If you follow our nature preschool program you might find yourself asking the question, how do they get these children ready for school?  To us as teachers the answer seems easy, but not everyone realizes the benefits of outdoor learning like we do.

Here are just a few ways we prepare them:

We read to them under the shade of a tree. We have sing alongs around the campfire.  We journal with them about discoveries made.  We use sticks to draw shapes and letters and silly lines in the mud, the dirt, and the sand.  We measure growth over seasons and recognize the patterns of change.  We sort objects and creatures by shape, size, season, etc. We cook.  We learn about decomposition and hibernation.  We study the states of matter.  We give children the time and space to develop themselves as well as friendships.  We strengthen their bodies by providing fine and large motor play.  We encourage inquiry and curiosity. We relax on blankets and watch the clouds.  We encourage them to explore their own interests. We count mushrooms and weigh rocks. And we do all this through PLAY.

This list doesn’t even scratch the surface of how the natural world prepares our children for school!