From issac apple peeler

I am so happy to open my home, garden and kitchen to share with all my young friends and their grownups. In the comfort of my home and garden children and parents relax and explore; creativity blossoms and friendships grow. In this non-pressured environment kids and adults can kick back or run and be as active as they like . Cooking classes for big kids and little ones as well are more than measuring and recipes, we explore taste, smell and texture and everyone has an opportunity to try new things without pressure. Arts and crafts are geared to children, with special projects for adults too. Parents actually say they feel like they’re at a spa with total support and their children happily playing near by. At a time when children are spending less time in the outdoors we provide a safe place for children to have backyard adventures and encourage being out in nature in a gently structured format. I hope you’ll come join the fun.

Smiling Tree fall and winter

Summer at Smiling Tree Farm

About Gail

In addition to parenting three grown children of my own, I have been working with Sonoma County children and families for over 30 years.

I love the joy and sense of discovery I get to share with the little ones and the exchange of ideas with the grown-ups who accompany them. I work to create community with young families and hope to model a natural and non-pressured environment in which to explore and learn.

I want to help take the mystery out of child rearing and hope parents will learn to trust themselves. My hope is that parents learn to appreciate the simple pleasures in life and share that with their families. Slow down, don’t hurry through childhood and don’t worry about doing “everything.”

I began working with kids in 1980 as a Kindergym instructor for Santa Rosa Parks & Recreation Department. Since then, in addition to taking almost every child development class offered at the Santa Rosa Junior College, I have become a certified Music Together instructor, a parent and child yoga instructor, taught art and cooking to children in a number of venues, and operated my own parent-child indoor gym class called PlayDATE.

PlayDATE lost its lease in 2007, and I sold the business and equipment to a lovely facility in Sebastopol named KidSpot. Then Smiling Tree was born. I have opened my home, garden and kitchen in the country to my young friends and their grown-ups as a comfortable place to play, cook, do arts and crafts, and create community. I hope you will join us.