Tiny
Trails
In a world full of social media model parents, YouTube teachers, and everything at our fingertips, how do we know what's best for our child?
With too much information, sometimes the best thing to do is go back to the basics.
Let's get our kids connected to the world around them — and to one another.
A one-of-a-kind caregiver support group in Southern Maine! Join board-certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Julie Carignan, outside to support your child’s speech and language development in nature!
Seasonal Program
$30/group with multisession discount!
Caregiver + Child
Nature is one of the great connectors. We have beautiful, curious things all around us — and they're wonderful tools for your child's development.
Whether you're in your backyard, at the beach, or at a park, there are wonderful ways to use nature to your child's developmental advantage.
At Tiny Trails, we use the very best learning tool possible — pssst, it's all around us!
You guessed it… it's nature.
A child's brain does more of its language wiring in the first five years than at any other point in life, and the time they spend exploring the world shapes how their language develops.
Tiny Trails is not a replacement for speech therapy — it's designed to support caregivers in fostering their child's communication development at home and out in nature.
Communication tools to bring into your own backyard!
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Attachment
Providing opportunities for connection to people and nature.
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Curiosity
Learn about modeling prompts and questions to support your child’s language expansion.
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Play
Hands-on exploration with fun activities to support speech and language growth.
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Self-Regulation
Using nature to support strategies for calming and connecting to our own emotions and increasing body awareness.
Behind
Tiny Trails
Julie Carignan
SLP | Lead Clinician | Program GuideJulie’s provides thoughtful, hands-on, play-based approach to support caregivers and children in language expansion.
Katherine Rackliff
Founder | SLP | Outdoor TherapistKat provides nature-based concepts and ideas to support language development and growth.
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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Tiny Trails is an opportunity to explore with a dedicated, early intervention specialist and speech therapist to learn how to best support your child’s early development. This group is designed to support caregivers in understanding their young child’s language development. Great for parents of young toddlers and preschoolers!
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Nature gives kids constantly changing, hands-on sensory input that pulls their attention, curiosity, and language along with it — the kind of exploration linked to real gains in vocabulary, attention, memory, and problem-solving. It also creates natural moments of joint attention, where you and your child are looking at and talking about the same thing, one of the strongest building blocks of communication. Want to go deeper on the "why" behind it all? Check out our "From Acorns to Oaks" class for parents.
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Each session is capped at 8–10 children, small enough for meaningful one-on-one attention within the group while kids still get the social benefit of exploring alongside their peers.
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We meet outdoors rain or shine when it's safe, but if weather forces us to cancel, a make-up session is offered the week following your program's final scheduled class. If your child misses sessions for other reasons, we'll do our best to help you reschedule, though it isn't guaranteed. Refunds are issued only if Tiny Trails is unable to fulfill the program.
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Tiny Trails focuses on the birth-to-five window, when language development moves fastest — but the outdoor strategies work for any young child.
Not ready to commit to a full season? Try a single Tiny Trails class — no insurance, no referral, no waitlist required.
Drop in for a single outdoor session led by a licensed speech-language professional, built around school readiness, language development, peer interaction, and practical everyday communication strategies. Ages 1-5.
Sibling pricing is available — select the number of children below. We recommend no more than 3 children per drop-in unless multiple caregivers will be present.
Give your toddler or preschooler (ages 1-5) six weeks of outdoor play, connection, and language-rich learning — no insurance, no referral, no waitlist required.
Your Season Pass includes all 6 weekly classes for one flat rate of $130. Spots are limited — reserve yours today!
Sibling pricing is available for families with more than one child — select the number of children below. For 3 or more children, please contact us directly for a custom quote.
Commit to a full year of outdoor play, connection, and language-rich learning — no insurance, no referral, no waitlist required.
Your Year-Long Pass covers all 4 seasons of Tiny Trails, each built around school readiness, language development, peer interaction, and practical everyday communication strategies you can use at home. Includes all 4 seasons for one flat rate of $442 — a 15% savings over paying season by season — plus 2 complimentary 20-minute consults with a Speech-Language Pathologist. Spots are limited — reserve yours today!
Sibling pricing is available for families with more than one child — select the number of children below. For 3 or more children, please contact us directly for a custom quote.
Support for you, too
Caregivers deserve support too. Join The Caregiver Nest for live monthly sessions, resources, and community from a Board-Certified Speech-Language Pathologist.
