The Nature Explore Classroom at
Laura’s Learn and Play Nature School, LLC
It’s such a pleasure to work with families in my community helping guide children on their nature-based learning adventures. My program, Laura’s Learn and Play Nature School, LLC. was first opened in 1995 as a traditional, licensed family childcare. In 2010, my vision for my program started to evolve into a nature based, child-led focus inspired by the Italian early childhood philosophy of Reggio Emilia.
In that time, I’ve become a certified Natural Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation, achieved NAFCC’s National Educator of the Year, published several nature-based play articles, and continue to pursue professional opportunities to share my program. It is my goal to create early childhood experiences that are rooted in everyday magic and designed for children to engage in the world around them in a sensory, intuitive and compassionate manner. Child-led, nature-based education connects awareness of self, family, community, and nature through empathy and understanding.
My approach is supportive and wonder-guided drawn from research-based theories including Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Gardner. It’s important to create inspiration for a love of the natural world, support children’s positive sense of self, and
to help them to recognize their gifts as an important part of a broader but inclusive community.
Because of my personal appreciation of the various arts and fostering a sense of community, I began inviting local musicians to play concerts in my backyard beginning in the summer of 2020. These events provided a way to blend my love of nature-based play, live, local music, and social opportunities in a somewhat isolating time. I believe we all can make positive changes in the world one backyard at a time.
These events grow in attendance each year and have offered a unique and joyful way to bring neighbors together, building a strong sense of community and support. By hosting concerts in familiar, personal spaces, neighbors connect more easily, forming friendships and professional networks that might not develop in larger, less personal settings.
My nature-based play area is open to all who attend these events and it’s an opportunity for the families to learn more about my nature-based school. These informal gatherings create accessible venues for emerging artists to showcase their talents, enriching the community’s cultural landscape and encouraging a deeper appreciation for the arts. It’s become a cherished venue for musicians.
Artists express their appreciation, comment on how much they love the venue, and will often ask to return to play again. Each year, I create a concert schedule that is posted outside my gate, visible to families who are walking their dogs or playing in the park. Everyone is encouraged to bring a potluck dish to share, and the events are open to all. Through joyful, shared experiences, outdoor music cultivates a welcoming atmosphere, strengthening bonds and creating a more vibrant, cohesive community which I feel blessed to belong to.
