Now accepting waitlist students for all upcoming school years!
Preschool is in session September - May.
We offer a 3-hour morning or afternoon session, two or four days/week.
To sign up for a waiting list or for more information, please email our Preschool Director:
Sadie@logannature.org
Children see magic because they look for it
Special thanks to our KSAT friends from Norway for sponsoring our beautiful NEW Preschool room!
A Bold New Approach to Early Education
Stokes Nature Center is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of nature stewards. That's why we founded the region's first nature preschool. Based on the Scandinavian innovation of "Forest Preschools" and the growing momentum of the No Child Left Inside movement.
Our Nature Preschool provides the freedom to explore and play in nature while following Montessori principles, stewardship lessons, and holistic school readiness curriculum. These methods give each child the opportunity to develop their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as the most important events in their lives.”
TUITION
2-Day Program: $200/month
4-Day Program: $400/month
Scholarships are available
For information on scholarships, email sadie@logannature.org
Quick Look at the Program
Open to potty-trained children who are at least three years old and not older than 4 years old on Sept. 1st
Morning and Afternoon Sessions:
Monday & Wednesday, Tuesday & Thursday or Monday - Thursday
9am – 12pm or 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Follows the Logan City School District Calendar - September through May
Includes bi-weekly Music and Movement program, and basic yoga practices
Optional monthly family field-trips
If you are interested in learning more about the nature preschool, and determining if it might be the right program for your child, please contact our Nature Preschool Director at Sadie@logannature.org.
Our Curriculum
The Stokes Nature Preschool is largely based on the facilitation of unstructured nature play, and the growing body of research demonstrating the positive impacts of this critical developmental time in the outdoors. However, we do incorporate guided activities, both indoors and outdoors, designed to help your child use their senses, their words, and their friends to explore their natural surroundings. We adhere to many of the tenets of the No Child Left Inside movement, which sprung from the writings of Richard Louv, a noted author and educator who brought “nature-deficit disorder” into the worldwide spotlight with his widely acclaimed book Last Child in the Woods.
Additionally, our preschool program incorporates many philosophies of the Montessori method, as well as Montessori style educational materials.
Finally, holistic school readiness makes up a small portion of our program curriculum. The preschool staff works to organically integrate alphabet literacy, counting and number fluency, and certain school-related social skills like taking turns and waiting in line.
In the end, our goal is to encourage each child's innate sense of wonder and curiosity about their natural environment. We spend as much time as possible outdoors and teach them that there is no such thing as "bad weather" as long as you have the right clothing and mentality. As they learn to feel comfortable outdoors in all seasons, they also establish a sense of belonging and caring for their world. As parents and teachers, we can give them so much by simply giving them time to find their place in nature.
A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN STAFF AND PARENTS
Joining our preschool family means you’re joining a cooperative effort. We currently limit enrollment to 8 preschool students per session for a 4:1 student to teacher ratio, which means our participants are well supervised during outdoor play and exploration. We rely upon our preschool families to participate as Parent Helpers, especially as Trail Chaperones on our walk to and from the preschool building.
All commitments to the preschool can be conducted either during regular preschool hours, or at home on your own time, so that you can decide how the nature preschool best fits into your schedule and daily life.