Nature Preschool
Seedlings is piloting a unique, small group Nature Preschool program, which incorporates regular field trips to nearby Descanso Gardens into traditional preschool curriculum for a "natural, sensory rich environment in which children can play, explore, learn and grow."
Our program is taught in an indoor/outdoor setting to bring the advantages of outdoor education into the preschool experience.
Studies show that kids in outdoor education programs:
— Have better concentration, and artistic and cognitive abilities.
— Suffer fewer colds and illnesses.
— Are less aggressive, and suffer fewer injuries due to accidents and falls.
We are looking for a few special families who are interested in being a part of this wonderful adventure in early childhood education. Full time care is available as part of the preschool program.
Please contact us for more information. seedlingsfamily@gmail.com Ph: 818-246-6115
What is a Nature Preschool?
Seedlings Nature Preschool was inspired by the Wood Kindergartens of Europe as well as our family's love of nature and appreciation for time spent outdoors. We thought it would be a great opportunity for our pre-school aged students to spend time exploring natural flora and fauna at the beautiful Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge.
Well before the term "Nature Deficit Disorder" was coined by auther Richard Louv (who links the declining time that children today spend outdoors with the disturbing childhood trends of obesity, attention deficit disorder and depression in his book, Last Child in the Woods), many parents and educators around the world intuitively understood the importance of nature and wildlife in a child's personal landscape. It is part of our philosophy that a child learns best and thrives in programs that incorporate the diverse and open-ended environment of the outdoors.
For more information about Wood Kindergartens and Last Child in the Woods, please visit the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_kindergarten
http://daddytypes.com/2008/06/02/on_waldkindergarten.php
http://arieff.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/the-class-isnt-always-greener-but-it-could-be/