The Nature Explore Classroom at

The Green Center believes that connecting children to nature has beneficial effects on a child’s health and development.

As children continue to spend less time outdoors, they lose touch with the natural world. Providing nature play programs reconnects children to nature and gives them an opportunity to learn while making new discoveries, observations and adventures.

This year, programming included a variety of interesting topics. Some classes challenged children to discover camouflage and colors in nature while others helped them find objects and living creatures in nature. Designing spider webs, decorating pumpkins and creating a variety of other art projects with items collected are always wonderful activities shared in the Nature Explore Classroom.

A few of the abundant plantings throughout the Green Center Nature Explore Classroom include; sensitive plant, mountain mint, nasturtiums, gourds, grasses, and Mexican sunflowers. Natural colors are used throughout the classroom. Lots of wood, stone and bamboo are used to develop a beautifully aesthetic space. The Messy Area is probably the most frequently “changing” Area. Primarily based on what is growing at the time, this space utilizes hay and a variety of pumpkins and gourdes in the fall and then changes to other items during the seasons.

Hollow bamboo, boxes of different sizes and materials, dried gourds and bark are supplied for creative music making and to allow children to experiment with creating expressive movement.

Address

8025 Blackberry Ave.
St. Louis, MO 631130