The Nature Explore Classroom at
Brenda’s Daycare
A natural forest entryway invites you into the magical world of Brenda’s Daycare in Fort Collins, Colorado. Brenda Kenyon, owner, has personalized her Nature Explore Classroom by adding storybook themes to the overall design of the space.
The Nature Explore Classroom is established in a large, 1/3 acre outdoor play area with mature landscape, including a large open grass area, pine trees, 100-foot popular trees, bushes, and many flower gardens. Mountain granite and river rock are used for edging to form the dry river and gardens.
Children follow a path of tree cookies through the Nature Explore Classroom, inviting them to spend time in each area to discover and create their own adventure. After maneuvering through the climbing area, the vine-covered Sand Area awaits with a foundation of white beach sand and seashells to build a magical castle. From the Sand Area, join the Seven Dwarfs in a test of balance while crossing a fallen tree limb over a dry river into the sensory garden, offering children the opportunity to experience chocolate mint, spearmint, columbine, lavender, and lambs ear plants. A bridge then leads to the Three Bears’ House located under a magnificent large pine tree. While visiting The Three Bears House, children can build with Papa Bear, cook with Momma Bear, make music with Baby Bear, and do arts and crafts with Goldilocks giving each space a literary charm.
Continue following the river to The Three Little Pigs’ Houses. Find straw padding the floor of the first piggy’s playhouse, bamboo sticks and bark covering the base of second piggy’s playhouse, and bricks laying the foundation of the third piggy’s playhouse.
Adjacent to The Three Pigs’ Houses is a concrete area for riding toys and a pathway for running through a 100-foot long forest of bushes. Beyond the forest area is Old MacDonald’s Farm complete with a barn, Dirt Digging Area, Garden Area, and a Gathering Area. Wood shavings decorate the floor of the barn surrounded by baskets filled with straw for the animal pens. Tools such as rakes, tractors, shovels, and metal pails help imaginative play in the Dirt Digging Area come alive. True discoveries are experienced firsthand at the Farm where children plant seeds, nurture plants, and harvest beans, radishes, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and onions from their own individual vegetable gardens. The Gathering Area surrounded by a twelve-foot tall sunflower house provides the children with a wonderful space to enjoy their freshly grown vegetables.
Both children and parents have experienced this transformation from an ordinary outdoor play area into a magical world established by the Nature Explore Classroom. Parents enjoy observing their children’s discoveries and creations through pictures and accompanying them around the Nature Explore Classroom during pick-up time.
