Community Programs

Family-friendly herbal workshops, nature walks, and events for libraries, nature centers, bookstores, camps, and festivals. Small groups, so every child gets hands-on time. Programs are grouped by the season they suit best.

Winter

Sweet Dream Pillow: A Cozy Winter Sewing Workshop

Sweet Dream Pillow: A Cozy Winter Sewing Workshop

  • Ages and length: Ages 7 and up (ages 5–6 with a grown-up’s help) · 75 minutes
  • Price: $275
  • Max participants: 12 children plus their grown-ups

Children hand-sew a little pillow and fill it with lavender and sleepy-time herbs for cozy winter dreams.

One make per session: your own Sweet Dream Pillow.

What we make and do

  • Sleepy Herb Sniff: lavender and friends
  • Sew and Fill: hand-sew your pillow and fill it
  • Take It Home: tuck in a dream wish
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Spring

Fairy Realm Flower Hunt and Fairy House Workshop

Fairy Realm Flower Hunt and Fairy House Workshop

  • Ages and length: Ages 4–9 with a grown-up · 60 minutes
  • Price: $250
  • Max participants: 15 children plus their grown-ups

Families hunt for the spring flowers of the fairy realm, then build a tiny fairy house from fallen treasures.

One make per session: a tiny fairy house.

What we make and do

  • Fairy Flower Hunt: a short spring flower and folklore walk
  • Build Your Fairy House: from sticks, bark, and moss

Outdoors in a woodsy spot when possible.

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Spring Meadow Sachets: A Scent-Blending Workshop

Spring Meadow Sachets: A Scent-Blending Workshop

  • Ages and length: Ages 6 and up with a grown-up · 60 minutes
  • Price: $275
  • Max participants: 14 children plus their grown-ups

Children sniff chamomile, rose, and meadowsweet, then blend their own spring meadow scent to tie into a sachet.

One make per session: a Spring Meadow Sachet.

What we make and do

  • Meadow Sniff: meet each herb by smell
  • Blend Your Scent: mix your own meadow blend
  • Take It Home: tie it into your sachet

Best April to June.

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Summer

Flower Bath Brew: A Sun-Steeped Summer Bath Workshop

Flower Bath Brew: A Sun-Steeped Summer Bath Workshop

  • Ages and length: Ages 6 and up with a grown-up · 75 minutes
  • Price: $300
  • Max participants: 12 children plus their grown-ups

Let the sun do the work! Families fill a jar with bee balm, calendula, and red clover and sun-steep a flower bath brew.

One make per session: a Flower Bath Brew jar.

What we make and do

  • Meet the Flowers: bee balm, calendula, and red clover
  • Fill Your Jar: and learn how the sun steeps it
  • Take It Home: with a how-to-use card for the tub

Preferably held outdoors on a sunny day.

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Nature Detectives: Clues in the Leaves

Nature Detectives: Clues in the Leaves

  • Ages and length: Ages 5–11 (younger children with a grown-up) · 60 minutes
  • Price: $250
  • Max participants: 20 children plus their grown-ups

Young detectives search leaves, bark, and bugs for clues about who lives in the neighborhood.

Choose one hunt per session: Leaf Safari, Caterpillars Count, or Wild Seek.

What we make and do

  • Detective Kit: magnifiers out
  • Follow the Clues: your chosen hunt, outdoors

Outdoors when possible.

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Autumn

Welcome to the Goldenrod Village: A Pollinator Walk

Welcome to the Goldenrod Village: A Pollinator Walk

  • Ages and length: Ages 5–12 (under 7 with a grown-up) · 75 minutes
  • Price: $275
  • Max participants: 18 children plus their grown-ups

A walk into the goldenrod to meet its buzzing village of pollinators and learn why this bright flower isn’t to blame for hay fever.

Choose one activity per session: Pollinator Patrol or Goldenrod Village Treasure Seek.

What we make and do

  • Meet Goldenrod: an herbalist’s look, and why it isn’t to blame for hay fever
  • Into the Village: your chosen activity in the goldenrod

Held outdoors where goldenrod grows; best late August to September.

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Any Season

Little Herbalists’ Sensory Studio

Little Herbalists’ Sensory Studio

  • Ages and length: Ages 6–12 (younger children with a grown-up) · 60 minutes
  • Price: $300
  • Max participants: 14 children plus their grown-ups

One hands-on herbal make for the senses. Children smell, touch, and mix the herbs, then take their creation home.

Choose one make per session: Bath Snow, Clay Skin Mask, or Meadow Sachet.

What we make and do

  • Herb Sniff and Sort: meet the herbs by smell and touch
  • Mix Your Make: blend and pack your chosen make
  • Take It Home: with a how-to-use card for home
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Wild Wonder with Your Dog: A Family Nature Walk

Wild Wonder with Your Dog: A Family Nature Walk

  • Ages and length: Ages 5 and up with a grown-up · 75 minutes
  • Price: $300
  • Max participants: 12 children plus their grown-ups (up to 8 dogs)

A family nature walk with your dog, led by a clinical canine herbalist, to learn which trail plants are dog-safe.

One activity per session: the Dog-Safe or Not? trail walk.

What we make and do

  • On the Trail: check plants as we go: dog-safe or not?
  • Tick Check: a quick end-of-walk check for kids and dogs

Friendly, leashed dogs only (6-foot leash).

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Wild Wonder Make and Take: Book Launch Party, Festival, and Market Table

Wild Wonder Make and Take: Book Launch Party, Festival, and Market Table

  • Ages and length: All ages (4 and up with a grown-up) · 2-hour drop-in
  • Price: $350 (bookstore launch rate to be arranged)
  • Max participants: 12 children at the table at a time (about 50 over 2 hours)

A drop-in make-and-take table for book launches, festivals, and markets, where kids make a small treasure in about 10 minutes.

Choose one make for your event: Wildflower Seed Ball, Meadow Sachet, or Tiny Tussie Mussie.

What we make and do

  • Drop In: grab a spot at the table
  • Make It: about 10 minutes, with Erica’s help
  • Take It Home: your treasure, ready to share

Needs one 6-foot table (and a canopy if outdoors).

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Safety

  • Please share any allergies when you book. Chamomile, calendula, and goldenrod are in the daisy family, and daisy-family-free options are available.
  • Skin makes (bath brews, masks, salves) are for home use with a grown-up; do a small patch test first.
  • Children under 8 attend with a grown-up, and all plants are used only with grown-up supervision.
  • Outdoor programs: wear long pants and closed shoes, and do a tick check afterward.
  • Erica brings all herbs and materials. Nothing here is medical or veterinary advice.

Travel and Booking Notes

  • No travel fee within 90 minutes’ drive of Dorset, VT. Beyond that, please add mileage, and lodging if an overnight is needed.
  • Book several nearby schools, libraries, or community centers on the same trip to share travel costs.

Bring Erica to Your School or Community

Ready to book a program, ask a question, or plan a custom visit? Reach out and tell us your group, date, and preferred program.

Email Erica to Book

Email: [email protected]
Website: ericamariecoston.com

Please include: your organization, number of students or participants, ages or grades, preferred date(s), and location.

About The Book of Wild Wonder

The Book of Wild Wonder: Seasonal Step-by-Step Activities to Celebrate the Magic of the Natural World, by Susie Spikol and Erica Marie Coston, illustrated by Renia Metallinou (Gibbs Smith, April 27, 2027). Programs on this page are created and led by Erica Marie Coston and are inspired by the activities in the book. They are separate from Susie Spikol’s own programs (susiespikol.com).