooted in rhythm and nature where children take part in activities such as baking bread, tending the garden, listening to stories, and nature-based crafts. The program includes kneading bread, gathering herbs from the garden, planting seeds, feeding animals, outdoor exploration, mixed-age play, storytelling, song, painting, baking, seasonal crafts, nature walks, and handwork. Children and teachers also mark the year by celebrating festivals that honor light, harvest, and renewal.

• Ages: 2.5–10 years old

Tree Sprites describes itself as a Waldorf-inspired farm preschool nurturing the whole child, with children growing in harmony with the seasons and guided by story, song, and the rhythm of each day. The program states that children learn best when they are deeply connected to the living world through activities such as planting seeds, feeding animals, and watching life unfold. It is Waldorf-inspired and farm-based, with nature immersion every day, home-cooked warm organic meals, real-life learning with rabbits, chickens, and gardens, mixed-age play, and nature-based learning, and it offers year-round opportunities from preschool to summer adventures, including a preschool program for children aged two years and six months to five years old and a summer camp for ages 2.5 to 10 years.

Tree Sprites first blossomed in 2010 as a preschool, was transformed after three years into a Waldorf-inspired classroom for grades K–7, and in 2016 reopened its doors as a preschool. Tree Sprites began as a dream nearly two decades ago, and the birth of Teresa’s eldest son in 2002 guided her to study Waldorf early childhood education.

The leadership team includes Teresa Walker (Founder and Lead Teacher at Tree Sprites and Director of SF Bay Area LifeWays North America), Todd Walker (Co-Founder and Early Childhood Guide), and Kacia Walker (Assistant Teacher and Story Guide). Teresa has completed both the Waldorf Teacher Training and the LifeWays Early Childhood Certification, and Kacia has completed the LifeWays Early Childhood Training. Families are welcomed as part of the community as active participants in their child’s unfolding journey.

Parent and family testimonials describe Tree Sprites as a nurturing, calm, joyful “second home,” and a “community of care and growth,” and express gratitude for the love, warmth, guidance, and “magic” that Teresa, Todd, and Kacia bring to the children and parents. Multiple parents and grandparents note feeling lucky and grateful for the environment, the sense of community, and the impact on their children and family life over several years.

Last updated August 14, 2026.