We have two covered outdoor areas for learning activities to occur in as well as 4.5 forested acres with two year-round creeks.  Coming in Spring 2025, we will also be adding a 23' greenhouse dome which will allow for increased farm to table opportunities as well as another warm outdoor area to explore! The main yard includes a  swing set, children’s garden, construction area, and mud kitchen. As a nature inspired program children will be learning outside for 50% or more of their school day. We believe that children of all ages need time to learn and explore outside everyday, rain or shine. Each day children are expected to come dressed for the weather and ready to head out to play, believing in the wisdom of explorer Ranulph Finnes, who said “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”.

Multi-age learning supports child development by creating an environment where children of various ages can learn from each other.  Older children develop leadership and teaching skills as they guide younger peers, while younger children gain confidence by observing and interacting with older role models.  This approach encourages empathy, cooperation, and a sense of community.  Additionally it allows children to progress at their own pace and helps to promote a love of learning.  Teaching children for longer periods of time also strengthens relationships between families and the teachers helping to develop a strong connection between home and the classroom. This continuity creates a partnership built on mutual respect and shared goals, leading to improved communication and a stronger support system for the student. 

We practice a phonetics-based learning approach that focuses on teaching children the relationship between sounds and letters which helps to support reading development. We include literacy activities daily through natural experiences in the forest, morning circle, story times, and hands on activities. We practice daily using the early literacy curriculum Haggerty. 

We love all forms of art and encourage creative expression at Creek Kids. We provide an endless array of art and craft supplies and encourage the recycling and upcycling of materials. Children are allowed the complete freedom to create their own masterpieces. 

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  Below are some ways STEM exploration happens at Creek kids.

• Science: Children will learn about sensory systems, their body, magnets, gravity, friction, force, states of matter, geography, and animal science. 

• Technology: Children will learn about simple machines, building and taking apart, and learning to use simple tools to complete jobs

• Engineering: Children will make and execute plans to solve problems, examine small details, looking at parts to a whole, combining things to make something new, building structures and paths

• Mathematics: Children will learn to classify, organize, measure and make predictions. 

Math in nature offers young children a fun and engaging way to learn foundational math concepts through hands-on experiences. By connecting math to the world around them, children can explore early math skills like counting, patterns, shapes, measurement, and more. In addition to spontaneous math in the natural environment we also utilize and adapt content from the Wild Math curriculum. 

Learning to write is a process.  We work with children to strengthen their fine motor control in preparation for writing.  We provide opportunities to increase both fine motor strength and coordination.   As student show readiness to begin writing, we utilize a multisensory approach from Learning without Tears to teach letter formation.  We encourage all levels of writing from mark making to word writing and celebrate all writers!

Learning can be exhausing and a mid-day rest is the way we honor the children's hard work.  For students who are napping, we have a separate quiet room to nap in with room darkening curtains and white noise. Our non-napping students take a quiet break in our main preschool room with audio stories playing in the background. Students may do quiet work in their area including drawing, coloring, reading, or puzzles.  

While at school, children will be served a nutritious breakfast, snack, and lunch. These meals are included in their tuition. The food is cooked onsite by the teachers and seasonal food is prioritized as well as food grown onsite. When appropriate, children will be invited to help prepare meals.  We can accommodate food allergies as well.