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

Register Now

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!

  • Parent snuggling their child closing in an open field.

    Attachment

    Providing opportunities for connection to people and nature.

  • Child exploring the pebbles on the ground.

    Curiosity

    Learn about modeling prompts and questions to support your child’s language expansion.

  • Play

    Hands-on exploration with fun activities to support speech and language growth.

  • Close-up of a child's legs and feet walking through tall grass, wearing light-colored shorts and shoes.

    Self-Regulation

    Using nature to support strategies for calming and connecting to our own emotions and increasing body awareness.

Behind
Tiny Trails

Woman wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a backpack, crouching near a rocky stream in a dry, rocky landscape.

Julie Carignan

SLP | Lead Clinician | Program Guide

Julie’s provides thoughtful, hands-on, play-based approach to support caregivers and children in language expansion.

A woman and two children standing on a wooden dock near a lake, dressed in rain jackets and boots. The woman is wearing a red jacket, a teal knit hat, sunglasses, and has long brown hair. The boy is wearing a blue raincoat, camouflage pants, and a brown cap. The girl is wearing a purple jacket, lavender pants, and pink rain boots. They are smiling and posing for the photo, with a lake, trees, cloudy sky, and hills in the background.

Katherine Rackliff

Founder | SLP | Outdoor Therapist

Kat 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.

Register

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Tiny Trails focuses on the birth-to-five window, when language development moves fastest — but the outdoor strategies work for any young child.

Register | Tiny Trails
🌿 Tiny Trails

Join Tiny Trails

Simple, accessible support for your child's communication — no insurance, no referral, no waitlist. Choose the option that fits your family below.

Every Tiny Trails program is offered as a private-pay option, separate from insurance — so you can get started right away, whether your child is right on track, a little behind, or you're simply not sure yet.

Single Season $130 6 weekly classes
Year-Long $442 All 4 seasons + 2 free consults
Drop-In $30 Single class
Choose Your Program
🎉 Your Year-Long enrollment includes all four seasonal themes plus 2 complimentary 20-minute consults — no need to add consults below.
Add-Ons
Individual Consult(s) — $30 each, or 2 for $50 A focused 20-minute 1:1 consult with our SLP.
Live Monthly Group Check-In, Online Keep up to date with the best resources to support your child's language development.
Parent / Guardian Information
About Your Child(ren)
A Few Last Things
Waiver & Policies

Assumption of Risk

Tiny Trails programs take place outdoors in natural environments including trails, parks, beaches, and backyards. Outdoor activity carries inherent risks, including uneven terrain, insects and wildlife, plants such as poison ivy, changing weather, and other environmental hazards. By registering, I acknowledge these risks and voluntarily assume responsibility for any injury, illness, or loss that may occur during participation, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Respecting Our Locations

We are guests wherever we go. I agree to follow Leave No Trace principles, respect posted rules and private property, and support my child in doing the same, so these spaces remain welcoming for our community and others.

Weather & Rescheduling

If a session is canceled due to weather, a make-up date will be offered the week following the final scheduled session. Tiny Trails will provide make-up sessions or provide a refund in the case of cancellations that occur. If my child is unable to complete all sessions in a program, Tiny Trails will do its best to accommodate rescheduling, though this cannot be guaranteed.

Refund Policy

Because enrollment is limited and planned around confirmed registration, refunds are issued only if Tiny Trails is unable to fulfill the program. Refunds will not be issued for missed sessions, schedule conflicts, or change of mind.

By submitting this form you agree to be contacted by Tiny Trails regarding your registration. Your information will never be shared.