Outdoor nature preschools in Northern Virginia?

[Anonymous]

Are there any outdoor-focused/nature-focused preschools in Northern Virginia? I'd love to find a forest school, or another program where the kids have a lot of freedom to explore, climb, play in mud, etc. and the focus is on learning social skills rather than a letter of the day or such. I'm in Vienna but willing to drive for the right program. Any leads would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Eastern Ridge School is a fabulous play-based preschool on the west side of Tysons where the kids spend most of the day outdoors. It's Reggio Emilia-inspired, which sounds like the type of program you're looking for. Both my kids went there and I can't say enough good things about it.

[Anonymous]

Sleepy Hollow Preschool but they don’t have a forest.

[Anonymous]

Frog Pond

[Anonymous]

Frog Pond in alexandria is nature based and we waited nearly two years on the wait list to get in, but it was not worth the wait and the long drive. Loved loved loved the outdoor part, but they were utterly abysmal at managing student behaviors and we left because it was actively unsaf’d. My kid who absolutely loves the outdoors switched from loving day care to sobbing every day at drop off because he would be hit, punched, pushed and hurt so often, with no consequences to the aggressors. I do know there is a great outdoor preschool closer to you, though...we considered it but Vienna was too far for us.

[Anonymous]

Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool has a regular outdoor education program.

[Anonymous]

Faith Lutheran in Arlington isn’t an outdoor focused preschool but their playground is geared to nature with an outdoor kitchen and tree cookies. Their program is play based (Reggio Emilia inspired) and so nurturing. There is a lottery to get in. I am a first grade teacher and sent my child and just loved it. Kids do art, science (through hands on learning) and don’t do worksheets or inappropriate nonsense like that. It is all learning through play.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy farms starts at PK and it’s amazing for little kids

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks for the leads, everyone!

[Anonymous]

OP I looked extensively into this the last year and from what I could find, eastern Ridge is definitely your best bet. I fact I’m jealous you live in Vienna because we just couldn’t make it work commute wise. Another I didn’t visit but in your area that no one has mentioned and has a lot of outdoor is Country Day school in McLean.

If also depends on if you need full day. tauxemont is a half day program you might like but it’s south Alexandria so very unlikely convenient. Potomac Crescent Waldorf school near Fairlington on the edge of Arlington/Alexandria does two mornings in the forest, you drop your child there in the morning and then they walk back to school for lunch. But it’s not as close to you and seemed too difficult for two parent outside the home families for us.

[Anonymous]

Pp above and Clarendon Child Care Center is also a great one if you need full day if it happened to work with your commute, wait list is long and it’s not forest school, but they do extensive outdoor time and meet all of the other things you mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eastern Ridge School is a fabulous play-based preschool on the west side of Tysons where the kids spend most of the day outdoors. It's Reggio Emilia-inspired, which sounds like the type of program you're looking for. Both my kids went there and I can't say enough good things about it.

NP I am considering Eastern Ridge but they wrote on their website that the kids come into regular contact with ticks!! I have a horrible fear of Lyme disease

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern Ridge School is a fabulous play-based preschool on the west side of Tysons where the kids spend most of the day outdoors. It's Reggio Emilia-inspired, which sounds like the type of program you're looking for. Both my kids went there and I can't say enough good things about it.

NP I am considering Eastern Ridge but they wrote on their website that the kids come into regular contact with ticks!! I have a horrible fear of Lyme disease

As someone who has had chronic Lyme, I understand your fear but the reality in this area (and many areas in the country now) is if you want your children to have open play outdoors and in nature this will be a risk that you have to manage. It’s not anything that eastern ridge is doing, that’s just the exposure that happens when kids play outside. There are precautions you can take and if you’re in a school like this you will take them and it is very likely everything will be just fine. I try to think about how essential outdoor play is and exposure to nature and that it overrides the risk (as long as I take precautions). If this will cause you a lot of anxiety than it may just not be the right fit.

[Anonymous]

MSNV incorporates outdoor education and each classroom has a door to the outside - think gardening, nature hikes, composting, and annual trip to echo hill outdoor school for elementary.