About Nature Programs

“Connecting Children With Nature”

Mission:  Our mission is to nurture a deep connection to nature for all children. We offer licensed child care programs 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:  Connection to nature, respect for nature & the environment, creating livable futures, curiosity, gratitude, joy, thinking in possibilities, relationships are the heart & soul of the centre.

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 Connecting Children with Nature:

The majority of our day is spent outside in our beautiful Nature Classroom. We believe that “there is almost no bad weather, just bad clothing”. We believe that children deserve regular & repeated access to the same natural, outdoor space over extended periods of time.  Children will have the opportunity to notice changes over time, develop a relationship with the space, and get to know it intimately.  We believe that being outdoors in beautiful, natural environments is an essential experience for all children.  Research continues to show that nature reduces stress, increases attention span and fosters healthy brain development. It is critical to a child’s health and to the healthy development of the whole child. Children have the opportunity to interact daily with materials found in nature and in the process become thoughtful stewards of the earth we share.  What we love, we protect.  

Our programs are immersed in nature and follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy. The Ministry of Education’s How Does Learning Happen document is used for the purpose of guiding our programs. Our teachers (Registered Early Childhood Educators) use observation and documentation to plan, implement & evaluate play-based learning programs that encourage active exploration, inquiry, independence, choice, problem-solving, wonder and of course, discovery.

We believe that all children are competent, capable of complex thinking, curious and rich in potential. 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. We see educators as knowledgeable, reflective, resourceful and rich in experiences. These perspectives on children, families and educators are reflected in all Discovery policies, procedures and practices.

Our program goals are based on the Four Foundations for Learning from the Ministry of Education document “How Does Learning Happen?”

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Belonging

Our goal is to cultivate authentic relationships and connections and to create a sense of belonging among and between children, adults, and the world around them.  Relationships are at the core of everything we do.

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Well-Being

Our goal is for every child to develop a sense of self, health and well-being.  Our programs nurture children’s healthy development and support their growing sense of self.

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Engagement

Every child is an active and engaged learner who explores the world with body, mind, and senses. We provide environments and experiences to engage children in active, creative, and meaningful exploration, play, and inquiry

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Expression

Every child is a capable communicator who expresses himself or herself in many ways. Our programs foster communication and expression in all forms.

Additional Child Care Programs

We have child care programs for various age groups from 12 months to 6 years.

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What is a Forest School?

A forest school is an outdoor education model that focuses on using outdoor spaces to help children learn personal, social and technical skills. To put it simply, forest schools take the learning outside.

Why a Forest School? Forest School Kindergarten