We offer a Spring Term, Summer Camp, and Fall Term
Our fall and spring classes are intended to enhance the preschool experience by providing the physical outdoor learning that isn't offered inside a classroom.
ChickadeeS 2 - 3.5 YR OLDS
The Chickadees spend their half day on sensory exploration and pro social practice. As we investigate the various plants and animals around us we play with seeds, leaves, and sticks, building fine motor skills to prepare our hands for writing, as well as extensive tactile vocabulary. We explore nature's obstacle course to challenge our bodies building gross motor skills, climbing trees, balancing on stones, and wading into creeks. We engage in imaginary and often musical play, cooking leaf soup and making up songs about slugs and woodpeckers. We learn to move together as a group, helping each other move large objects and achieving goals as a team. Each day includes a snack time with a story, or two, a stillness exercise and plenty of sensory skill building. These young fledglings learn basic trail skills, as well as basic identification skills, while engaging in pro-social interactions with each other and forming a team bond.
Meets from 8:30-11:30 AM, see current offerings page or request form for weekday selections.
All students carry their own trail pack with water and snack.
Sparrows 3.5 - 5 Yr Olds
Our Sparrow group spends most of their time learning to broaden their awareness of the world around them through observation and experimentation. We learn the art of sharing both what we know and the exciting things we find. We nurture the skill of observation and help hone student's abilities to share and integrate new information. In this age group the focus is on fostering the skill of verbalizing sensory experiences and observations, and the ability to revise those observations as new information is introduced through perspective taking. When a child can trust their senses, and share with others the details of what they are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching or tasting, they are on the road to being great observers, a key skill highlighted in Next Generation Science Standards.
Meets from 8:30am-12:30pm, see current offerings page or request form for weekday selections
All students carry their own trail pack with water, snack and lunch.
How to Prepare and what to bring
Each day children should come dressed for the weather as class occurs rain or shine.
Each day children should bring an appropriately sized day pack containing a snack fitting to their appetite, water bottle, jacket if needed, and hand sanitizer if desired. *TIP try to make their pack as light as possible avoiding heavy food containers, thick jackets, and heavy bottles.
In sunny months children should come wearing plenty of sunscreen and a hat, we prefer sunglasses be left at home unless required for a health reason.
In the wet months rain coats, rain pants, and rubber boots are all required. Please leave umbrellas at home, they make it difficult to splash in puddles and explore tree trunks.
In the summer months closed shoes are required and thin pants are preferable to shorts in order to prevent exposure to any poison oak.
In rare cases of weather too inclement to allow for class parents will be notified and a make up day will be scheduled. Usually this will only occur in heavy consistent downpour. Rain gear tips and tricks are available to parents to help keep students prepared and comfortable in the wet months.