Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

Schools across the nation are increasingly incorporating nature into their classrooms, following research that tracks the benefits of integrating nature with education. This ongoing research shows that spending time outside supports children’s developmental, cognitive, emotional, physical and social growth in unique ways that a highly structured indoor classroom cannot provide (see Natural Start Alliance’s 2017 national survey results here).

Public, private, Montessori and other schools have created lessons or programs that offer preschoolers and/or kindergarteners the chance to learn outdoors.

When access to outdoor spaces is connected with research-based teaching techniques, the resulting program is referred to as Nature-Based Early Childhood Education: a powerful way to support our youngest learners.

At Merry Lea, this translates into students:

  • Practicing observation and writing skills through sit spot journaling
  • Developing balance, agility, and gross motor skills while climbing on logs, stumps and trees
  • Engineering shelters out of found objects such as mud, sticks, and leaves while discovering the properties of materials and their uses
  • Cultivating a sense of wonder and inquiry while watching the changes around them: buds swelling into leaves; mushrooms emerging, fruiting, and decomposing; evidence of animal activity
  • …and more!

While we incorporate these concepts into all of our educational experiences, our program repertoire includes two pioneering initiatives: Nature Preschool and Kinderforest.

Nature Preschool

Nature Preschools are built around the belief that early childhood is a critical time for learning, and that nature offers an incredibly rich setting that stimulates a developing child’s brain and body in unexpected ways.

In our program, students are outside 2 hours a day, four days a week during the school year: even in rain, snow and freezing temperatures! We partner with Central Noble Primary School and the Cole Center Family YMCA to provide this program.

Learn More About Nature PreK

Nature Preschool

Our Philosophy

We believe the natural environment provides irresistible invitations for children to engage, learn and grow. Repeated, authentic experiences in nature lead to ownership, care, and stewardship of the earth and of living things.

We believe children are competent learners who have autonomy over their own learning, allowing curiosity to guide their growth. Our research-based program design allows children to grow socially, physically, emotionally and cognitively through play and exploration. Offering children choice from a variety of learning tools contributes to: ownership over their learning, increased individual development and enhanced motivation.

We believe the role of the educator is to guide, empower and facilitate with respect and care, supporting students’ own learning. Adults are co-discoverers with children, modeling inquiry as an avenue towards discovery.

We provide educational training, resources, research and professional development opportunities

We believe nature-based early childhood education is a powerful tool to help children grow, learn and develop. We want to get that tool into the hands of educators in our region.