2025-26 Early Childhood Program

Interested in future years?
Join our waitlist here

Early Childhood Program for Ages 3-5

Preschool & Kindergarten

At Nature Connect, we foster a child’s sense of wonder and play through games, songs, and stories. Each week has a theme that supports hands-on experiential learning in the outdoors. Children are introduced to plant and animal identification through stories and direct observation. Crafts using materials found in the woods help to develop fine motor skills and an appreciation for our natural resources. Children will also explore their physical and problem-solving abilities while navigating the woods around them.

Our mixed-age classrooms promote community and collaborative learning. We believe the natural world provides an exceptional classroom, inspiring wonder, independent learning and critical thinking. Our nature-based curriculum follows state academic standards and incorporates a hands-on, experiential approach to the development of the whole-child. Our unique outdoor learning experience includes developmentally appropriate literacy, letters and handwriting, numbers and mathematical concepts, science exploration, social/emotional development, creative expression, and physical development. Read more about our curriculum and philosophies here.

Each day, there will be a 3 year old class, a 4 year old class, and a 4-5 year old class.

Enrollment Options:

2 days per week (Tuesday/Thursday)
3 days per week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)
5 days per week (Monday-Friday)

2025-2026 Academic Year

Dates: August 21, 2025 - May 7, 2026

(Calendar similar to Baldwin County Public Schools)

Times: 9:00am - 1:00pm (Extended Day available 8:00am-3:00pm )

Location: Church of the Apostles, 7159 McIntyre St, Fairhope

Find tuition information here.

Enrollment requirements:

Request a school tour by clicking here. All new students are required to tour prior to enrolling for an academic program.
Children must be proficient with toileting & fully potty trained. They know when they need to go to the bathroom and can communicate that.
Because we learn in an outdoor classroom without walls, children must be able to stay with the group and follow instructions most of the time.
Children must show respect towards peers, teachers, nature, and the church property.
Review our Readiness Questionnaire.

Financial aid is available and awarded on a yearly basis, based on need. Applications for financial aid are due by January 20th, 2025.

Members of the Church of the Apostles receive a discount. Please let us know if you are a member BEFORE filling out the registration.

What makes us unique?

Mostly Outdoors - We spend most of our class time outdoors, unless there is severe weather. This means we get dirty and even play in the rain! We love exploring in the woods and at the creek and learning about the beautiful place where we live. We have a barn classroom with a screened in porch and many outdoor learning spaces as well.

Small Class Size and Low Teacher to Student Ratio - We keep our class size small and our teacher to student ratio is 1:8 (or better), which means individual attention and care to each child's needs.

Highly-trained Staff that love what they do - We hire the highest quality teachers in the area because we know who is with your child is incredibly important. Our teachers are well-trained, trustworthy, and experienced caregivers who love the work that they do. We provide ongoing staff development and opportunities for continuing education.

Room for Creative Play - We believe that children are meant to play and use their imaginations. That is what makes childhood special. Our staff see themselves as facilitators of the children's experience, holding the space for them to explore, learn, and play in the outdoors.

Physical Activity - We run, jump, slide, balance, and climb all throughout the day. Nature is the best playground! Children develop their physical capabilities and learn to be resilient in our classes. If the children need rest, we certainly make space for that to happen as well. Whatever the child's energy level, we work with it.

Flexible, Nature-Based, Child-led Curriculum - Our curriculum is focused on our local environment and the plants and animals that live here. If we find a turtle in the woods or a salamander in the creek, that becomes our lesson. We believe learning happens the most when children have that "spark" in their eye. Incorporated into our nature-based curriculum are Alabama's state academic standards. Read more about our curriculum and philosophies here.

Inquiry Learning - We love children's innate sense of curiosity, and we want to foster that. Therefore, we encourage the children to ask lots of questions. We then discover the answers or have fun wondering together.

What are we learning?

Our early childhood program incorporates age-appropriate academics using nature as our classroom. Our teaching methods are inspired by a wide variety of teachers and ideologies. We have a flexible inquiry-based facilitation style, and we follow the children's lead much of the time. Some teaching philosophies that are similar to ours are Montessori and the Reggio Emilia Approach.

Our curriculum meets state academic standards and is uniquely crafted using the following resources:

Blossom and Root
Heggerty Phonics
Zoophonics
Exploring Nature with Children
Wild Math
Our Nature Connect curriculum

What does a day at outdoor school look like?

9:00 Welcome and Drop-off, Arrival Activity
- For example: working in the garden or mud kitchen, doing a nature craft, exploring the woods, learning about a local plant or animal, or playing an active, nature-oriented game
9:20 Opening Circle
- Nature Songs, Movement Activities, Sharing Gratitudes
9:30 Literacy
9:45 Bathroom/Handwashing Break, Snack and Water
10:15 Math
10:30 Nature Exploration
- For example: Adventure to the creek or woods, building a shelter, climbing up and sliding down in the gully, learning about local plants and animals, nature art, sitting still in nature, outdoor play and discovery
11:30 Bathroom/Handwashing Break. Change into clean, dry clothes if needed.
11:45 Lunch and Water
12:00 Barn Work Cycle
- Math, Language, Thematic Lesson, Practical Life
12:45 Closing Circle and Story of the Day
- We each share our favorite part of the day and sing our closing song
1:00 Goodbye and Pick-up

2025-26 Early Childhood Program

Interested in future years? Join our waitlist here

Enrollment Options:

What are we learning?

Interested in future years?
Join our waitlist here