Outdoor Classroom

The Outdoor Classroom is not a static space. It is an ever-evolving extension of our classrooms and Atelier, a place to test theories, take risks, wonder, create, and MOVE. At one end, is our native butterfly weigh station, these gardens are well cared for and attract the Monarch Butterfly along with other animals who like to nutritious on the clover pathway. Nearby, a loose parts area takes our learners on daily adventures. Children create with interchangeable parts that help build the children’s core strength, support appropriate risk-taking, engage a multitude of senses, and boost neurological development.

Several picnic tables, a story walk, a jumping tire, and a small, play house sit in the shade of large evergreen trees. A two-story natural play structure is the anchor of our outdoor space. The Mud Pie Kitchen area has many pots and pans to whip up a recipe for pretend play. Stories and adventures come alive daily in this space, and collaboration and turn-taking are worked out over prized dump trucks and shovels. Occasionally, a treasure is buried or dug up by an elated child. Physical grit and perseverance are honed here, as the children learn to navigate their bodies in space. Among sprouting sunflowers, carrots, lavender, and mint, the children can be found reading in the book area, exploring worms, or turning over stumps in search of bugs. Past the mud pie kitchen is our lower garden where there is a big hill to go up and down. There is raspberries and strawberries to pick in the garden,

Over the years, the Outdoor Classroom has been a labor of love for Building Blocks. In 2011, the staff partnered with our parents to draw up plans, altered spaces and labored to receive our very first “Outdoor Classroom”. This is an outdoor spaces that connect children with their natural environment. The aesthetic and beauty of the space are important, as is the idea of the outdoors being a classroom itself. The final product of this process is an outdoor space that invites the landscape into our world and elicits a sense of wonder and connection from the children.

As with every other space in our school, the Outdoor Classroom will continue to evolve to meet the needs and interests of our young adventurers.

CURRICULUM

Building Blocks Nature Preschool implements a child-led and nature-based curriculum. Teachers observe the interests of our Learners and the changes happening in nature to develop a unique curriculum that is inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PROVOCATION

Provocations are open-ended activities set up within the indoor and outdoor environments that do not have a prescribed outcome. Provocations are an integral part of the Reggio Emilia approach because they allow and encourage children to experience the world for themselves without being overtly guided by a teacher or parent. Provocations are created with children’s interests in mind and designed to provoke thought, ideas and action.

REGGIO EMILIA

The Reggio Emilia approach to early education is inspired by the form of education that was begun after World War II in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Parents and educators began an enriching new way to teach young minds through child-led activities, exploration of the environment, and spontaneous discovery of the natural world.

ENVIRONMENT

The environment acts as a “third teacher” at Building Blocks Nature Preschool and we provide natural, recycled, and purposeful man-made materials. Through these varied materials, children will explore, create, share, and reflect from spontaneous learning and collaborative, project based work. The role of the adult is to provide a welcoming environment that encourages children to freely explore their world and to guide the children in taking ownership of their learning endeavors.

NATURE-BASED

Our emphasis is on nature as a vast and wonderful classroom -and puts the child in the center of it. Nature is everywhere; Outdoor classrooms, nature walks, the arts, holistic & unscripted exploration. Building the foundation for a love of learning. Nature-based programs are guided by best practices in early childhood education and environmental education, thus allowing children to learn and grow socially, emotionally, and academically while simultaneously developing a deep and meaningful connection with the natural world. We are home of the nature walk. We believe in the land as a teacher. Your child will visit Highland Recreation Area is right behind our school year-round. Visiting the pond, walking through where the marigolds & milkweed grow. Climbing up and running down the hills, a blanket for observational drawings, climbing trees, and jumping in the sandy jumping spot. This area gives your child a sense of place. Where the seasons change and create a wonderful teaching environment. This is a space as Land as Teacher. Our outdoor area meets the needs of the whole child.

Outdoor Classroom