Nature Preschool & Kindergarten Program
Our Nature Kindergarten & Pre-K Program offers joyful learning experiences for children ages 4-5 years old. Daily activities and rhythms that support the healthy growth of the young child are provided that encourage time for free play both inside our classroom and out in nature: in our yard full of swings, ride-on toys, slides, play house, sandbox/water/mud/trucks, forts and fruit trees and in our forest with streams, trees to climb, logs to balance on and moss to create something magical. We go outside in almost all weather.
Our curriculum integrates music, art, sensory exploration and crafts. Activities include drawing/handwriting practice, free play, morning circle with songs and movement/yoga, introduction to Spanish, poetry, nursery rhymes/ finger play, games, snack, clean-up, outside free play, themed stories and projects, and nature walks. Free play encourages each child's development of emotional intelligence through guided social education. Hands-on experiences prepare the child for cognitive learning.
Our whole school community celebrations throughout the year create a support for the child and the whole family. Our balanced program revolves around the seasons with developmentally appropriate themes weaving in an introduction to letters, numbers, shapes and colors. However, our overall emphasis is on following the child's interest, cultivating social responsibility/kindness and emotional well-being, and, fostering wonder and imagination. We allow a child to be a child and nurture strong roots so they can blossom into lifelong learners.
Children must be fully potty-trained and turn 4 years old by December 1st of the year they enroll to be eligible for the program.
