"Some of my most vivid childhood memories are, without a doubt, ones where I was fully immersed and engaged in outdoor exploration," explains Trisha Sejas, founder, lead teacher, and director of Nurtured By Nature Outdoor Exploratory School in Arvada.
"Young children won't remember when they were first able to read all the letters in the alphabet or write all the numbers to 20, but I can tell you wholeheartedly that they will remember the day they caught a crayfish, built an amazing fort, or finally reached that "inaccessible" nook in a tree."
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And Sejas has observed many teaching methods over the years, including forest schools and forest kindergartens in Europe, as well as Waldorf and Reggio Emilia philosophies.
"Play is essential to childhood. It is not frivolous. It should not be an afterthought or reward for a task completed but an interwoven, indispensable part of the day." She feels a day full of movement, creativity, magic, and imagination is something a child deserves to experience.
Nurtured by Nature Outdoor Exploratory School was born under this intention and is unique in several ways:
It's a mobile forest school. "We utilize a natural area in one community for approximately one month; then, move to another natural area in another community. This allows children to gain confidence and autonomy in their acquired skills and then apply these skills in different settings. Traveling to different communities fosters a sense of inclusivity. At Nurtured by Nature Outdoor Exploratory School, we want nature to be accessible to all. We strive to create stewards of the land while encouraging looking, exploring, and touching nature, we also promote protecting, preserving, and not over-using our precious resource."
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Not exclusively a preschool or kindergarten program, this outdoor school works with children ages 4-7. As nature is both constant and everchanging, Sejas says inviting students in this age group allows children to grow with the program. They may have climbed one particular tree many times, but their imagination, games, creativity, friendships, and social skills change as they get older. This flexibility provides students with a self-designed map of their development and interests.
Here they offer all-day programming, five days a week, and can offer alternative schedules upon request.
Students at Nurtured by Nature rest/sleep outside. Yep. You read that correctly. Sleeping outdoors has many benefits, including deeper and longer sleep, and also has been shown to help children fall asleep faster when they are older, can help reduce illness, and improves learning and mood. They also use the bathroom outside!
"Our indoor space is a large, cozy tent filled with natural toys and activities. We are inside but still doing outdoor activities like camping, which reinforces the idea of being outside and connected to nature. Should there be a weather emergency, we have a brick-and-mortar space that we can retreat into if needed."
And according to Ms. Sejas, toad abodes, worm friends, secret paths, and tall grasses are memories of childhood that both calmed and intrigued her. Nurtured by Nature Outdoor Exploratory School is now enrolling so that your child can have this experience too!
Let us know you are interested.
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