Accepting Applications for 2023-24

Chickadees Outdoor Preschool

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 9:30-1:15

Chickadees Preschool is a Waldorf-inspired outdoor program. Our three-day practical arts and play-based curriculum is designed to meet the developmental needs of children from 3 to 6 years old.

Peaceful, dreamy, and in tune with seasonal changes, our program supports young children in the transition from home to school and helps them build the foundational capacities necessary to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. School days and weeks maintain a consistent rhythm, or routine, to support the child in their development. This rhythmic predictability allows children to understand and feel completely secure in their environment. Removing the question of “What happens next?” eliminates uncertainty, so that each child may unfold at their own pace in a space where they feel safe. As our days and weeks flow by, so do the seasons. Seasonal changes are gently reflected in our choices of song, story, and the practical arts we engage with.

We work hard to create an environment that gives children the freedom to forge connections with one another and the earth. The spaces we shape for our students are designed to inspire beautiful creative play, problem-solving opportunities, and to allow them to explore the many practical activities available to one spending time on small acreage.

Children build motor skills and problem-solving capacity through practical activities such as the preparation of our daily cooked snack, handwork, and painting. Helping in the garden and interacting with the abundant natural elements and loose parts in our outdoor spaces foster a joyful connection to creativity, engineering, and the earth. Language and pre-literary skills are bolstered by stories, puppet plays, songs, and nursery rhymes. Freely interacting with peers in a supportive environment strengthens crucial non-cognitive skills such as empathy, flexibility, and grit! For tuition information please click here.