The Nature Explore Classroom at
First Lutheran Preschool
The dream to open an outdoor classroom became a reality in the spring of 2020. After two years of planning, designing, and implementation, our classroom in the woods is now well received by our preschool community, staff, and church sponsor. We have embraced nature-based learning as a staff, thanks to training and experiencing first-hand how children engage uniquely with the natural environment.
Children enjoy measuring and stirring in the outdoor kitchen. They collect leaves acorns, and dirt to make pretend stew. Balancing on the logs has been a confidence boost to many who wouldn’t normally climb on the playground. The seasons changing–the colorful leaves in fall, snow in the winter, and forsythia flowers in the spring–creates an interesting and interactive place to play and learn. Composting teaches us much about the world, and we have a space designated for this kind of learning. We love sharing our outdoor classroom, so we have moved our school events to our new space so that families can experience it together.
