Learn and grow in our all-outdoor, immersive Forest Preschool, set in an open-air classroom of meadows, streams, and forest trails.
Morning (9:15-12:00) for:
All 5 days a week (Monday - Friday)
3 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri)
or 2 days a week (Tues, Thurs)
Afternoon (BB ONLY) (1:00-3:45) for:
All 5 days a week (Monday - Friday
3 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri)
or 2 days a week (Tues, Thurs)
Our Sessions:
check registration for availability
Locations
Brinton Brook Sanctuary has dense woods that give way to hidden creeks filled with frogs and turtles, with large stones and winding paths waiting to be discovered.
Marsh Sanctuary is the perfect combination of forest and field, creating perfect opportunities for education and adventure. The site is home to our garden that features a variety of plants, pollinators and various approaches to plant cultivation.
Prices are standard across all locations and time slots
$860.00 5 days a week
$552.00 3 days a week
$368.00 2 days a week
In Forest Preschool, there is no such thing as a wasted opportunity. We let the lessons of the forest guide our day, and our expert naturalists bring equal passions for childhood education and the outdoors to every session. Whether it's seasonal crafts and games, adventures on the dozens of acres of land we have access to, or exposure to the plants and animals of the region, our commitment is to the idea that the best way to educate a young mind is through tactile experiences and the wonders of the woods.
Our Forest Preschool is for ages 2.5 - 5 years old.
We are committed to providing safe, outdoor programs. Learn about our sickness policies here >
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A Different
Sort of Classroom
Want to know more? Scroll to learn about our values, focus, and approach. Or, skip ahead to:
The Forest offers different lessons to be taught, and therefore our outdoor school approaches the concept of the classroom differently. The children are given an open space where their imaginations can take them as far as they like, and the small class sizes allow us to adapt to the needs of each child. What's more, our focus is cultivating imagination and social-emotional growth. Our expert naturalists are full of knowledge of not just the wild nature of Westchester, but also that of each student. They approach every day with a single intention-- to create a stronger bond between their students and the natural world they live in.
In Forest Preschool, learning happens naturally! Math is used to count gallons of maple syrup or measure sticks for our shelter; literacy skills develop through storytelling and reading activities. But our program also helps children learn key emotional and social skills. Our graduates go on to larger groups or indoor classroom settings with innate self-awareness and self-confidence, and with great communication and teamwork skills.
Location Our program runs at two beautiful locations, Brinton Brook Sanctuary in Croton-on-Hudson, and Marsh Sanctuary in Mt Kisco - each with over 150 acres of meadows, ponds, boulders, and wooded trails to explore throughout the year. At each site a tent provides light cover from rainy weather and ventilation on all four sides; under this tent is our outdoor "classroom" with sit stumps, books and toys, and a central fire, where the day begins and ends.
Our Garden Our Mt. Kisco location has a garden that we plant, tend, and maintain every year. We're just now in the process of preparing it for this year's seeding, which means the kids are hard at work pulling weeds and reforming the beds with us as we teach them all about the process. See below for a video we made showcasing the different sections of our garden, and check back in later for updates on it.
Staff Our teachers aren't just great preschool educators, they are also trained naturalists with an unwavering passion for the outdoors! In addition to passing a background check and being COVID-vaccinated, our staff is fully trained in safety and first aid, teaching techniques, naturalist skills and ancestral crafts.
Teaching Philosophy The outdoors can be unpredictable, and that is what makes it the perfect learning environment for young kids. Our teachers utilize Coyote Mentoring to encourage students to make their own discoveries and learn from their own experiences. Instead of relying on adults to introduce them to the world, they discover it themselves through hands-on exploration and gentle, leading questions - so they can dive deep and walk away excited.
climb • explore • collaborate • fish • play • build • experiment • touch • taste • discover • compare • tell stories • create stories • make friends
