Nature classes - We bring the classroom outdoors with stations that encourage kids to learn through play, along with crafts and adding to their nature journals.

Nature Walks - These are short hikes where we meet at the beginning to possibly do a quick craft or add to our nature journals. Kids learn and explore as we go on the hike. We then stop for a snack, rest, and story time.

Field Trips - Occasionally we will offer a field trip to enrich the children’s learning experience.

Special Events - We arrange fun events such as our annual Candy-Free Easter Egg Hunt in the woods every so often, so stay on the lookout for those! You can always invite family or friends to these events, as long as the participants are signed up in advance.

Play Dates - These are free meet-ups in which we arrange a day to get together outside of regular class times. For example: sometimes this means meeting up to take care of our community garden.

Welcome! My name is Tressa Bergsma. I am the founder & teacher who runs By The Shore Playgroup. I’m a former teacher who decided to homeschool her 4 kids.

Upon deciding to go the homeschool route, I noticed two gaps in this area: accessible programs for homeschool kids to connect, and accessible outdoor programs to encourage kids to connect with nature.

There are, of course, a couple of programs with waitlists in south Bellingham that are expensive and far away for most people. This is simply not accessible for most.

This is when the bottom line really hit me. Connecting to nature and building community should not be something gatekept, or expensive, or exclusive. Every child should have the opportunity - the right - to join programs, make friends, learn about nature, and get outdoors. That is where the creation of By The Shore Playgroup began.

By The Shore is designed with all this in mind. I keep prices as low as possible, the location fluctuates for proximity and accessibility, and sign ups are on a week-to-week basis so there won’t be a backed up waitlist or even long term commitment.

We keep it loosely structured to encourage kids to play and build connections, and try to mix it up to give kids a variety of experiences.

We also reject the notion that kids should be separated into individual age groups, and encourage them to be welcoming and friends with kids of all ages.

Thank you for supporting By The Shore Playgroup and our mission. And thank you for being here.

Children learn best when they feel grounded, supported, and free to explore. Our playgroup is built around:

• Nature‑based learning — daily outdoor adventures, weather‑friendly activities, and sensory exploration

• Creative discovery — art, storytelling, building, imaginative play

• Community connection — friendships, family involvement, shared experiences

We keep it loosely structured to encourage kids to play and build connections, and try to mix it up to give kids a variety of experiences.

We also reject the notion that kids should be separated into individual age groups, and encourage them to be welcoming and friends with kids of all ages.

Thank you for supporting By The Shore Playgroup and our mission.

Support can look many different ways.

Social Media Follow - A simple follow, like, share, comment on social media accounts goes a long ways. You will find us @bytheshoreplaygroup

Class Attendance - This is an obvious one, but showing up is, of course, a great way to show your support.

Recommend or Share - Maybe your kids aren’t the age for group attendance, or your current situation means attendance just isn’t feasible. Or maybe you don’t have kids and just want to support the movement - recommending our group, sharing our website, info, or socials is always so appreciated.

Donation - I have set up a place on our website to accept your gracious donations. Every bit of money raised this way will go directly towards our program and is appreciated beyond words.

Online purchase - I have been working on a variety of merch available for purchase here on our site. Alongside our growing collection of PDF’s available for purchase. The money from these also goes directly into our program, helping keep costs low and support our mission.