The Nature & Nurture Lab
A place for little humans and their grown-ups to grow… together.
The Nature & Nurture Lab
A monthly workshop space for little humans (ages 0–9) and their grown-ups to explore feelings, practice communication, build coping and social skills, and discover who they are — by nature and with nurture.
Rooted in emotional learning. Inspired by the natural world. Designed for families across Cape May County & Atlantic County who want something gentler, braver, and more connected. Led by Abbey Sangmeister, MS. Ed., LPC, ACS and a toddler mom.
Workshops held the 4th Wednesday of every month at 10 AM @ Coastal Creations Art Studio, Ocean City NJ.
Book a Single Class or grab the Founding Member of a 4 class package with a special discount!
Interested in After- School? Join the After-School Waitlist
In a world that rushes children through milestones and leaves parents guessing, The Nature & Nurture Lab offers something softer, braver, and deeply needed in Cape May County and Atlantic County, NJ.
This is a living, breathing workshop space for ages 0–9, designed for families who crave more than the standard checklist of childhood. Families who want connection, communication, coping skills, and emotional literacy woven into everyday life… not squeezed into the margins.
Here, we experiment — gently… playfully… with purpose.
A place to learn who we are… and who we’re becoming.
Every child arrives with their own inner nature — a temperament, a rhythm, a spark.
Every parent arrives with their own hopes, worries, instincts, and dreams.
At The Nature & Nurture Lab, we honor both.
Workshops are crafted to support social skills, emotional learning (SEL), communication tools, problem-solving, resilience, sensory-based learning, and early coping skills — all while strengthening the relationship between parent and child.
Parents or caregiver attend with their child, building a shared language of growth, curiosity, and connection.
Rooted in both nature… and nature.
We explore “nature” in its truest sense:
Nature as identity — who your child is by temperament and design, their strengths, sensitivities, and emerging self.
Nature as environment — outdoor play, natural materials, grounding activities, and sensory experiences that help kids regulate, express themselves, and grow with confidence.
Some workshops unfold outside… on the sand, in the grass, beside the trees. Others bring the outdoors in through nature-based tools and textures.
For families seeking something different.
Our space welcomes:
Homeschoolers and unschoolers in Cape May County & Atlantic County
Families who value Montessori-inspired learning
Parents who want to supplement what’s missing in the classroom
Caregivers who want a nurturing, supportive community
Kids who need extra space to practice feelings, coping, communication, and confidence
Parents who want to learn alongside their child — not separate from them
This is for the families who feel, intuitively,
“There has to be a better, kinder way…”
And want a place where their child can be exactly who they are while learning the skills to grow into who they’re meant to be.
Workshops & Gatherings
Seasonal and ongoing workshops include:
Emotional literacy & coping skills
Communication tools for kids and parents
Social skills practice through play
Sensory exploration with natural materials
Nature-based learning adventures
Grounding & regulation tools
Parent–child connection sessions
Community circles for caregivers
Each session is designed to feel safe, structured, and alive with possibility.
A community that grows together.
The Nature & Nurture Lab is more than a workshop series — it’s a home for connection, curiosity, and community in South Jersey. A place for families to slow down, breathe, and remember what childhood (and parenthood) can feel like when we allow space for exploration instead of perfection.
A place where we honor the truth you already know in your bones:
Children thrive when they are seen, supported, and allowed to be themselves… and so do we.
About the Founder
Hello!
Behind The Nature & Nurture Lab is Abbey Sangmeister, a therapist, coach, curriculum designer, mother, and lifelong believer in making the impossible possible who has spent more than sixteen years helping children, adults, and families grow into who they truly are.
Abbey earned her dual master’s degree in School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania, where she began shaping her deep understanding of emotional development, communication, child psychology, and family systems. Since then, she has worked across schools, communities, and private practice settings — supporting thousands of children and adults through life’s seasons.
In Philadelphia, she designed and facilitated K–8 social–emotional curricula for charter schools before a nationwide approach to SEL began. The programs built to help children navigate friendships, cope with big feelings, school anxiety, divorce, greif, communicate clearly, and trust themselves. If a school needed a program, she created it. If a child needed a skill, she taught it. Each group was crafted with intention, both designed to support emotional growth, curiosity, confidence, and the art of being human.
Today, Abbey runs a thriving private therapy and coaching practice, supporting individuals through subconscious change, emotional healing, identity work, and life transitions. She also leads a Social Play Group and a Tweens Together Group at Growing Minds Enrichment Program, continuing her devotion to helping young people build roots of resilience and self-understanding.
Her passion, the thread that weaves through every piece of her work, is simple and powerful:
To help families build strong emotional foundations…
to teach children who they are at their core…
to nurture resilience, connection, curiosity, and coping skills…
so they can grow, evolve, and meet life’s challenges with grounded hearts and brave spirits.
Abbey’s approach blends therapeutic wisdom, child development expertise, nature-based learning, and a grounded belief in children’s innate brilliance. She creates spaces where parents feel supported, children feel understood, and families feel like they belong.
The Nature & Nurture Lab is the culmination of her experience, her heart, and her vision, a place where nature and nurture coexist, where learning feels alive, supported and safe, and where families are invited to grow together… gently, joyfully, and with intention.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It’s a monthly workshop series for children ages 0–9 and their grown-ups, designed to support emotional learning, communication skills, coping strategies, social development, and parent–child connection. We blend nature-based play, therapeutic tools, and Montessori, Waldorf-inspired approaches to create a safe, nurturing space for families across Cape May County and Atlantic County.
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Yes. These workshops are intentionally designed for both child and caregiver. You learn, practice, connect, and grow together — creating a shared emotional language that continues at home.
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Children ages 0–9 are welcome. Groups naturally mix ages, giving little ones the chance to observe and older children the opportunity to lead, model, and expand their social skills. There will be some offerings that will be age specific too.
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Absolutely. Many homeschool, unschool, and Montessori-aligned families attend The Nature & Nurture Lab to enrich their child’s SEL learning, social skills, sensory experiences, nature-based play, and emotional development.
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Yes. Many school-age children join us. The Nature & Nurture Lab complements the school day by offering what classrooms often miss — emotional literacy, coping skills, confidence, communication, and nature-based regulation. It’s a calmer, more intentional space to practice being human.
Morning workshops are open to all, and you can join the after-school waitlist if afternoons work better for your family. -
Yes. Enrollment is required to attend each session. Space is intentionally limited to keep the environment grounded, warm, and supportive for every child.
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To honor the planning, preparation, and limited-group structure, all sales are final and non-refundable.
Choose Your Path
One Workshop at a Time… or Join as a Founding Member
For families who want deeper roots and a steadier rhythm, our Founding Member option offers access to all four monthly workshops for one bundled rate. This is the most connected way to experience The Nature & Nurture Lab — growing month by month, building skills, confidence, and emotional language in a gentle, intentional arc.
Founding Members receive:
Guaranteed spots in all four sessions
Priority communication
A consistent community of parents and children
A strong foundation of emotional learning across winter and spring
Your membership includes our January, February, March, and April workshops — each one thoughtfully crafted to support emotional awareness, coping, communication, and the art of being human.
Enrollment is required. No refunds.
A beautiful way to commit to your child’s growth… and your own.
Founding Member
One Workshop at a Time
Perfect for families who want to explore at their own pace. Join us for any single session as we dive into emotional skills, communication, curiosity, and connection each month offering a fresh theme to support your child’s growth.
Workshops take place at Coastal Creations Art Studio in Ocean City, NJ on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 10 AM.
Upcoming Dates:
January 28
February 25
March 25
April 22
Enrollment is required for each session. No refunds.
Spaces are limited so each child and parent can feel seen, supported, and safe.