Is My Child Ready for Nature Preschool?
Our Nature Preschool is designed to give children the opportunity to learn, explore, create, and grow in an outdoor environment. While our classroom may be the great outdoors, we are still a preschool with a structured learning environment and age-appropriate academic, social-emotional, and developmental goals.
Children do not need to be completely independent or perfectly follow directions before starting preschool. We understand that children are still learning and developing these skills. However, children attending our drop-off program should have the following foundational skills:
Stay With the Group
☐ My child can stay with the preschool group and remain within the designated boundaries of our learning environment.
☐ My child can walk with the group during transitions and outdoor exploration.
☐ My child can follow basic safety directions such as “stop,” “wait,” “come here,” and “stay with the group.”
Follow Teacher Directions
☐ My child can listen to and follow simple directions from teachers.
☐ My child can transition from one activity to another with teacher support.
☐ My child can accept redirection and guidance from teachers.
Participate in Classroom Activities
☐ My child is able to participate in group activities such as circle time, stories, songs, art, science, sensory play, and nature exploration.
☐ My child does not need to remain engaged for the entire activity, but can join the group, participate for an age-appropriate amount of time, and return to the activity with teacher support.
☐ My child can sit with the group during short teacher-led activities.
Feel Comfortable Being at School
☐ My child is comfortable being away from their parent/caregiver for the duration of the program.
☐ My child can separate from their caregiver with reasonable support and reassurance.
☐ My child generally has positive feelings about attending school and is able to enjoy the preschool experience.
☐ My child is beginning to develop confidence, independence, and comfort in a group setting.
Ready to Learn and Grow
☐ My child is ready to learn through play, exploration, conversation, movement, and hands-on experiences.
☐ My child can engage in age-appropriate learning activities even when they are not their preferred activity.
☐ My child is beginning to understand classroom routines and expectations.
☐ My child is able to learn alongside other children and participate as a member of our classroom community.
A Note for Parents
Preschool readiness does not mean your child needs to be perfect! Children come to preschool with different personalities, abilities, and levels of independence. Our teachers are here to support children as they learn to navigate a classroom environment.
At the same time, our program needs to be a safe and positive learning environment for all children. Because our Nature Preschool takes place outdoors, children must be able to remain with the group and follow basic safety directions. Teachers cannot provide one-on-one supervision for a child who is consistently unable to stay with the group or safely participate in the program.
We also want your child to enjoy coming to school. If your child consistently dreads school, becomes extremely distressed about attending, or is not yet ready to separate from their caregiver, they may benefit from additional time, support, or a caregiver-participation option before joining our drop-off preschool.
Our Goal
We want every child to feel safe, successful, confident, and excited to learn.
Our Nature Preschool combines the joy of outdoor exploration with a meaningful preschool curriculum. Children participate in early academics, science, art, literacy, math, sensory play, social-emotional learning, and nature-based experiences, all while learning in the natural world.