Nature-Based Early-Learning Program (3–5 years old)
Children will discover the wonder and beauty found within the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres as they play, learn, and come to know the natural world. Exploring nature through the changing seasons provides the perfect landscape for fostering adaptive life skills while laying a foundation for a continuous love of learning.
The mission of Little Trees is to help young children develop a deep and meaningful relationship with the natural world through outdoor play and emergent discovery. The Little Trees curriculum is seasonally based and interest driven.
Through natural curiosity, a child may wonder about the leaves changing color, the sudden appearance of a puddle, fresh animal tracks in the snow, or the appearance of migrating birds flying overhead.
These daily explorations and provocations complement what is occurring within the natural environment, turning these phenomena into investigative themes. As young student scientists, children use field guides, tools, and natural materials to delve into these topics while engaging in activities that build physical, social-emotional, and cognitive skills. This approach fuels organically created experiences all year—deeply resonant events born from the children’s innate curiosity and connection to the natural world around them.
Contact Meg Gessler for more information on the program.
Roots Session (3-year-olds): Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Sold out)
Saplings Session (4-year-olds): Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Sold out)
Trees Session (4- and 5-year-olds): Mondays through Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Sold out)