The Nature Explore Classroom at
Ashley Hall
At Ashley Hall’s Reggio Emilia-inspired Early School, we guide our students’ learning by creating
environments that are engaging, responsive, and rooted in natural materials. We follow the children’s
interests, ask open-ended questions, and design experiences that inspire wonder. And what setting is
more inspiring than the outdoors?
Research consistently shows that time in nature supports children’s cognitive, physical, and emotional
development. For young children especially, outdoor exploration builds essential motor skills like balance and coordination, while also nurturing risk-taking, self-confidence, and resilience.
Since 2017, Early School students have visited Ashley Hall’s Johns Island Campus, fondly called the
Nature Retreat, for nature-based field trips. This outdoor space, developed by faculty including Early
School Atelierista Wendy Robbins, was designed to meet a growing need: time in nature. Although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted our trips, it deepened our resolve. It reminded us to slow down, listen closely, and truly follow the children’s lead.
The pandemic, combined with the rapid growth of the Early School—nearly doubling in size over four years, sparked renewed momentum for a purposefully designed outdoor classroom right on our main campus. With the leadership of Early School Director Diane Fletcher, we envisioned a space that mirrored the same intentional, child-centered experiences offered inside our classrooms.
In October 2022, we partnered with Nature Explore, a nonprofit connected to the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, to bring this vision to life. Their mission—to make nature a joyful and integral part of daily learning—aligned seamlessly with our goals. The Nature Explore team met with parents, teachers, students, and administrators to gather input, conduct a site visit, and train our educators through a hands-on workshop. Together, we imagined an outdoor classroom made of distinct, developmentally appropriate areas, filled with open-ended materials to spark creativity and exploration.
The vision for this space was also inspired by Ashley Hall’s founder, Mary Vardrine McBee, known for her love of gardening and her vibrant campus plantings. We wanted to honor that legacy—bringing life, color, and native pollinator plants back to campus. It was important to us that the outdoor classroom not only reflect our curriculum and community but also teach children to be thoughtful stewards of the environment during these formative early years.
Most importantly, this outdoor classroom was designed as a place of meaningful connection—connection with nature, with one another, with our larger community, and across subject areas. Like nature itself, this space will evolve, expand, and transform as we nurture it. It is a living part of our school’s story—one rooted in history, inspired by children, and built for growth.
