Live and Learn Early Learning Center

What a fun year of change and excitement for Live & Learn. We have been expanding our outdoor classroom spaces to take in more of our 26 acres. The children have come to love to visit our three new rescue sheep. This year we have been able to reinstate the face-to-face Family Nature Club and added events to it.

Come take a walk with me: We enter through an archway with a quiet gathering space right there. As we traverse along the dramatic play area now hosts a mud kitchen. The natural building area has led some of our budding engineers to create forts throughout our wooded land. The water feature, lovingly called The River has been revamped to contain a new bilge pumps and was a favorite stopping point on hot summer days. We open the back gate to the hay field and woods where different classrooms have set up gardens (One class has taken on growing garlic and selling it as a fundraiser) There are two additional adirondacks the are south facing with greenhouse plastic to serve as a warming area and shelter on the long rainy days.

As we walk to the top of the hill in the hay field our eyes are greeted with a pollinator garden all child led with our naturalist and the UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program. It was the children’s wonder about how to help butterflies that spurred this area along. From this vantage point we can see to the edge of the forest that holds our special spots like “salamander city”..  Here the children can gently roll old logs and discover newts and salamander.

The addition of 2 Kelly Kettles to travel to the outdoor classrooms has increased our chance to talk about fire safety and have a yummy cup of tea. It might be from Tickle Tree (white pine) or sumac, lemon balm and honey or good old fashioned hot cocoa. Gotta run – just got invited for tickle tea with honey – See you next year!