Nature Wanderers Childcare

Philosophy:

Woodlands and wild spaces are the most inspirational, life-affirming, and radiant places on earth. They
provide us with tantalizing adventures, physical challenges, visual delights, roaring orchestras of sound, olfactory explosions, and gustatory banquets. Forests, trees, and woodlands fill our minds with illustrious,
memorable and far-fetched imaginings, the anticipation of mystery and a deep sense of excitement, in some cases, fear, and at other times, joy and delight. Trees are each unique, each an overcomer, a survivor, a silent but magnificent example of reaching for the heights, the sunlight, and the warmth that
is needed for its very existence. Each is a wonder to have the privilege of encountering; the sheer magnitude of the inner workings, the energy it converts, the air it purifies, the homes it provides, the
shelter it affords, the role it plays in the very existence of humanity, and of all life on earth. Without
the simple, complex, riveting, grounded, far-reaching tree, we simply would not exist.
We honor and revere the trees, the woodlands, and the forest; we protect them and seek to learn and understand how they are so wondrous.

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Mission:

Our mission is to nurture a deep connection to nature for all children. We offer a childcare program where children spend their days immersed in nature, discovering, exploring, investigating, and collaborating.  We are passionate about cultivating a child’s natural sense of wonder and setting the foundation for joyful learning.

Values and Beliefs:

Connection to nature, respect for nature and the environment, creating livable futures, curiosity, gratitude, joy, thinking about possibilities, and relationships are the heart and soul of the center.

Nature Wanderers Childcare values and believes that every child entering our program is a unique and precious human being who is strong, active, energetic, competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in potential mighty learners with the right to play, learn, and express themselves freely. Each child has his/her own strengths and limitations, and we see each child as a mighty learner and citizen. We believe their lives will somehow be positively impacted by their experiences in our nature-based facility. 

We value and build on their strengths and abilities. We believe that families are experts on their children who know them better than anyone else and have important information to share. Nature Wanderers Childcare sees educators as knowledgeable, reflective, resourceful, and rich in experiences.

Nature Wanderers Childcare: children have the freedom to explore, play, build, create, imagine, and use their senses to experience the outdoor environment and engage with one another. The activities shall be carefully planned according to children's age group, led by highly trained educators, and take place mostly outside the classroom in all weathers (except (minus) -20 degrees Celsius with the windchill and below) in local parks (Satoo Park, Millwoods Park), creeks, meadows (Green belt on 91 street between 23d avenue and Parsons 66 street), hills or shorelines. By participating in engaging, motivating, and achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, each child has an opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation and balanced emotional,

social, physical, and intellectual skills. These, through self-awareness, can be developed to help reach each child's personal potential, well-being and development, safety, and security.